Bill Text: NY A09531 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to rental discrimination based upon consumer credit history; prohibits a person from refusing to rent or lease or otherwise to deny to or withhold from any person or group of persons housing accommodations because of the consumer credit history of such person or persons, or to represent that any housing accommodation is not available for rental or lease when in fact it is so available; defines consumer credit history.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-20 - referred to governmental operations [A09531 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A09531-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9531

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     March 20, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. CUNNINGHAM, REYES -- read once and referred to
          the Committee on Governmental Operations

        AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to rental  discrimination
          based upon consumer credit history

          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 a new
     2  subdivision 42 to read as follows:
     3    42. The term "consumer credit history" means  an  individual's  credit
     4  worthiness,  credit  standing,  credit  capacity  or payment history, as
     5  indicated by:
     6    (a) a consumer credit report; or
     7    (b) credit score.
     8    § 2. Paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of subdivision 2-a of section 296  of
     9  the  executive law, as separately amended by chapters 202 and 748 of the
    10  laws of 2022, are amended to read as follows:
    11    (a) (i) To refuse to sell, rent or lease or otherwise to  deny  to  or
    12  withhold from any person or group of persons such housing accommodations
    13  because of the race, creed, color, disability, national origin, citizen-
    14  ship  or  immigration  status,  sexual  orientation,  gender identity or
    15  expression, military status, age,  sex,  marital  status,  status  as  a
    16  victim  of domestic violence, lawful source of income or familial status
    17  of such person or persons, or to represent  that  any  housing  accommo-
    18  dation  or  land  is not available for inspection, sale, rental or lease
    19  when in fact it is so available.
    20    (ii) To refuse to rent or lease or otherwise to deny  to  or  withhold
    21  from  any person or group of persons such housing accommodations because
    22  of the consumer credit history of such person or persons, or  to  repre-
    23  sent that any housing accommodation is not available for rental or lease
    24  when in fact it is so available.
    25    (b)  To  discriminate  against  any person because of his or her race,
    26  creed, color, disability, national origin,  citizenship  or  immigration
    27  status,  sexual  orientation,  gender  identity  or expression, military
    28  status, age, sex,  marital  status,  status  as  a  victim  of  domestic

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08050-01-3
        A. 9531                             2

     1  violence,  lawful  source  of  income  [or], familial status or consumer
     2  credit history in the terms, conditions or privileges of  any  publicly-
     3  assisted  housing  accommodations  or in the furnishing of facilities or
     4  services in connection therewith.
     5    (c) To cause to be made any written or oral inquiry or record concern-
     6  ing  the race, creed, color, disability, national origin, citizenship or
     7  immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity  or  expression,
     8  membership  in  the  reserve armed forces of the United States or in the
     9  organized militia of the state, age, sex, marital status,  status  as  a
    10  victim  of  domestic  violence,  lawful  source of income [or], familial
    11  status or consumer credit history of a person seeking to rent  or  lease
    12  any  publicly-assisted  housing  accommodation;  provided, however, that
    13  nothing in this subdivision shall prohibit a member of the reserve armed
    14  forces of the United States or in the organized  militia  of  the  state
    15  from voluntarily disclosing such membership.
    16    §  3.  Subdivision 5 of section 296 of the executive law is amended by
    17  adding a new paragraph (h) to read as follows:
    18    (h) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory  practice  for  any  person
    19  offering  housing accommodations for rent or lease as described in para-
    20  graphs (a), (b) and (c) of this subdivision to refuse to rent  or  lease
    21  or  otherwise  deny  to  or withhold from any person or group of persons
    22  such housing accommodations because of the consumer  credit  history  of
    23  such  person  or persons, or to represent that any housing accommodation
    24  is not available for rental or lease when in fact it is so available.
    25    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.