New York S 4885: Establishes a bill of rights for the unhoused

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 Speaker Carl E. Heastie

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S04885 Summary:

BILL NOS04885 

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SAME ASSAME AS A10451

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SPONSORCOMRIE

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Ren Art 10 §§100 & 101 to be Art 11 §§110 & 111, add Art 10 §§100 - 104, Civ Rts L

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Establishes a bill of rights for the unhoused; provides that no person shall be denied certain rights because of a state of homelessness nor shall such persons be harassed, cited, fined, or arrested by law enforcement, security personnel, public employees, or private citizens for the exercise of certain rights; describes rights; provides for a bill of benefits of the unhoused for the free provision of a postal address and the right to juridical services to ensure protection from the violation of their protected rights; requires the office of temporary and disability assistance to create a pamphlet of such rights; makes related provisions.

Go to top S04885 Actions:

BILL NOS04885 

&nbsp

02/13/2025REFERRED TO CODES

01/07/2026REFERRED TO CODES

Go to topS04885 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS04885 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS04885 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4885

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 February 13, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- 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 establishing a bill
 of rights for unhoused persons

 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 "bill of rights of the unhoused".
 3 § 2. Article 10 and sections 100 and 101 of the civil rights law, as
 4 renumbered by chapter 263 of the laws of 2019, are renumbered article 11
 5 and sections 110 and 111, and a new article 10 is added to read as
 6 follows:
 7 ARTICLE 10
 8 BILL OF RIGHTS OF THE UNHOUSED
 9 Section 100. Definitions.
 10 101. Bill of rights of the unhoused.
 11 102. Bill of benefits of the unhoused.
 12 103. Mechanisms.
 13 104. Remedies.
 14 § 100. Definitions. For the purposes of this title, the following
 15 terms shall have the following meanings:
 16 1. "Homeless" shall mean an undomiciled household which is unable to
 17 secure permanent and habitable housing without special assistance,
 18 including but not limited to households temporarily residing in emergen-
 19 cy shelters, transitional facilities, hotels/motels, or substandard
 20 conditions.
 21 2. "Household" shall mean a single individual or family, including
 22 couples without dependent children.
 23 § 101. Bill of rights of the unhoused. No person shall have the
 24 following rights denied or abridged as the result of their being in a
 25 state of homelessness, nor shall they be harassed, cited, fined, or

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD09610-01-5

 S. 4885 2

 1 arrested by law enforcement, security personnel, public employees, or
 2 private citizen for the exercise of the following rights:
 3 (a) the right to use of and free movement in public spaces including
 4 sidewalks, parks, transportation services, and buildings without harass-
 5 ment or intimidation from law enforcement officers;
 6 (b) the right to receive medical and dental care for preventative,
 7 clinical, rehabilitative, interventional, and emergency purposes,
 8 including care intended to maintain or improve mental hygiene, or
 9 intended to assist in escape from addiction or treat conditions related
 10 to substance abuse;
 11 (c) the right to occupy a legally owned motor vehicle or recreational
 12 vehicle legally parked on public property;
 13 (d) the right to solicit, share, accept, or offer food, drink, money,
 14 or other donations in public spaces;
 15 (e) the right to vote at their local polling place, to register to
 16 vote, and to receive documentation necessary to prove identity for
 17 voting without discrimination due to the lack of a permanent address;
 18 (f) the right not to face discrimination while seeking housing due to
 19 the lack of a permanent address;
 20 (g) the right to have their records and p