New York S 3631: Enacts the Effective Enforcement of Civil Rights Act of 2025

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S03631 Summary:

BILL NOS03631 

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SAME ASSAME AS A02232

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SPONSORFERNANDEZ

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §§292 & 295, Exec L; amd Art 12-D §§239-o - 239-t, Gen Muni L

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Enacts the "Effective Enforcement of Civil Rights Act"; provides for the enactment and enforcement of local human rights laws.

Go to top S03631 Actions:

BILL NOS03631 

&nbsp

01/29/2025REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

01/07/2026REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Go to topS03631 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS03631 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS03631 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 3631

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 29, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
 ment Operations

 AN ACT to amend the executive law and the general municipal law, in
 relation to providing for local human rights laws

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

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "Effective Enforcement of Civil Rights Act of 2025".
 3 § 2. Legislative purpose. To encourage municipalities to take advan-
 4 tage of their home rule powers to proscribe discrimination and to more
 5 broadly prohibit discriminatory conduct and decisions that take place,
 6 in whole or in part, within a local jurisdiction, regardless of where
 7 that conduct and decisions have impact.
 8 § 3. Section 292 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
 9 subdivision 42 to read as follows:
 10 42. The term "local human rights law", when used in this article,
 11 means a law of a city or of a county not wholly located within a city
 12 that has delineated and proscribed local unlawful discriminatory prac-
 13 tices.
 14 § 4. Subdivisions 6 and 16 of section 295 of the executive law, subdi-
 15 vision 6 as amended by chapter 958 of the laws of 1968 and subdivision
 16 16 as added by chapter 493 of the laws of 1970, are amended to read as
 17 follows:
 18 6. (a) To receive, investigate and pass upon complaints alleging
 19 violations of this article and local human rights laws.
 20 (b) Upon its own motion, to test and investigate and to make, sign and
 21 file complaints alleging violations of this article and local human
 22 rights laws, and to initiate investigations and studies to carry out the
 23 purposes of this article.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04703-01-5

 S. 3631 2

 1 16. To have concurrent jurisdiction [with the New York city commission
 2 on human rights over the administration and enforcement of title C of
 3 chapter one of the administrative code of the city of New York] to
 4 enforce a local human rights law along with the county or city that has
 5 enacted such local human rights law.
 6 § 5. Article 12-D of the general municipal law, as added by chapter
 7 376 of the laws of 1963, the article heading as amended by chapter 413
 8 of the laws of 1964, section 239-o, paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of
 9 section 239-q, and subdivisions (a) and (b) of section 239-r as amended
 10 by chapter 560 of the laws of 2019, sections 239-q, 239-r, 239-s and
 11 239-t as amended by chapter 958 of the laws of 1968, is amended to read
 12 as follows:
 13 ARTICLE 12-D
 14 [COMMISSIONS ON] LOCAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAWS,
 15 COMMISSIONS, AND DEPARTMENTS
 16 Section 239-o.[Creation, appointment and terms] Enactment and enforce-
 17 ment of local human rights laws.
 18 239-p.[Officers and employees; expenses] Creation, appointment
 19 and terms of commissions on, and departments of, human
 20 rights.
 21 239-q.[General duties and powers] Officers and employees;
 22 expenses.
 23 239-r. General duties, powers, and obligations.
 24 239-s.[New York city commission on human rights] Powers not
 25 limited; concurrent jurisdiction.
 26 239-t. Filing copies.
 27 § 239-o. Enactment and enforcement of local human rights laws. 1. The
 28 legislative body of any city or any county not wholly located within a