Bill Text: NY A00424 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Establishes a joint commission on public transparency and sexual harassment to adopt, amend and rescind rules and regulations defining sexual harassment for state agencies, offices, and branches of government and develop recommendations for the uniform distribution of such definitions and policies, and to receive complaints and referrals alleging violations by certain state officials.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 21-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - referred to governmental operations [A00424 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A00424-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         424--A

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 6, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. ROZIC, WILLIAMS, SEAWRIGHT, GUNTHER, ENGLEBRIGHT,
          CAHILL,  HYNDMAN,  LAVINE,  WEPRIN, DICKENS, NIOU, BARRON, DE LA ROSA,
          J. RIVERA, LUPARDO, GRIFFIN, J. M. GIGLIO -- Multi-Sponsored by --  M.
          of  A.  ABBATE, DAVILA, NOLAN, SIMON, THIELE -- read once and referred
          to the Committee on Governmental Operations --  committee  discharged,
          bill  amended,  ordered  reprinted  as amended and recommitted to said
          committee

        AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to  establishing  a
          joint commission on public transparency and sexual harassment

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The public officers law is amended by adding a new  section
     2  75-b to read as follows:
     3    §  75-b.  Commission on public transparency and sexual harassment.  1.
     4  When used in this section the following terms shall have  the  following
     5  meanings:
     6    (a)  "statewide  elected official" shall mean the governor, lieutenant
     7  governor, comptroller, or attorney general;
     8    (b) "state officer or employee" shall mean:
     9    (i) heads of state departments and their deputies and  assistants  who
    10  serve at the discretion of the statewide elected official; and
    11    (ii)  officers  and employees of statewide elected officials who serve
    12  at the discretion of the statewide elected official;
    13    (c) "legislative employee" shall mean any officer or employee  of  the
    14  legislature; and
    15    (d)  "legislative member" shall mean a senator or member of the assem-
    16  bly.
    17    2. There is hereby  established  within  the  department  of  state  a
    18  commission  on  public  transparency  and  sexual harassment which shall
    19  consist of nine members and shall have and exercise the powers  and  the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03203-05-1

        A. 424--A                           2

     1  duties set forth in this section with respect to statewide elected offi-
     2  cials, state officers and employees, legislative employees, and legisla-
     3  tive  members.  This  section  shall  not  be  deemed to have revoked or
     4  rescinded any regulations or advisory opinions issued by the legislative
     5  ethics  commission, the commission on public integrity, the state ethics
     6  commission, or the state office for human  rights  in  effect  upon  the
     7  effective  date  of  this section to the extent that such regulations or
     8  opinions are not inconsistent with any law of this state, but such regu-
     9  lations and opinions shall apply only to matters over which such commis-
    10  sions had jurisdiction at the time such regulations  and  opinions  were
    11  promulgated  or  issued.  The commission shall undertake a comprehensive
    12  review of the current sexual harassment policies in the legislature  and
    13  executive  agencies.  The  commission  shall, before February first, two
    14  thousand twenty-two, report to the governor and the legislature  regard-
    15  ing  this  review  and  recommendations  for any regulatory or statutory
    16  guidance for consistency and transparency.
    17    3. The commission shall consist of nine members of whom one  shall  be
    18  appointed  by  the  governor,  four  by  the chief judge of the court of
    19  appeals, and one each by the speaker  of  the  assembly,  the  temporary
    20  president  of  the  senate,  the  minority leader of the senate, and the
    21  minority leader of the assembly. Of the four members  appointed  by  the
    22  chief  judge of the court of appeals, no more than two shall be enrolled
    23  in the same political party, two shall be attorneys licensed to practice
    24  law in this state, and two shall not be  attorneys.  No  member  of  the
    25  commission shall hold any office in any political party.  Members of the
    26  commission  shall  be  appointed based on their actual experience in the
    27  establishment of institutional policies, sexual harassment  claims,  and
    28  legal  matters  regarding  sexual  harassment  issues,  sex  crimes, and
    29  reporting.  Appointing  authorities  shall  coordinate  appointments  to
    30  include,  but  not  be  limited to, an attorney actually employed in the
    31  area of sexual harassment litigation and similar legal matters  who  has
    32  demonstrated outstanding service and contributions to this legal area, a
    33  human  resources  or labor relations representative who has demonstrated
    34  actual service in the establishment of effective sexual harassment poli-
    35  cies in the workplace, a member of law enforcement who has work  experi-
    36  ence in relation to sex crimes and harassment, and a member of the judi-
    37  cial  branch who has had experience in the consideration of civil claims
    38  related to sexual harassment and sex discrimination. In the event that a
    39  vacancy arises  with  respect  to  a  member  of  the  commission  first
    40  appointed pursuant to this section by a legislative leader, the legisla-
    41  tive leaders of the same political party in the same house shall appoint
    42  a  member  to fill such vacancy irrespective of whether that legislative
    43  leader's political party is in the majority or minority.  No  individual
    44  shall  be  eligible  for  appointment  as a member of the commission who
    45  currently or within the last three years is or has been a member of  the
    46  New  York  state  legislature  or  has been a legislative employee, or a
    47  statewide officer or elected official or a commissioner of an  executive
    48  agency  appointed  by the governor, or has held judicial office. Members
    49  of the commission shall be residents of the state.
    50    4. Members of the commission shall serve  for  terms  of  five  years;
    51  provided, however, that the member first appointed by the governor shall
    52  serve  for  three years and the members first appointed by the temporary
    53  president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, and  the  minority
    54  leaders of the senate and assembly shall serve for four years.
    55    5.  Members of the commission shall designate a chair from the member-
    56  ship thereof for a term of two years or until his or her  term  expires,

        A. 424--A                           3

     1  whichever period is shorter. The chair or a member of the commission may
     2  call a meeting.
     3    6.  Any  vacancy  occurring  on  the commission shall be filled within
     4  thirty days of its occurrence in the same manner  as  the  member  whose
     5  vacancy  is  being  filled  was  appointed. A person appointed to fill a
     6  vacancy occurring other than by expiration of a term of office shall  be
     7  appointed for the unexpired term of the member he or she succeeds.
     8    7. Members of the commission may be removed by the appointing authori-
     9  ty  solely  for substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office,
    10  violation of the confidentiality, inability to discharge the  powers  or
    11  duties  of  office  or a violation of this section, after written notice
    12  and opportunity for a reply.
    13    8. Members of the commission shall be reimbursed  for  all  reasonable
    14  expenses actually and necessarily incurred by him or her in the perform-
    15  ance of his or her duties under this section.
    16    9. Seven members shall constitute a quorum.
    17    10. The commission shall:
    18    (a)  adopt,  amend  and  rescind rules and regulations defining sexual
    19  harassment for state agencies, offices, and branches of  government  and
    20  develop  recommendations for the uniform distribution of the definitions
    21  and policies developed pursuant to this section;
    22    (b) make available forms for complaints of sexual harassment  and  sex
    23  discrimination  involving statewide elected officials, state officers or
    24  employees, legislative members and employees;
    25    (c) review sexual harassment filing procedures in accordance with  the
    26  provisions of this section;
    27    (d)  receive  complaints  and referrals alleging violations of section
    28  two hundred ninety-six of the executive law, or  provisions  of  article
    29  one  hundred  thirty of the penal law by a statewide elected official, a
    30  state officer or employee, legislative employee or legislative member;
    31    (e) immediately report any allegations that, if true, would constitute
    32  a crime, to law enforcement for investigation;
    33    (f) for all other matters the commission  shall  determine  whether  a
    34  complaint  is "founded" or "unfounded" and shall issue a recommendation,
    35  in accordance with the  confidentiality  provisions  contained  in  this
    36  section  and  consistent  with all other laws, including awards to crime
    37  victims under article twenty-two of the executive law, to the appointing
    38  authority as to the basis of the claims, recommendations for appropriate
    39  resolution, and whether the commission approves of  the  use  of  public
    40  monies,  including  funds of the legislature, to resolve specific claims
    41  raised by the claimant. The recommendations of the commission  shall  be
    42  fully  and properly considered by the appointing authority but shall not
    43  be binding. There shall be  a  rebuttable  presumption  assumed  by  the
    44  commission that any statewide elected official, state officer or employ-
    45  ee,  or  legislative member or employee who makes a good faith effort at
    46  reporting or addressing sexual harassment shall not be held individually
    47  liable under any claim or settlement;
    48    (g) prepare and submit an annual report to the governor and the legis-
    49  lature summarizing the activities of the commission during the  previous
    50  year  including,  but  not  limited to, (i) an accounting of founded and
    51  unfounded claims of sexual harassment organized  by  legislative  branch
    52  and  executive  office  or  agency,  and  (ii)  where  a matter has been
    53  resolved, the date and nature of the disposition and  any  sanctions  or
    54  recommendations  of  the  commission,  subject  to  the  confidentiality
    55  requirements of this section;

        A. 424--A                           4

     1    (h) provide notification to any person who has filed a sexual  harass-
     2  ment  claim  of  the determination of the commission's review as well as
     3  the individual's right to appeal the commission's determination pursuant
     4  to subdivision twelve of this section;
     5    (i) appoint an executive director who shall act in accordance with the
     6  policies of the commission. The appointment and removal of the executive
     7  director shall be made solely by a vote of a majority of the commission,
     8  which majority shall include at least one member appointed by a legisla-
     9  tive leader from each of the two major political parties. The commission
    10  may  delegate  authority to the executive director to act in the name of
    11  the commission between meetings of the commission provided  such  deleg-
    12  ation is in writing, the specific powers to be delegated are enumerated,
    13  and  the  commission  shall not delegate any decisions specified in this
    14  section that require a vote  of the commission. The  executive  director
    15  shall be appointed without regard to political affiliation and solely on
    16  the basis of fitness to perform the duties assigned by this article, and
    17  shall  be  a  qualified,  independent  professional.  The commission may
    18  remove the executive director for neglect of duty, misconduct in office,
    19  violation of the confidentiality, or inability or failure  to  discharge
    20  the  powers  or  duties  of  office, including the failure to follow the
    21  lawful instructions of the commission;
    22    (j) review and approve a staffing plan provided and  prepared  by  the
    23  executive  director  which  shall  contain,  at a minimum, a list of the
    24  various units and divisions as well as the number of positions  in  each
    25  unit,  titles  and  their  duties,  and salaries, as well as the various
    26  qualifications for each position including, but not limited  to,  educa-
    27  tion and prior experience for each position;
    28    (k)  appoint such other staff as are necessary to carry out its duties
    29  under this section; and
    30    (l) develop and administer an  online  sexual  harassment  orientation
    31  course to be made available across the legislative and executive branch-
    32  es  for  the  purposes of a uniform and consistent policy across govern-
    33  ment.
    34    11. (a) When an individual becomes a member or staff  of  the  commis-
    35  sion,  that individual shall be required to sign a non-disclosure state-
    36  ment.
    37    (b) Except  as  otherwise  required  or  provided  by  law,  testimony
    38  received or any other information obtained by a commissioner or staff of
    39  the  commission  shall  not  be  disclosed by any such individual to any
    40  person or entity outside the  commission  during  the  pendency  of  any
    41  matter.  Any  confidential communication to any person or entity outside
    42  the commission related to the matters before the  commission  may  occur
    43  only as authorized by the commission.
    44    (c) The commission shall establish procedures necessary to prevent the
    45  unauthorized disclosure of any information received by any member of the
    46  commission  or  staff of the commission. Any breaches of confidentiality
    47  shall be investigated by the inspector general  and  appropriate  action
    48  shall  be  taken.  Any commissioner or person employed by the commission
    49  who intentionally and without authorization releases confidential infor-
    50  mation received by the commission shall be guilty of a class A misdemea-
    51  nor.
    52    12. The commission shall be deemed to be an agency of the state within
    53  the meaning of article three of the state administrative  procedure  act
    54  and  shall adopt rules governing the conduct of adjudicatory proceedings
    55  and appeals taken pursuant  to  a  proceeding  commenced  under  article
    56  seventy-eight  of  the  civil  practice  law  and  rules relating to the

        A. 424--A                           5

     1  assessment of penalties or findings authorized  in  this  section.  Such
     2  rules,  which  shall  not be subject to the approval requirements of the
     3  state administrative procedure act, shall provide for due process proce-
     4  dural  mechanisms  substantially  similar  to those set forth in article
     5  three of the state administrative procedure act but such mechanisms need
     6  not be identical in terms of scope.
     7    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to settle-
     8  ments entered into on and after such date.
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