Bill Text: NY S08673 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Declares racism a public health crisis and establishes a working group within the office of the state commissioner of health to promote racial equity throughout the state and address issues related to racism as a public health crisis.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-11-25 - PRINT NUMBER 8673B [S08673 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S08673-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         8673--B

                    IN SENATE

                                      July 2, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Rules  --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to  said  committee  --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to declare racism a public health crisis and to establish a work-
          ing group to promote racial equity throughout the state

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

     1    Section  1.  Legislative  findings  and  declarations. The legislature
     2  hereby finds and declares that racism is a  public  health  crisis  that
     3  poses  a threat to the health, safety, and quality of life to as many as
     4  forty-seven million Americans; and that racism  negatively  impacts  and
     5  exacerbates  health  inequities among historically marginalized communi-
     6  ties. The legislature further finds and declares that racism contributes
     7  to a national disparity between black and white infant mortality  rates;
     8  and  that  racism contributes to inequalities in housing, education, and
     9  employment, and that racism negatively impacts the lives  of  people  of
    10  color  in New York.  The legislature further finds that race is a social
    11  construct not rooted in  meaningful  biological  differences,  and  this
    12  system  unfairly  disadvantages  specific  individuals  and communities,
    13  while giving advantages to  other  individuals  and  communities.    The
    14  legislature  further  finds  and  declares  that the impact of racism on
    15  public health deserves action from all levels of government.  Therefore,
    16  this  legislation  establishes a working group to address issues related
    17  to racism and ensure the health and safety of the citizens of the state.
    18    § 2. There is hereby  established  within  the  office  of  the  state
    19  commissioner of health a working group to be known as the "racial equity
    20  working group".
    21    § 3. The working group shall address the issues related to racism as a
    22  public  health crisis, and biennially, shall study and provide recommen-
    23  dations for legislative or other  actions  that  can  be  undertaken  to
    24  reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities, including:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16822-04-0
        S. 8673--B                          2

     1    (a)  community  engagement and tools for government agencies to engage
     2  actively and authentically with communities of color;
     3    (b)  partnerships  in the education, employment, housing, and criminal
     4  justice arenas to reduce or eliminate racial or ethnic disparities ther-
     5  ein;
     6    (c) measures to promote racially equitable hiring and promotion of all
     7  employees;
     8    (d) support of local, state, regional, and  federal  initiatives  that
     9  advance efforts to reduce or eliminate racism;
    10    (e)  measures to expand understanding of racism and how racism affects
    11  individual and population health; and
    12    (f) secure adequate resources to successfully accomplish the aforemen-
    13  tioned activities.
    14    § 4. The working group shall consist of the following:
    15    (a) the state commissioner of health and his or her designee;
    16    (b) one member appointed by the state commissioner of health;
    17    (c) two members appointed by the governor;
    18    (d) one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
    19    (e) one member appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
    20    (f) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and
    21    (g) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
    22    § 5. The members and staff personnel  of  the  racial  equity  working
    23  group shall serve without compensation, but shall be eligible to receive
    24  reimbursement  for  their  reasonable,  actual  and  necessary expenses,
    25  provided however, members of the working group representing state  agen-
    26  cies  may  receive reimbursement for their actual and necessary expenses
    27  from their respective agencies.
    28    § 6. For the purposes of this act,  the  commissioner  of  health  may
    29  conduct  such  annual  study  in  conjunction with any other department,
    30  division, board, bureau, commission, agency, or public authority of  the
    31  state  he  or  she  deems necessary. To the maximum extent feasible, the
    32  commissioner of health shall be  authorized  to  request,  receive,  and
    33  utilize  such  resources  and  data  of  any other department, division,
    34  board, bureau, commission, agency, or public authority of the  state  as
    35  he or she may reasonably request to properly carry out his or her powers
    36  and duties pursuant to this act.
    37    §  7.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
    38  have become a law.