Bill Text: NY A07797 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Prohibits race discrimination based on natural hair or hairstyles; defines "race" for certain specific purposes to include, but not be limited to, ancestry, color, ethnic group identification, and ethnic background, and to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles; and defines "protective hairstyles" to include, but not be limited to, such hairstyles as braids, locks, and twists.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 35-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-07-12 - SIGNED CHAP.95 [A07797 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A07797-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

            S. 6209--A                                            A. 7797--A

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                SENATE - ASSEMBLY

                                      May 23, 2019
                                       ___________

        IN  SENATE  --  Introduced  by  Sens.  BAILEY, SALAZAR -- read twice and
          ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
          Investigations and Government Operations -- committee discharged, bill
          amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
          tee

        IN  ASSEMBLY  --  Introduced  by  M.  of  A.   WRIGHT,   PEOPLES-STOKES,
          DE LA ROSA,   SAYEGH,   REYES,   SIMON,  NIOU,  GOTTFRIED,  FERNANDEZ,
          O'DONNELL,  D'URSO,  JEAN-PIERRE,  FRONTUS,   L. ROSENTHAL,   EPSTEIN,
          JAFFEE,  DICKENS  --  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK -- read once
          and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee

        AN  ACT to amend the executive law and the education law, in relation to
          prohibiting race discrimination based on natural hairstyles

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

     1    Section  1.  Section 292 of the executive law is amended by adding two
     2  new subdivisions 37 and 38 to read as follows:
     3    37. The term "race" shall, for the purposes of  this  article  include
     4  traits  historically associated with race, including but not limited to,
     5  hair texture and protective hairstyles.
     6    38. The term "protective hairstyles" shall include, but not be limited
     7  to, such hairstyles as braids, locks, and twists.
     8    § 2. Section 11 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  two  new
     9  subdivisions 9 and 10 to read as follows:
    10    9.  "Race"  shall,  for  the  purposes  of this article include traits
    11  historically associated with race, including but not  limited  to,  hair
    12  texture and protective hairstyles.
    13    10. "Protective hairstyles" shall include, but not be limited to, such
    14  hairstyles as braids, locks, and twists.
    15    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11450-02-9