Bill Text: NY A08971 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Prohibits discrimination against any individual with an actual or perceived status as a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense, or stalking; requires training on discrimination against individuals with an actual or perceived status as a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense, or stalking.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-31 - referred to governmental operations [A08971 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A08971-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8971

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 31, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. LUCAS -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Governmental Operations

        AN ACT to amend the executive law and the  labor  law,  in  relation  to
          prohibiting  discrimination  against  any individual with an actual or
          perceived status as a victim of domestic violence, a sex  offense,  or
          stalking

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

     1    Section 1. Subdivision 22 of section 296  of  the  executive  law,  as
     2  added by chapter 176 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
     3    22. (a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employ-
     4  er  or licensing agency, because of any individual's actual or perceived
     5  status as a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense, or  stalking  to
     6  refuse  to  hire  or  employ  or  license or to bar or to discharge from
     7  employment such individual or to discriminate against such individual in
     8  compensation or in terms, conditions or privileges of employment.
     9    (b) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employer or
    10  employment agency to print or circulate or cause to be printed or circu-
    11  lated any statement, advertisement or publication, or to use any form of
    12  application for employment or to make any  inquiry  in  connection  with
    13  prospective  employment  which  expresses,  directly  or indirectly, any
    14  limitation, specification or discrimination as to an actual or perceived
    15  status as a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense, or stalking,  or
    16  any intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination;
    17  provided,  however,  that  no  provision  of  this  subdivision shall be
    18  construed to prohibit the employer from making any inquiry or  obtaining
    19  information  for the purpose of providing assistance to, or a reasonable
    20  accommodation in accordance with the provisions of this subdivision  to,
    21  a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense, or stalking.
    22    (c)(1) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employer
    23  to  refuse  to  provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee who is
    24  known by the employer to be a victim of domestic violence,  [limited  to
    25  those  accommodations  set  forth in subparagraph two of this paragraph,
    26  when such employee must be absent from work for a  reasonable  time,]  a

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13565-02-4

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     1  sex  offense,  or  stalking, where such accommodations would enable such
     2  employee to satisfy the  essential  requisites  of  a  job  unless  such
     3  [absence]  requested accommodations would cause an undue hardship to the
     4  employer as set forth in subparagraph three of this paragraph, provided,
     5  however that the employer may require an employee to charge any time off
     6  pursuant  to this section against any leave with pay ordinarily granted,
     7  where available, unless otherwise provided for in a collective  bargain-
     8  ing  agreement  or  existing  employee  handbook or policy, and any such
     9  absence that cannot be charged may be treated as leave without  pay.  An
    10  employee  who  must  be absent from work in accordance with subparagraph
    11  two of this paragraph shall be  entitled  to  the  continuation  of  any
    12  health insurance coverage provided by the employer, to which the employ-
    13  ee is otherwise entitled during any such absence.
    14    (2)  An  employer is required to provide a reasonable accommodation to
    15  an employee who is a victim of domestic violence  [who  must  be  absent
    16  from  work for a reasonable time], a sex offense, or stalking in accord-
    17  ance with the provisions of subparagraph one  of  this  paragraph,  such
    18  reasonable  accommodation  may  include,  but  shall  not be limited to,
    19  absence from work for a reasonable time for reasons including,  but  not
    20  limited to, the following:
    21    (i) Seeking medical attention for injuries caused by domestic violence
    22  including  for  a  child  who  is  a  victim of domestic violence, a sex
    23  offense, or stalking, provided that the employee is not the  perpetrator
    24  [of the domestic violence] against the child; or
    25    (ii)  Obtaining services from a domestic violence shelter, program, or
    26  rape crisis center as a result of domestic violence; or
    27    (iii) Obtaining psychological counseling related  to  an  incident  or
    28  incidents  of  domestic  violence, a sex offense, or stalking, including
    29  for a child who is a victim [of domestic violence],  provided  that  the
    30  employee  is  not the perpetrator [of the domestic violence] against the
    31  child; or
    32    (iv) Participating in safety planning  and  taking  other  actions  to
    33  increase  safety  from  future  incidents  of  domestic  violence, a sex
    34  offense, or stalking, including temporary or permanent relocation; or
    35    (v) Obtaining legal services, assisting  in  the  prosecution  of  the
    36  offense,  or appearing in court in relation to the incident or incidents
    37  of domestic violence, a sex offense, or stalking.
    38    (3) An employer is required to provide a reasonable accommodation [for
    39  an employee's absence] in accordance with  the  provisions  of  subpara-
    40  graphs one and two of this paragraph unless the employer can demonstrate
    41  that  the  employee's  absence would constitute an undue hardship to the
    42  employer. A determination of whether such an absence will constitute  an
    43  undue hardship shall include consideration of factors such as:
    44    (i)  The  overall  size  of  the  business, program or enterprise with
    45  respect to the number of employees, number and type of  facilities,  and
    46  size of budget; and
    47    (ii)  The  type  of operation in which the business, program or enter-
    48  prise is engaged, including the composition and structure of  the  work-
    49  force.
    50    (4) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employer to
    51  refuse  to  or otherwise fail to engage in cooperative dialogue within a
    52  reasonable time with an employee who has requested a reasonable accommo-
    53  dation under this section.
    54    (5) An employee who must be absent from work in  accordance  with  the
    55  provisions  of  subparagraph  one  of  this  paragraph shall provide the

        A. 8971                             3

     1  employer with reasonable  advance  notice  of  the  employee's  absence,
     2  unless such advance notice is not feasible.
     3    [(5)]  (6) An employee who must be absent from work in accordance with
     4  the provisions of subparagraph one of  this  paragraph  and  who  cannot
     5  feasibly  give  reasonable  advance  notice of the absence in accordance
     6  with subparagraph four of this paragraph must, within a reasonable  time
     7  after  the  absence,  provide  a  certification  to  the  employer  when
     8  requested by the employer. Any person required by  subparagraph  one  of
     9  this  paragraph  to  make  reasonable accommodation may require a person
    10  requesting  reasonable  accommodation  pursuant  to  this  paragraph  to
    11  provide  certification that the person is a victim of domestic violence,
    12  a sex offense, or stalking. Such certification shall be in the form of:
    13    (i) A police [report] or court record indicating that the employee  or
    14  his  or  her  child was a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense, or
    15  stalking;
    16    (ii) [A court order protecting or separating the employee  or  his  or
    17  her child from the perpetrator of an act of domestic violence;
    18    (iii)] Other corroborating evidence, including evidence from the court
    19  or prosecuting attorney [that the employee appeared in court]; [or]
    20    [(iv)]  (iii)  Documentation  from  a  medical professional, [domestic
    21  violence] victim services provider or advocate,  health  care  provider,
    22  cultural or religious provider, or counselor that the employee or his or
    23  her child was [undergoing counseling or treatment for physical or mental
    24  injuries  or abuse resulting in victimization from] obtaining assistance
    25  for an act of domestic violence, a sex offense, or stalking; or
    26    (iv) Documentation from an attorney or any other professional  service
    27  provider  from whom the individual seeking a reasonable accommodation or
    28  child has sought assistance  in  addressing  domestic  violence,  a  sex
    29  offense, or stalking.
    30    [(6)]  (7)  Where  an  employee  has  a  physical or mental disability
    31  resulting from an incident or series of incidents of domestic  violence,
    32  a  sex  offense, or stalking, such employee shall be treated in the same
    33  manner as an  employee  with  any  other  disability,  pursuant  to  the
    34  provisions of this section which provide that discrimination and refusal
    35  to provide reasonable accommodation of disability are unlawful discrimi-
    36  natory practices.
    37    (d)  To the extent allowed by law, employers shall maintain the confi-
    38  dentiality of any information and documentation regarding an  employee's
    39  status as a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense, or stalking.
    40    § 2. The section heading, paragraph b of subdivision 1 and paragraph c
    41  of  subdivision 2 of section 201-g of the labor law, the section heading
    42  and paragraph c of subdivision 2 as added by section 1 of subpart  E  of
    43  part KK of chapter 57 of the laws of 2018 and paragraph b of subdivision
    44  1 as amended by chapter 160 of the laws of 2019, are amended and two new
    45  subdivisions 5 and 6 are added to read as follows:
    46    Prevention  of  sexual harassment and responding to domestic violence,
    47  sex offenses, and stalking.
    48    b. Every employer shall adopt the model sexual  harassment  prevention
    49  policy  promulgated  pursuant  to this subdivision or establish a sexual
    50  harassment prevention policy to prevent sexual harassment that equals or
    51  exceeds the minimum standards provided by such model  sexual  harassment
    52  prevention policy, which, on and after January first, two thousand twen-
    53  ty-five, shall include guidance on workplace protractions for victims of
    54  domestic  violence, sex offenses, and stalking.  Such [sexual harassment
    55  prevention] policy shall be provided to  all  employees  in  writing  as
    56  required  by  subdivision  two-a  of  this  section.  Such model [sexual

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     1  harassment prevention] policy shall be publicly available and posted  on
     2  the websites of both the department and the division of human rights.
     3    c. Every employer shall utilize the model sexual harassment prevention
     4  training  program  pursuant  to this subdivision or establish a training
     5  program for employees  to  prevent  sexual  harassment  that  equals  or
     6  exceeds  the  minimum  standards  provided  by such model training. Such
     7  sexual harassment prevention training shall be provided to all employees
     8  on an annual basis. On and after January  first,  two  thousand  twenty-
     9  five,  any  such  training  program  shall include guidance on workplace
    10  protections for victims of domestic violence, sex offenses,  and  stalk-
    11  ing.
    12    5.  On  and after January first, two thousand twenty-five, the depart-
    13  ment, in consultation with the division of human rights and  the  office
    14  for  the  prevention  of  domestic violence, shall ensure that the model
    15  sexual harassment prevention guidance  document  and  sexual  harassment
    16  prevention policy includes guidance on workplace protections for victims
    17  of  domestic  violence,  sex  offenses, and stalking, including language
    18  that: (i) prohibits discrimination by an employer or  employment  agency
    19  because  of  an  employee or prospective employees status as a victim of
    20  domestic violence, a sex offense or stalking in accordance with subdivi-
    21  sion twenty-two of section two hundred ninety-six of the executive  law;
    22  and  (ii)  prohibits  the refusal of an employer to provide a reasonable
    23  accommodation to an employee known to the employer to  be  a  victim  of
    24  domestic violence, a sex offense or stalking in accordance with subdivi-
    25  sion twenty-two of section two hundred ninety-six of the executive law.
    26    6.  On  and  after January first, two thousand twenty-five, the annual
    27  model sexual harassment training program, mandated by subdivision two of
    28  this section, shall include: (i) an explanation of discrimination on the
    29  basis of one's status as a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense or
    30  stalking consistent with guidance issued by the department in  consulta-
    31  tion  with the division of human rights and office for the prevention of
    32  domestic violence; (ii) examples of conduct that would constitute unlaw-
    33  ful discrimination because of one's  status  as  a  victim  of  domestic
    34  violence,  a  sex  offense or stalking; (iii) information concerning the
    35  state statutory provisions concerning discrimination  because  of  one's
    36  status  as  a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense or stalking and
    37  remedies available to victims of such discrimination; and (iv)  informa-
    38  tion  concerning  employees'  rights of redress and all available forums
    39  for adjudicating complaints.
    40    § 3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2025.  Effective immediate-
    41  ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal  of  any  rule  or  regulation
    42  necessary  for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are
    43  authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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