Bill Text: NY A00313 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to establishing unlawful discriminatory practices relating to models; requires models to be informed of what constitutes an unlawful discriminatory practice and how to file a complaint; requires modeling entities to provide adult models with educational materials regarding nutrition and eating disorders.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 22-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to governmental operations [A00313 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A00313-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                           313
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 9, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ROZIC,  BARRETT,  BLAKE, DAVILA, DE LA ROSA,
          D'URSO, ENGLEBRIGHT, GALEF, GOTTFRIED,  JAFFEE,  MOSLEY,  NIOU,  OTIS,
          QUART,  RIVERA,  L. ROSENTHAL,  SEAWRIGHT,  SIMON, WEPRIN, ABINANTI --
          Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.  DICKENS,  LUPARDO  --  read  once  and
          referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  executive law and the labor law, in relation to
          establishing certain practices relating to models
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 296-e
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 296-e. Unlawful discriminatory practices relating to models.  1.  As
     4  used in this section, the following terms shall have the following mean-
     5  ings:
     6    a. "client" means a retail store, a manufacturer, a clothing designer,
     7  an advertising agency, a photographer, a publishing company or any other
     8  such person or entity that receives modeling services from a model;
     9    b. "hiring party" means any person or entity who exercises any form of
    10  control  over  a  model's services, including modeling entities, brands,
    11  and other clients, other than (1) the United States government, (2)  the
    12  state  of  New York, including any office, department, agency, authority
    13  or other body of the state including the legislature and the  judiciary,
    14  (3) a city government, including any office, department, agency or other
    15  body of that city, (4) any other local government, municipality or coun-
    16  ty or (5) any foreign government.
    17    c.  "model" means an individual, regardless of his or her status as an
    18  independent contractor or employee, who performs modeling services for a
    19  client or consents in writing to the transfer of his or her legal  right
    20  to the use of his or her name, portrait, picture or image, for advertis-
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01564-01-9

        A. 313                              2
     1  ing  purposes  or for the purposes of trade, directly to a client or who
     2  provides showroom or fit modeling services;
     3    d.  "modeling entity" means a modeling agency, model management compa-
     4  ny, employment agency, and/or any person or entity that: (1) is  in  the
     5  business of managing entertainments, exhibitions or performances, or the
     6  models,  artists  or  attractions  constituting the same; (2) who, for a
     7  fee, procures or attempts to procure: (i) employment or engagements  for
     8  persons  seeking  employment  or engagements, or (ii) employees or inde-
     9  pendent contractors for employers or entities seeking  the  services  of
    10  employees  or  independent  contractors;  and/or  (3) renders vocational
    11  guidance or counselling services to models; and
    12    e. "modeling services" means the appearance by a model in photographic
    13  sessions or the engagement of a model in runway, live, filmed, or  taped
    14  performances  requiring him or her to pose, provide an example or stand-
    15  ard of artistic expression  or  to  be  a  representation  to  show  the
    16  construction  or  appearance  of  some  thing  or  place for purposes of
    17  display or advertising.    Modeling  services  shall  also  include  the
    18  provisions of showroom or fit modeling services.
    19    2.  It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for a hiring party
    20  to:
    21    a. engage in unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or
    22  other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature to a model when:
    23    (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly
    24  a term or condition of a model's provision of modeling services;
    25    (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct  by  a  model  is  used
    26  either  explicitly  or  implicitly as the basis for decisions concerning
    27  the individual's provision of modeling services; or
    28    (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering
    29  with a model's provision of modeling services by creating an  intimidat-
    30  ing, hostile, or offensive environment; or
    31    b.  subject  a  model  to harassment based on age, race, creed, color,
    32  national origin, sexual orientation, military status,  sex,  disability,
    33  predisposing  genetic  characteristics, familial status, marital status,
    34  or domestic violence  victim  status,  where  such  harassment  has  the
    35  purpose  or  effect  of  unreasonably  interfering  with an individual's
    36  provision of modeling services by creating an intimidating, hostile,  or
    37  offensive environment; or
    38    c.  threaten,  intimidate, discipline, harass, deny a work opportunity
    39  to or discriminate against a model, or take any other action that penal-
    40  izes a model for, or is reasonably likely to deter a model  from,  exer-
    41  cising  or  attempting to exercise any right guaranteed under this arti-
    42  cle, or from obtaining future work opportunity  because  the  model  has
    43  done so.
    44    3.  a.  Each  client  and modeling entity shall post, in a conspicuous
    45  place at their place of business and/or at the site of each job  assign-
    46  ment,  notices  to  the  models hired, to be prepared or approved by the
    47  division, setting forth excerpts from, or summaries  of,  the  pertinent
    48  provisions of this section and information related to filing a complaint
    49  under  this  article  including  pro  bono and/or legal services contact
    50  information.
    51    b.  Each  client  shall  provide  to  each  model  providing  modeling
    52  services,  in writing or electronically, the names and/or offices, and a
    53  reliable means of contacting such individuals  or  offices,  to  whom  a
    54  complaint under this article may be made.
    55    c. At the initial execution of the contract between the modeling enti-
    56  ty  and  the  model,  the  model  shall  be  informed  in writing of the

        A. 313                              3
     1  provisions  of  this  article  including  the  procedure  for  filing  a
     2  complaint.  The  model shall demonstrate his or her understanding of the
     3  provisions of this article and that such information has  been  provided
     4  to him or her by signing a form, to be prepared or approved by the divi-
     5  sion, to that effect.
     6    4.  a.  Each  modeling  entity  or  client shall implement a system or
     7  procedure for receiving complaints under this section  and  section  two
     8  hundred  ninety-six-d  of  this article. Such procedures shall provide a
     9  written or electronic receipt to the complainant acknowledging that  the
    10  complaint  has been received and catalogued.  Registration of complaints
    11  via these systems or procedures, or failure on the part of the  modeling
    12  entity or client to implement such system or procedure, shall be consid-
    13  ered  as  evidence  of knowledge or notice of the alleged sexual harass-
    14  ment.
    15    b. Modeling entities shall be considered employers and models shall be
    16  considered employees for purposes of section two hundred  one-g  of  the
    17  labor law.  Clients shall be considered employers for purposes of subdi-
    18  vision one of section two hundred one-g of the labor law.
    19    5.  Modeling  entities  and  clients may be held jointly and severally
    20  liable for claims of sexual harassment brought under  this  section  and
    21  section two hundred ninety-six-d of this article.
    22    6.  Nothing in this section shall be construed or interpreted to limit
    23  the rights of models provided under this chapter or any other provisions
    24  of law.
    25    § 2. Subdivision 4 of section 292 of the executive law, as amended  by
    26  section  2 of subpart F of part KK of chapter 57 of the laws of 2018, is
    27  amended to read as follows:
    28    4. The term "unlawful discriminatory  practice"  includes  only  those
    29  practices  specified  in  sections  two  hundred ninety-six, two hundred
    30  ninety-six-a [and], two hundred ninety-six-c, and  two  hundred  ninety-
    31  six-e of this article.
    32    § 3. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 202-n to read as
    33  follows:
    34    §  202-n.  Provision  of educational materials regarding nutrition and
    35  eating disorders to adult models. 1. For the purposes of  this  section,
    36  the following terms shall have the following meanings:
    37    a. "adult model" means an individual over the age of eighteen, regard-
    38  less  of his or her status as an independent contractor or employee, who
    39  performs modeling services for a client or consents in  writing  to  the
    40  transfer  of  his  or  her  legal  right  to the use of his or her name,
    41  portrait, picture or image, for advertising purposes or for the purposes
    42  of trade, directly to a client or who provides showroom or fit  modeling
    43  services;
    44    b. "client" means a retail store, a manufacturer, a clothing designer,
    45  an advertising agency, a photographer, a publishing company or any other
    46  such person or entity that receives modeling services from a model;
    47    c.  "modeling entity" means a modeling agency, model management compa-
    48  ny, employment agency, and/or any person or entity that: (1) is  in  the
    49  business of managing entertainments, exhibitions or performances, or the
    50  models,  artists  or  attractions  constituting the same; (2) who, for a
    51  fee, procures or attempts to procure: (i) employment or engagements  for
    52  persons  seeking  employment  or engagements, or (ii) employees or inde-
    53  pendent contractors for employers or entities seeking  the  services  of
    54  employees or independent contractors; and/or
    55    (3) renders vocational guidance or counselling services to models; and

        A. 313                              4
     1    d. "modeling services" means the appearance by a model in photographic
     2  sessions  or the engagement of a model in runway, live, filmed, or taped
     3  performances requiring him or her to pose, provide an example or  stand-
     4  ard  of  artistic  expression  or  to  be  a  representation to show the
     5  construction  or  appearance  of  some  thing  or  place for purposes of
     6  display  or  advertising.  Modeling  services  shall  also  include  the
     7  provisions of showroom or fit modeling services.
     8    2.  a.  A  modeling  entity shall make available educational materials
     9  regarding nutrition and eating disorders to an adult model within ninety
    10  days of the date of agreeing to representation by the modeling entity or
    11  procurement by a modeling entity of an engagement,  meeting,  or  inter-
    12  view, whichever comes first.
    13    b.  Educational  materials  regarding  nutrition  and eating disorders
    14  shall include, at a minimum, the components specified  in  the  National
    15  Institute  of  Health's Eating Disorders internet website or a successor
    16  internet website.
    17    c. Educational materials regarding nutrition and eating disorders  for
    18  each  adult  model  shall  be  in  the language understood by such adult
    19  model. The modeling entity may comply  with  this  language  requirement
    20  either  by  making  the  educational  materials  available  in the adult
    21  model's native language or by having the educational materials presented
    22  for such adult model in the language that he or she understands.
    23    d. The modeling entity shall keep a record for three years  confirming
    24  that it has made available educational materials regarding nutrition and
    25  eating  disorders to all adult models who have been signed for represen-
    26  tation after the effective date of this section.
    27    § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    28  have  become  a  law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the
    29  addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary
    30  for  the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized
    31  and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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