Bill Text: NY A06354 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Prohibits discrimination in housing based upon domestic violence status and establishes a task force to study the impact of source of income on access to housing.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-1)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-06-19 - substituted by s5 [A06354 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A06354-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6354
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    March 20, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M. of A. PEOPLES-STOKES -- read once and referred to the
         Committee on Governmental Operations
       AN ACT to amend the executive law, in  relation  to  preventing  housing
         discrimination  against  victims  of  domestic violence; and to repeal
         certain provisions of such law relating thereto
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Subdivision  34  of  section  292 of the executive law is
    2  REPEALED and a new subdivision 34 is added to read as follows:
    3    34. THE TERM "VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING
    4  AS IS ASCRIBED TO SUCH TERM BY SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY-NINE-A OF  THE
    5  SOCIAL SERVICES LAW.
    6    S  2.  Paragraph  (a) of subdivision 2 of section 296 of the executive
    7  law, as amended by chapter 106 of the laws of 2003, is amended  to  read
    8  as follows:
    9    (a)  It  shall  be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person,
   10  being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent,  agent  or
   11  employee  of  any  place  of  public accommodation, resort or amusement,
   12  because of the race, creed, color, national origin, sexual  orientation,
   13  military status, sex, [or] disability [or], marital status, OR STATUS AS
   14  A  VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE of any person, directly or indirectly, to
   15  refuse, withhold from or deny to such person any of the  accommodations,
   16  advantages, facilities or privileges thereof, including the extension of
   17  credit,  or,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  publish,  circulate, issue,
   18  display, post or mail any written or printed  communication,  notice  or
   19  advertisement, to the effect that any of the accommodations, advantages,
   20  facilities  and  privileges of any such place shall be refused, withheld
   21  from or denied to any person on account of race, creed, color,  national
   22  origin,  sexual orientation, military status, sex, [or] disability [or],
   23  marital status, OR STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, or that  the
   24  patronage  or custom thereat of any person of or purporting to be of any
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD09563-01-5
       A. 6354                             2
    1  particular race, creed,  color,  national  origin,  sexual  orientation,
    2  military  status,  sex  [or],  marital  status, OR STATUS AS A VICTIM OF
    3  DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, or having a disability is unwelcome, objectionable or
    4  not acceptable, desired or solicited.
    5    S  3. Paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (c-1) of subdivision 2-a of section
    6  296 of the executive law, paragraphs (a), (b) and  (c)  as  amended  and
    7  paragraph (c-1) as added by chapter 106 of the laws of 2003, are amended
    8  to read as follows:
    9    (a)  To refuse to sell, rent or lease or otherwise to deny to or with-
   10  hold from any person or group of  persons  such  housing  accommodations
   11  because  of  the race, creed, color, disability, national origin, sexual
   12  orientation, military status, age, sex, marital  status,  [or]  familial
   13  status,  OR  STATUS  AS  A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE of such person or
   14  persons, or to represent that any housing accommodation or land  is  not
   15  available  for  inspection,  sale, rental or lease when in fact it is so
   16  available.
   17    (b) To discriminate against any person because of  his  or  her  race,
   18  creed,  color, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, military
   19  status, age, sex, marital status, [or] familial status, OR STATUS  AS  A
   20  VICTIM  OF  DOMESTIC  VIOLENCE in the terms, conditions or privileges of
   21  any publicly-assisted housing accommodations or  in  the  furnishing  of
   22  facilities or services in connection therewith.
   23    (c) To cause to be made any written or oral inquiry or record concern-
   24  ing  the  race, creed, color, disability, national origin, sexual orien-
   25  tation, membership in the reserve armed forces of the United  States  or
   26  in  the  organized  militia of the state, age, sex, marital status, [or]
   27  familial status, OR STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE of a  person
   28  seeking  to  rent  or lease any publicly-assisted housing accommodation;
   29  provided, however, that nothing in this  subdivision  shall  prohibit  a
   30  member of the reserve armed forces of the United States or in the organ-
   31  ized militia of the state from voluntarily disclosing such membership.
   32    (c-1)  To  print or circulate or cause to be printed or circulated any
   33  statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of  applica-
   34  tion  for the purchase, rental or lease of such housing accommodation or
   35  to make any  record  or  inquiry  in  connection  with  the  prospective
   36  purchase,  rental  or  lease  of  such  a  housing  accommodation  which
   37  expresses, directly or  indirectly,  any  limitation,  specification  or
   38  discrimination  as to race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orien-
   39  tation, military status, sex,  age,  disability,  marital  status,  [or]
   40  familial  status,  OR  STATUS  AS  A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, or any
   41  intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination.
   42    S 4. Subdivisions 3-b and 4 of section 296 of the  executive  law,  as
   43  amended  by  chapter  106  of  the  laws of 2003, are amended to read as
   44  follows:
   45    3-b. It shall be an unlawful  discriminatory  practice  for  any  real
   46  estate  broker,  real estate salesperson or employee or agent thereof or
   47  any other individual, corporation, partnership or organization  for  the
   48  purpose of inducing a real estate transaction from which any such person
   49  or any of its stockholders or members may benefit financially, to repre-
   50  sent  that a change has occurred or will or may occur in the composition
   51  with respect to race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation,
   52  military status, sex, disability, marital status, [or] familial  status,
   53  OR STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE of the owners or occupants in
   54  the  block,  neighborhood or area in which the real property is located,
   55  and to represent, directly or indirectly, that this change will  or  may
   56  result in undesirable consequences in the block, neighborhood or area in
       A. 6354                             3
    1  which  the  real  property  is located, including but not limited to the
    2  lowering of property values, an  increase  in  criminal  or  anti-social
    3  behavior, or a decline in the quality of schools or other facilities.
    4    4.  It  shall  be an unlawful discriminatory practice for an education
    5  corporation or association which holds itself out to the  public  to  be
    6  non-sectarian  and  exempt  from  taxation pursuant to the provisions of
    7  article four of the real property tax law to deny the use of its facili-
    8  ties to any person otherwise qualified, or to permit the  harassment  of
    9  any  student or applicant, by reason of his race, color, religion, disa-
   10  bility, national origin, sexual orientation, military status,  sex,  age
   11  [or], marital status, OR STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, except
   12  that  any  such  institution  which establishes or maintains a policy of
   13  educating persons of one sex exclusively may admit students of only  one
   14  sex.
   15    S  5. Paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of subdivision 5 of section 296
   16  of the executive law, as amended by chapter 106 of the laws of 2003, are
   17  amended to read as follows:
   18    (a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory  practice  for  the  owner,
   19  lessee,  sub-lessee,  assignee,  or  managing  agent of, or other person
   20  having the right  to  sell,  rent  or  lease  a  housing  accommodation,
   21  constructed or to be constructed, or any agent or employee thereof:
   22    (1) To refuse to sell, rent, lease or otherwise to deny to or withhold
   23  from any person or group of persons such a housing accommodation because
   24  of the race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military
   25  status,  sex,  age, disability, marital status, [or] familial status, OR
   26  STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE of such person or persons, or to
   27  represent that any housing accommodation or land is  not  available  for
   28  inspection, sale, rental or lease when in fact it is so available.
   29    (2)  To discriminate against any person because of race, creed, color,
   30  national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, age, disabil-
   31  ity, marital status, [or] familial status, OR  STATUS  AS  A  VICTIM  OF
   32  DOMESTIC  VIOLENCE  in  the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale,
   33  rental or lease of any such housing accommodation or in  the  furnishing
   34  of facilities or services in connection therewith.
   35    (3)  To  print  or  circulate or cause to be printed or circulated any
   36  statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of  applica-
   37  tion  for the purchase, rental or lease of such housing accommodation or
   38  to make any  record  or  inquiry  in  connection  with  the  prospective
   39  purchase,  rental  or  lease  of  such  a  housing  accommodation  which
   40  expresses, directly or  indirectly,  any  limitation,  specification  or
   41  discrimination  as to race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orien-
   42  tation, military status, sex,  age,  disability,  marital  status,  [or]
   43  familial  status,  OR  STATUS  AS  A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, or any
   44  intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination.
   45    The provisions of this paragraph [(a)] shall  not  apply  (1)  to  the
   46  rental  of  a housing accommodation in a building which contains housing
   47  accommodations for not more than two families  living  independently  of
   48  each  other, if the owner resides in one of such housing accommodations,
   49  (2) to the restriction of the rental of all rooms in a housing  accommo-
   50  dation  to individuals of the same sex or (3) to the rental of a room or
   51  rooms in a housing accommodation, if such rental is by the  occupant  of
   52  the  housing  accommodation or by the owner of the housing accommodation
   53  and the owner resides in such housing accommodation or (4)  solely  with
   54  respect  to  age  and  familial  status  to the restriction of the sale,
   55  rental or lease of housing accommodations exclusively to persons  sixty-
   56  two  years  of  age  or  older and the spouse of any such person, or for
       A. 6354                             4
    1  housing intended and operated for  occupancy  by  at  least  one  person
    2  fifty-five  years of age or older per unit. In determining whether hous-
    3  ing is intended and operated for occupancy by persons  fifty-five  years
    4  of age or older, Sec. 807(b) (2) (c) (42 U.S.C. 3607 (b) (2) (c)) of the
    5  federal Fair Housing Act of 1988, as amended, shall apply.
    6    (b)  It  shall  be  an unlawful discriminatory practice for the owner,
    7  lessee, sub-lessee, or managing agent of, or  other  person  having  the
    8  right of ownership or possession of or the right to sell, rent or lease,
    9  land or commercial space:
   10    (1)  To  refuse  to sell, rent, lease or otherwise deny to or withhold
   11  from any person or group of persons land or commercial space because  of
   12  the  race,  creed,  color, national origin, sexual orientation, military
   13  status, sex, age, disability, marital status, [or] familial  status,  OR
   14  STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE of such person or persons, or to
   15  represent  that  any  housing accommodation or land is not available for
   16  inspection, sale, rental or lease when in fact it is so available;
   17    (2) To discriminate against any person because of race, creed,  color,
   18  national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, age, disabil-
   19  ity,  marital  status,  [or]  familial  status, OR STATUS AS A VICTIM OF
   20  DOMESTIC VIOLENCE in the terms, conditions or privileges  of  the  sale,
   21  rental or lease of any such land or commercial space; or in the furnish-
   22  ing of facilities or services in connection therewith;
   23    (3)  To  print  or  circulate or cause to be printed or circulated any
   24  statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of  applica-
   25  tion  for the purchase, rental or lease of such land or commercial space
   26  or to make any record or inquiry  in  connection  with  the  prospective
   27  purchase,  rental  or  lease  of  such  land  or  commercial space which
   28  expresses, directly or  indirectly,  any  limitation,  specification  or
   29  discrimination  as to race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orien-
   30  tation, military status, sex,  age,  disability,  marital  status,  [or]
   31  familial  status,  OR  STATUS  AS  A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; or any
   32  intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination.
   33    (4) With respect to age and familial status, the  provisions  of  this
   34  paragraph  shall  not  apply  to  the restriction of the sale, rental or
   35  lease of land or commercial  space  exclusively  to  persons  fifty-five
   36  years  of  age  or  older  and  the spouse of any such person, or to the
   37  restriction of the sale, rental or lease of land  to  be  used  for  the
   38  construction,  or  location  of  housing  accommodations exclusively for
   39  persons sixty-two years of age or older, or intended  and  operated  for
   40  occupancy  by  at  least one person fifty-five years of age or older per
   41  unit. In determining whether housing is intended and operated for  occu-
   42  pancy  by  persons fifty-five years of age or older, Sec. 807(b) (2) (c)
   43  (42 U.S.C. 3607(b) (2) (c)) of the federal Fair Housing Act of 1988,  as
   44  amended, shall apply.
   45    (c)  It  shall  be  an  unlawful  discriminatory practice for any real
   46  estate broker, real estate salesperson or employee or agent thereof:
   47    (1) To refuse to sell, rent or lease any housing  accommodation,  land
   48  or  commercial  space  to any person or group of persons or to refuse to
   49  negotiate for the sale, rental or lease, of any  housing  accommodation,
   50  land  or  commercial  space to any person or group of persons because of
   51  the race, creed, color, national origin,  sexual  orientation,  military
   52  status,  sex,  age, disability, marital status, [or] familial status, OR
   53  STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE of such person or persons, or to
   54  represent that any housing accommodation, land or  commercial  space  is
   55  not  available  for inspection, sale, rental or lease when in fact it is
   56  so available, or otherwise to deny  or  withhold  any  housing  accommo-
       A. 6354                             5
    1  dation, land or commercial space or any facilities of any housing accom-
    2  modation,  land  or commercial space from any person or group of persons
    3  because of the race, creed, color, national origin, sexual  orientation,
    4  military  status,  sex,  age,  disability, marital status, [or] familial
    5  status, OR STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE  of  such  person  or
    6  persons.
    7    (2)  To  print  or  circulate or cause to be printed or circulated any
    8  statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of  applica-
    9  tion  for  the  purchase,  rental or lease of any housing accommodation,
   10  land or commercial space or to make any record or inquiry in  connection
   11  with  the  prospective purchase, rental or lease of any housing accommo-
   12  dation, land or commercial space which expresses, directly or  indirect-
   13  ly,  any limitation, specification, or discrimination as to race, creed,
   14  color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status,  sex,  age,
   15  disability,  marital status, [or] familial status, OR STATUS AS A VICTIM
   16  OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; or any intent to make any such  limitation,  spec-
   17  ification or discrimination.
   18    (3)  With  respect  to age and familial status, the provisions of this
   19  paragraph shall not apply to the restriction  of  the  sale,  rental  or
   20  lease  of any land or commercial space exclusively to persons fifty-five
   21  years of age or older and the spouse of  any  such  person,  or  to  the
   22  restriction of the sale, rental or lease of any housing accommodation or
   23  land  to  be  used  for the construction or location of housing accommo-
   24  dations for persons sixty-two years of age or  older,  or  intended  and
   25  operated for occupancy by at least one person fifty-five years of age or
   26  older  per unit. In determining whether housing is intended and operated
   27  for occupancy by persons fifty-five years of age or older, Sec.  807 (b)
   28  (2) (c) (42 U.S.C. 3607 (b) (2) (c)) of the federal Fair Housing Act  of
   29  1988, as amended, shall apply.
   30    (d)  It  shall  be  an  unlawful  discriminatory practice for any real
   31  estate board, because of the race, creed, color, national origin, sexual
   32  orientation, military status, age, sex, disability, marital status, [or]
   33  familial status, OR STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE of any indi-
   34  vidual who is otherwise qualified for membership, to  exclude  or  expel
   35  such  individual  from membership, or to discriminate against such indi-
   36  vidual in the terms, conditions and privileges  of  membership  in  such
   37  board.
   38    S  6.  Section  296  of  the  executive law is amended by adding a new
   39  subdivision 22 to read as follows:
   40    22. NO PROVISION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE  CONSTRUED  TO  PROHIBIT  AN
   41  OWNER,  LESSEE,  SUBLESSEE,  ASSIGNEE  OR  MANAGING AGENT OF ANY HOUSING
   42  ACCOMMODATION, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, OR OTHER PERSON HAVING  THE  RIGHT  OF
   43  OWNERSHIP  OR POSSESSION OF OR THE RIGHT TO RENT OR LEASE SUCH AN ACCOM-
   44  MODATION, FROM MAKING ANY INQUIRY OR OBTAINING OR RETAINING  INFORMATION
   45  ABOUT  AN  INDIVIDUAL'S  DOMESTIC  VIOLENCE VICTIM STATUS SOLELY FOR THE
   46  PURPOSE OF:
   47    (A) PROVIDING OR PRESERVING RESIDENCY IN ANY PUBLIC OR PRIVATE HOUSING
   48  FOR THAT VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE;
   49    (B) PROVIDING ANY OTHER ASSISTANCE TO A VICTIM OF  DOMESTIC  VIOLENCE,
   50  THE  PURPOSE  OF  WHICH  IS TO ASSIST RATHER THAN TO HINDER OBTAINING OR
   51  RETAINING ANY PUBLIC OR PRIVATE HOUSING; OR
   52    (C) RESPONDING TO AN INQUIRY OR REQUEST BY AN  APPLICANT,  TENANT,  OR
   53  LEASEHOLDER WHO IS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
   54    S  7.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
   55  have become a law.
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