The New York City Council - File #: Int 1332-2019

• File #: Int 1332-2019
• Version: A
• Name: Office of constituent services.
• Type: Introduction
• Status: Enacted
• Committee: Committee on General Welfare
• On agenda: 1/24/2019
• Enactment date: 9/14/2019
• Law number: 2019/160
• Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to an office of constituent services
• Sponsors: Corey D. Johnson, Helen K. Rosenthal, Adrienne E. Adams, Donovan J. Richards, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Antonio Reynoso, Diana I. Ayala, Rafael Salamanca, Jr., Vanessa L. Gibson, Margaret S. Chin, Ben Kallos, Costa G. Constantinides, Alicka Ampry-Samuel , Deborah L. Rose, Carlina Rivera
• Council Member Sponsors: 15
• Summary: This bill would create an Office of Constituent Services at the Department of Social Services (“DSS”). The Office would establish a system for DSS to receive comments, questions and complaints from clients, conduct a review of all cases where public benefits have been or will be terminated, maintain policies to communicate with clients in a timely manner in response to inquiries, and develop strategies and recommendations regarding such client communication. DSS would be required to post the phone number and information about the Office of Constituent Services on its website.

Date	Ver.	Prime Sponsor	Action By	Action	Result
9/16/2019	A	Corey D. Johnson	City Council	Returned Unsigned by Mayor
9/14/2019	A	Corey D. Johnson	Administration	City Charter Rule Adopted
8/14/2019	A	Corey D. Johnson	City Council	Sent to Mayor by Council
8/14/2019	A	Corey D. Johnson	City Council	Approved by Council	Pass
8/13/2019	*	Corey D. Johnson	Committee on General Welfare	Hearing Held by Committee
8/13/2019	*	Corey D. Johnson	Committee on General Welfare	Amendment Proposed by Comm
8/13/2019	*	Corey D. Johnson	Committee on General Welfare	Amended by Committee
8/13/2019	A	Corey D. Johnson	Committee on General Welfare	Approved by Committee	Pass
2/4/2019	*	Corey D. Johnson	Committee on General Welfare	Hearing Held by Committee
2/4/2019	*	Corey D. Johnson	Committee on General Welfare	Laid Over by Committee
1/24/2019	*	Corey D. Johnson	City Council	Referred to Comm by Council
1/24/2019	*	Corey D. Johnson	City Council	Introduced by Council

Int. No. 1332-A

By The Speaker (Council Member Johnson) and Council Members Rosenthal, Adams, Richards, the Public Advocate (Mr. Williams), Reynoso, Ayala, Salamanca, Gibson, Chin, Kallos, Constantinides, Ampry-Samuel, Rose and Rivera

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to an office of constituent services

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 21 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-142.2 to read as follows:

§ 21-142.2 Office of constituent services. a. There shall be an office of constituent services within the department. The duties of such office shall include, but not be limited to:

1. Establishing a system to receive and respond to comments, questions and complaints from clients;

2. Conducting a review of all inquiries from clients about cases where any public benefits administered by the department have been or will be terminated including, but not limited to, the reason for such termination, whether the recipient was notified that such public benefits have been or will be terminated and whether the department has complied with the applicable statutes, rules and regulations with respect to such cases;

3. Establishing and maintaining policies regarding communication with clients in a timely manner in response to inquiries;

4. Developing strategies and recommendations for the commissioner regarding client communication; and

5. Performing such other duties and functions as may be appropriate.

b. The department shall post on its website the phone number for the office of constituent services and a statement indicating that any person may contact such office if such person has a comment, question or complaint regarding any public benefit administered by the department.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law, except that the commissioner may take such actions as are necessary for its implementation, including the promulgation of rules, prior to such date.

ACK

LS #9653

8/6/2019 4:25pm