The database here includes all laws, important land use decisions, and significant resolutions passed by the New York City Council since January 2002. Use the search options to the right to find bills by year, topic, keyword and/or bill number. Also see how each council member voted and if the mayor signed or vetoed the legislation.
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LANGUAGE ACCESS
(INTRO 38-A)Introduced: 2003
Passed City Council: December 15, 2003
Passed Mayor: December 22, 2003
This legislation seeks to increase access to city services for individuals who have limited English-speaking ability. It requires city agencies that handle public assistance, food stamps, children’s issues, health and homeless services to provide translation services in six languages – Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian and Spanish. The bill will be phased in over the next five years and the city must fully comply by 2009.
How Councilmembers Voted :
46-Yes 3-No 0-Abstain 1-Absent
| Name | Party | District | Vote |
| Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. | Democrat | 32 | Yes |
| Tony Avella | Democrat | 19 | Yes |
| Maria Baez | Democrat | 14 | Yes |
| Charles Barron | Democrat | 42 | Yes |
| Tracy L. Boyland | Democrat | 41 | Yes |
| Gale A. Brewer | Democrat | 6 | Yes |
| Yvette D. Clarke | Democrat | 40 | Yes |
| Leroy G. Comrie, Jr. | Democrat | 27 | Yes |
| Bill de Blasio | Democrat | 39 | Yes |
| Erik Martin Dilan | Democrat | 37 | Absent |
| Pedro Espada, Jr. | Independence | 18 | Yes |
| Simcha Felder | Democrat | 44 | Yes |
| Lewis A. Fidler | Democrat | 46 | Yes |
| Helen D. Foster | Democrat | 16 | Yes |
| Dennis P. Gallagher | Republican | 30 | No |
| James F. Gennaro | Democrat | 24 | Yes |
| Vincent J. Gentile | Democrat | 43 | Yes |
| Alan Gerson | Democrat | 1 | Yes |
| Eric N. Gioia | Democrat | 26 | Yes |
| Sara M. Gonzalez | Democrat | 38 | Yes |
| Robert Jackson | Democrat | 7 | Yes |
| Allan W. Jennings, Jr. | Democrat | 28 | Yes |
| Melinda R. Katz | Democrat | 29 | Yes |
| G. Oliver Koppell | Democrat | 11 | Yes |
| Andrew J. Lanza | Republican | 51 | No |
| John C. Liu | Democrat | 20 | Yes |
| Margarita Lopez | Democrat | 2 | Yes |
| Miguel Martinez | 10 | Yes | |
| Michael E. McMahon | Democrat | 49 | Yes |
| Gifford Miller | Democrat | 5 | Yes |
| Hiram Monserrate | Democrat | 21 | Yes |
| Eva Moskowitz | 4 | Yes | |
| Michael C. Nelson | Democrat | 48 | Yes |
| James S. Oddo | Republican | 50 | No |
| Bill Perkins | Democrat | 9 | Yes |
| Madeline T. Provenzano | Democrat | 13 | Yes |
| Christine C. Quinn | Democrat | 3 | Yes |
| Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. | Democrat | 47 | Yes |
| Philip Reed | Democrat | 8 | Yes |
| Diana Reyna | Democrat | 34 | Yes |
| Joel Rivera | Democrat | 15 | Yes |
| James Sanders, Jr. | Democrat | 31 | Yes |
| Larry B. Seabrook | Democrat | 12 | Yes |
| Helen Sears | Democrat | 25 | Yes |
| Jose M. Serrano | Democrat | 17 | Yes |
| Kendall Stewart | Democrat | 45 | Yes |
| Peter F. Vallone, Jr. | Democrat | 22 | Yes |
| Albert Vann | Democrat | 36 | Yes |
| David I. Weprin | Democrat | 23 | Yes |
| David Yassky | Democrat | 33 | Yes |