Bill Text: NY S04515 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Adds veterans to protected classes for unlawful housing discrimination regardless of discharge status.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS [S04515 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S04515-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         4515--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 9, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
          ment   Operations  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation  to  adding  veterans  to
          protected classes for unlawful housing discrimination

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

     1    Section 1. Section 296 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
     2  subdivision 2-b to read as follows:
     3    2-b. (a) It shall be  an  unlawful  discriminatory  practice  for  the
     4  owner,  lessee,  sub-lessee, assignee, or managing agent of publicly-as-
     5  sisted housing accommodations or other person having the right of owner-
     6  ship or possession of or the right to rent or lease such  accommodations
     7  to  refuse  to  sell,  rent or lease or otherwise to deny to or withhold
     8  from any person or group of persons such housing accommodations  because
     9  of such person's status as a veteran.
    10    (b)  For  the purposes of this subdivision, the term "veteran" means a
    11  person who served on active duty in the uniformed services of the United
    12  States, or in the army national guard, air national guard, or service as
    13  a commissioned officer in the public health service, commissioned  offi-
    14  cer  of  the national oceanic and atmospheric administration or environ-
    15  mental sciences services administration, or cadet  at  a  United  States
    16  armed  forces  service  academy,  and  who  has  been released from such
    17  service.
    18    § 2. Subdivision 5 of section 296 of the executive law is  amended  by
    19  adding a new paragraph (h) to read as follows:
    20    (h) (1) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person
    21  offering  or  providing housing accommodations, land or commercial space
    22  as described in paragraphs (a), (b), and  (c)  of  this  subdivision  to

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02057-03-3
        S. 4515--A                          2

     1  refuse to sell, rent or lease any housing accommodation, land or commer-
     2  cial space to any person because of such person's status as a veteran.
     3    (2)  For  the  purposes  of this paragraph, the term "veteran" means a
     4  person who served on active duty in the uniformed services of the United
     5  States, or in the army national guard, air national guard, or service as
     6  a commissioned officer in the public health service, commissioned  offi-
     7  cer  of  the national oceanic and atmospheric administration or environ-
     8  mental sciences services administration, or cadet  at  a  United  States
     9  armed  forces  service  academy,  and  who  has  been released from such
    10  service.
    11    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.