New York A 1848: Enacts the Protecting Religious Assembly in States of Emergency (PRAISE) Act

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A01848 Summary:

BILL NOA01848 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

&nbsp

SPONSORAngelino

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Add §79-r, Civ Rts L

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Enacts the Protecting Religious Assembly in States of Emergency (PRAISE) Act; prohibits any governmental entity from discriminating against and closing a place of worship during an emergency.

Go to top A01848 Actions:

BILL NOA01848 

&nbsp

01/14/2025referred to governmental operations

01/07/2026referred to governmental operations

Go to topA01848 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA01848 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topA01848 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1848

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 January 14, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. ANGELINO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
 tee on Governmental Operations

 AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to prohibiting any
 governmental entity from discriminating against and closing a place of
 worship during an emergency

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

 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Protecting
 2 Religious Assembly in States of Emergency (PRAISE) Act".
 3 § 2. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 79-r to
 4 read as follows:
 5 § 79-r. Protecting religious assembly in states of emergency. 1.
 6 Protection for places of worship. Any order, rule, regulation, or other
 7 directive, issued by any governmental entity pursuant to an emergency or
 8 health or safety determination, that requires closure or limitation of
 9 any business or other facility otherwise open to public use or patro-
 10 nage, but which exempts in whole or in part any particular entity or set
 11 of entities, shall exempt to the same extent any place of worship enti-
 12 tled to the religious exemption found in Section 501(c)(3) of Title 26
 13 of the United States Code, to the same extent as the exempt entity. This
 14 section shall be construed to afford to religious institutions and plac-
 15 es of worship the same degree of freedom to meet as is afforded to the
 16 most favored entity or set of entities.
 17 2. Enforcement. Any person or entity burdened or impaired by a
 18 violation of this section may bring a civil action for relief against
 19 such burden or impairment in any court of competent jurisdiction. Relief
 20 may include injunctive orders, compensatory damages, nominal damages, a
 21 declaration of a violation, and, where malice or recklessness is demon-
 22 strated, punitive damages.
 23 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04238-01-5

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