STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7873
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 11, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MEEKS -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Correction
AN ACT to amend the civil rights law and the correction law, in relation
to ending slavery for incarcerated individuals in New York state
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 "no slavery in New York act".
3 § 2. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 16 to
4 read as follows:
5 § 16. Abolition of slavery, involuntary servitude, and forced labor.
6 Neither slavery, involuntary servitude, nor forced labor shall be
7 permitted to exist in the state of New York, including for persons
8 convicted of a crime.
9 § 3. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 172 to read
10 as follows:
11 § 172. Prohibition on labor that is compelled or induced in New York
12 carceral facilities. No incarcerated individual in any correctional
13 facility or local correctional facility shall be compelled or induced to
14 provide labor against such individual's will by force or other adverse
15 action against the incarcerated individual or against another person, or
16 by any reasonably feared threat thereof.
17 § 4. Section 2 of the correction law is amended by adding a new subdi-
18 vision 35 to read as follows:
19 35. "Adverse action" includes the use of the institutional rules,
20 regulations, and the disciplinary process referenced in section one
21 hundred thirty-eight of this chapter.
22 § 5. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
23 sion, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of
24 competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect,
25 impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11173-01-5
A. 7873 2
1 its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section
2 or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
3 ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
4 the legislature that this act would have been enacted even if such
5 invalid provisions had not been included herein.
6 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
