Establishes the "public civil rights accountability act" in relation to requiring civil rights compliance certification and training for public employees.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10434
IN ASSEMBLY
March 6, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ZINERMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Governmental Employees
AN ACT to amend the civil service law and the executive law, in relation
to establishing the "public civil rights accountability act" requiring
civil rights compliance certification and training for public employ-
ees
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "public civil rights accountability act".
3 § 2. Legislative findings. The legislature finds that public employees
4 serve all residents of the state of New York and must uphold the civil
5 rights protections guaranteed under federal and state law, including but
6 not limited to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New
7 York state human rights law.
8 The legislature further finds that unlawful discrimination undermines
9 public trust, causes harm to individuals and communities, and interferes
10 with the ability of public institutions to fulfill their missions.
11 The legislature declares that it is necessary to ensure that all
12 public employees receive clear notice of their obligations under civil
13 rights law and are held accountable for violations.
14 § 3. The civil service law is amended by adding a new section 159-e to
15 read as follows:
16 § 159-e. Civil rights compliance certification. 1. Definition. For
17 purposes of this section, "public employee" shall mean any officer or
18 employee of the state, a public authority, public benefit corporation,
19 state university, city university, public school district, or any poli-
20 tical subdivision of the state.
21 2. Certification requirement. Every public employer shall require each
22 newly hired public employee to complete a civil rights compliance
23 certification as a condition of employment. Such certification shall
24 include written acknowledgment that such employee:
25 (a) has received notice of federal and state laws prohibiting discrim-
26 ination, including but not limited to:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15041-01-6
A. 10434 2
1 (i) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and
2 (ii) the New York state human rights law;
3 (b) understands their legal obligation to comply with such laws; and
4 (c) understands that unlawful discrimination, harassment, or creation
5 of a hostile work or educational environment may result in disciplinary
6 action, including termination.
7 3. Training requirement. (a) All public employees shall complete civil
8 rights and anti-discrimination training:
9 (i) within ninety days of hire; and
10 (ii) annually.
11 (b) Such training shall include prevention of discrimination based on
12 race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, sexual orien-
13 tation, gender identity or expression, and any other protected class
14 under law.
15 4. Enforcement. (a) Failure to complete certification or training
16 required under this section may result in administrative action, includ-
17 ing suspension until compliance is achieved.
18 (b) Violation of civil rights laws in the course of public employment
19 shall constitute misconduct and may result in disciplinary action pursu-
20 ant to section seventy-five of this chapter and other applicable laws.
21 § 4. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 296-e to
22 read as follows:
23 § 296-e. Civil rights compliance in public employment. All public
24 employers shall implement policies and procedures to comply with section
25 one hundred fifty-nine-e of the civil service law.
26 § 5. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
27 sion, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of
28 competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect,
29 impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in
30 its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section
31 or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
32 ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
33 the legislature that this act would have been enacted even if such
34 invalid provisions had not been included herein.
35 § 6. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
36 have become a law.
