Bill Text: NY A11081 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs the division of human rights to promulgate a statement regarding housing discrimination that shall be appended to any form of housing assistance to inform recipients of such assistance about what statements and actions may be considered illegal discrimination based on lawful source of income.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-10-07 - referred to governmental operations [A11081 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A11081-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 11081 IN ASSEMBLY October 7, 2020 ___________ Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Epstein) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to directing the division of human rights to promulgate a statement regarding housing discrimi- nation that shall be appended to any form of housing assistance The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 295-a 2 to read as follows: 3 § 295-a. Additional powers and duties of the division. 1. In addition 4 to the powers and duties otherwise provided by this article, the divi- 5 sion shall create and promulgate a statement that shall be appended to 6 any form of housing assistance administered by any state or municipal 7 agency including, but not limited to, the section eight housing choice 8 voucher program, or any other form of housing assistance, payment, or 9 credit regardless of whether or not such assistance, payment or credit 10 is paid or attributed directly to a landlord. Such statement shall, at a 11 minimum, include: 12 (a) examples of different forms of lawful source of income; 13 (b) examples of phrases that may indicate discrimination based on 14 lawful source of income in violation of section two hundred ninety-six 15 of this article; 16 (c) a statement that it is illegal for the owner or any other person 17 having the right to sell, rent or lease a housing accommodation, other 18 than an accommodation in an owner-occupied building of two units or 19 fewer, constructed or to be constructed, or any agent or employee there- 20 of, or any real estate broker, real estate salesperson, or employee or 21 agent thereof to do the following: 22 (i) refuse to sell, rent, or lease, or otherwise to deny to or with- 23 hold from a person a housing accommodation because of their receipt or 24 use of housing assistance, or represent that such housing accommodation 25 is not available for inspection, sale, rental, or lease when in fact it 26 is so available; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD13308-12-0A. 11081 2 1 (ii) require different terms or conditions or fail or refuse to 2 provide facilities or services because of a person's receipt or use of 3 housing assistance; 4 (iii) cause to be made any written or oral inquiry or record concern- 5 ing the receipt or use of housing assistance of a person seeking to rent 6 or lease any housing accommodation; or 7 (iv) print or circulate any type of statement, advertisement, or 8 publication, use any application form, or make any record or inquiry 9 relating to the prospective purchase, rental, or lease of a housing 10 accommodation which indirectly or directly expresses any limitation, 11 specification, or discrimination relating to a person's use or receipt 12 of housing assistance; 13 (d) a statement that it is illegal for landlords to refuse or delay 14 making repairs to an individual's unit because such individual pays rent 15 with housing assistance; 16 (e) a statement that an individual has the right to be free from 17 discriminatory, harassing or threatening behavior or comments based on 18 such individual's receipt of or application for housing assistance; 19 (f) contact information, including phone numbers, for the appropriate 20 agencies and departments at which to make a complaint if the voucher 21 recipient feels that he or she is a victim of source of income discrimi- 22 nation; 23 (g) contact information, including phone numbers, for nonprofit organ- 24 izations dedicated to eliminating housing discrimination; 25 (h) a statement that an individual has the right to file a lawsuit in 26 a court of law; and 27 (i) any other information deemed appropriate by the commissioner. 28 2. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect or limit the 29 duties or responsibilities of any party to fully comply with the 30 provisions of section two hundred ninety-six of this article. 31 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 32 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment 33 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation 34 of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 35 completed on or before such effective date.