Title
Proposing an amendment to The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to provide for the creation of an Office of Immigrant Affairs, to provide for the powers and duties of such Office, and to otherwise provide for incorporation of the Office into the City government; and providing for the submission of the amendment to the electors of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, Under Section 6 of the First Class City Home Rule Act (53 P.S. §13106), an amendment to The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter may be proposed by a resolution of the Council of the City of Philadelphia adopted with the concurrence of two-thirds of its elected members; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the following amendment to The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter is hereby proposed and shall be submitted to the electors of the City on an election date designated by ordinance:
ARTICLE III - EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH -
ORGANIZATION
CHAPTER 1
OFFICERS, DEPARTMENTS, BOARDS,
COMMISSIONS AND OTHER AGENCIES
§3-100. Executive and Administrative Officers, Departments, Boards, Commissions and Agencies Designated.
The executive and administrative work of the City shall be performed by:
(a) The following elected or appointed officers:
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Director of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Affairs;
Director of Immigrant Affairs.
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CHAPTER 2
ELECTION OR APPOINTMENT
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§ 3-213. Director of Immigrant Affairs.
The Mayor shall appoint the Director of Immigrant Affairs.
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ARTICLE IV
EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH - POWERS AND DUTIES
The Mayor, The City Representative and Departments, Boards, Commissions and
Offices Under the Mayor
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CHAPTER 22
OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS
§ 4-2200. Creation.
The Office of Immigrant Affairs is hereby created, headed by the Director of Immigrant Affairs.
§ 4-2201. Powers and Duties.
The Office of Immigrant Affairs shall have the power and its duty shall be to perform the following functions:
(a) Develop and coordinate implementation of City policies regarding issues affecting immigrant communities;
(b) Promote immigrant access to services from, and equal treatment by, City offices, departments, boards and commissions and other governmental agencies; and
(c) Serve as a liaison between the City and its immigrant communities, in order to support the safety, growth and general welfare of such communities.
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ARTICLE VIII
PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
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CHAPTER 6
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE THROUGHOUT CITY GOVERNMENT
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§ 8-600. Language Access Plans.
(1) Every office, department, board and commission, including but not limited to the Council and the former county offices and bodies, ("all agencies") shall:
(a) prepare a plan to promote access to City services, compliance with City law and ease of contact with, and participation within, government in the City for people with limited English proficiency ("language access plans") in accordance with any generally applicable language access policy established by the Mayor;
(b) implement such plan in accordance with Section A-200;
(c) provide an annual report regarding the status of implementation of such plan to such City office, department or agency as may be designated by the Mayor, in accordance with Section A-200 the Office of Immigrant Affairs (“OIA”), which shall provide all such reports to the Council.
(2) The entity designated by the Mayor pursuant to subsection (1)(c) OIA shall:
(a) assist all agencies with the preparation of their language access plans and annual reports;
(b) upon acceptance of a final report, file the report with the Department of Records, which shall make such report available to the public; and
(c) evaluate all agencies' compliance with their language access plans and all applicable policies and laws, including state and federal law, regarding access to government by individuals with limited English proficiency. All agencies shall cooperate with the entity designated by the Mayor OIA in connection with the entity's OIA’s evaluation of the agency's compliance with its language access plan.
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APPENDIX
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CHAPTER A-2
§ A-200. Schedule.
This Charter shall become effective on the first Monday of January, 1952, except in the following particulars:
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(16) The amendments to this Charter relating to the Office of Immigrant Affairs shall take effect July 1, 2019.
End