New York S 2494: Relates to actions involving public petition and participation

Bill Text

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S02494 Summary:

BILL NOS02494 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A01196

&nbsp

SPONSORGOUNARDES

&nbsp

COSPNSRWEBB

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §§70-a & 76-a, Civ Rts L

&nbsp

Provides that certain allegations made by employees involving employment discrimination shall be protected and matters of public interest in actions involving public petition and participation.

Go to top S02494 Actions:

BILL NOS02494 

&nbsp

01/21/2025REFERRED TO CODES

03/25/20251ST REPORT CAL.614

03/26/20252ND REPORT CAL.

03/27/2025ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 

04/09/2025PASSED SENATE

04/09/2025DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

04/09/2025referred to judiciary

01/07/2026died in assembly

01/07/2026returned to senate

01/07/2026REFERRED TO CODES

03/24/20261ST REPORT CAL.611

03/25/20262ND REPORT CAL.

03/26/2026ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 

04/13/2026PASSED SENATE

04/13/2026DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

04/13/2026referred to judiciary

Go to topS02494 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS02494 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS02494 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 2494

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 21, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes

 AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to actions involving
 public petition and participation

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

 1 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 70-a of the
 2 civil rights law, as added by chapter 767 of the laws of 1992, is
 3 amended to read as follows:
 4 (b) other compensatory damages may only be recovered upon an addi-
 5 tional demonstration that the action involving public petition and
 6 participation was commenced or continued for the purpose of harassing,
 7 intimidating, punishing or otherwise maliciously inhibiting the free
 8 exercise of speech, petition or association rights, or rights under any
 9 federal, state, or local law preventing employment discrimination or
 10 retaliation; and
 11 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 76-a of the civil rights law, as
 12 amended by chapter 250 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as
 13 follows:
 14 1. For purposes of this section:
 15 (a) An "action involving public petition and participation" is a claim
 16 based upon:
 17 (1) any communication in a place open to the public or a public forum
 18 in connection with an issue of public interest; [or]
 19 (2) any other lawful conduct in furtherance of the exercise of the
 20 constitutional right of free speech in connection with an issue of
 21 public interest, or in furtherance of the exercise of the constitutional
 22 right of petition[.]; or
 23 (3) any allegation, wherever made, concerning unlawful employment
 24 discrimination under federal, state, or local law.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD02862-01-5

 S. 2494 2

 1 (b) "Claim" includes any lawsuit, cause of action, cross-claim, coun-
 2 terclaim, or other judicial pleading or filing requesting relief.
 3 (c) "Communication" shall mean any statement, claim, allegation in a
 4 proceeding, decision, protest, writing, argument, contention or other
 5 expression.
 6 (d) "Public interest" shall be construed broadly, and shall mean any
 7 subject other than a purely private matter.
 8 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all
 9 actions commenced on and after such effective date.

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