Bill Text: NY S05138 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to county, city, village or town commissions on human rights; adds additional human rights protections.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-11-25 - SIGNED CHAP.560 [S05138 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S05138-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          5138
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                     April 11, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sens. MAYER, KENNEDY, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered
          printed, and when printed to be committed to the  Committee  on  Local
          Government
        AN  ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to county, city,
          village or town commissions on human rights
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Section 239-o of the general municipal law, as amended by
     2  chapter 413 of the laws of 1964, is amended to read as follows:
     3    § 239-o. Creation, appointment and terms. The governing board  of  any
     4  county,  city,  village or town may by resolution create a commission on
     5  human rights. The governing board shall determine the number of  members
     6  of  such commission, the terms of the members, the manner of appointment
     7  of the members, the selection of a chairman  and  the  compensation,  if
     8  any,  to be paid to them. In selecting the membership of the commission,
     9  the governing board shall take into  consideration  the  various  [reli-
    10  gious,  racial, nationality] ages, races, creed, color, national origin,
    11  sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, sex,
    12  disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, mari-
    13  tal status, domestic violence victim status and political groups in  the
    14  community.  The establishment of such a commission at one level of local
    15  government shall not preclude establishment  of  such  a  commission  at
    16  other levels of local government.
    17    §  2.  Paragraph  (a) of subdivision 1 of section 239-q of the general
    18  municipal law, as amended by chapter 958 of the laws of 1968, is amended
    19  to read as follows:
    20    (a) To foster mutual respect  and  understanding  among  all  [racial,
    21  religious  and  nationality] ages, races, creed, color, national origin,
    22  sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, sex,
    23  disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, mari-
    24  tal status and domestic violence victim status groups in the community.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09971-04-9
        S. 5138                             2
     1    § 3. Subdivisions (a) and (b) of section 239-r of the general  munici-
     2  pal  law,  as amended by chapter 958 of the laws of 1968, are amended to
     3  read as follows:
     4    (a)  To  receive  complaints  of  alleged discrimination because of an
     5  individual's age, race, creed, color or national origin,  sexual  orien-
     6  tation,  gender identity or expression, military status, marital status,
     7  sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, familial  status,
     8  marital  status  or  domestic violence victim status, to seek the active
     9  assistance of the division of human rights in the solution of complaints
    10  which fall within the jurisdiction of the division and  to  prepare  its
    11  own  plans  in  the case of other complaints with a view to reducing and
    12  eliminating such alleged discrimination through the process  of  confer-
    13  ence, conciliation and persuasion.
    14    (b)  To hold conferences, and other public meetings in the interest of
    15  the constructive resolution of [racial, religious and nationality]  age,
    16  race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity
    17  or  expression,  military  status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic
    18  characteristics, familial status, marital status and  domestic  violence
    19  victim  status group tensions and the prejudice and discrimination occa-
    20  sioned thereby.
    21    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.