STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
491
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. FERNANDEZ, BROUK, WEBB -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investi-
gations and Government Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to including the basis of
religious attire and facial hair in the definition of unlawful discri-
minatory practice
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 296 of the execu-
2 tive law, as separately amended by chapters 202 and 748 of the laws of
3 2022, is amended to read as follows:
4 (a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any person,
5 being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent or
6 employee of any place of public accommodation, resort or amusement,
7 because of the race, creed, including the wearing of any attire, cloth-
8 ing or facial hair in accordance with the requirements or practice of a
9 person's religion, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration
10 status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military
11 status, sex, disability, marital status, or status as a victim of domes-
12 tic violence, of any person, directly or indirectly, to refuse, withhold
13 from or deny to such person any of the accommodations, advantages,
14 facilities or privileges thereof, including the extension of credit, or,
15 directly or indirectly, to publish, circulate, issue, display, post or
16 mail any written or printed communication, notice or advertisement, to
17 the effect that any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities and
18 privileges of any such place shall be refused, withheld from or denied
19 to any person on account of race, creed, including the wearing of any
20 attire, clothing or facial hair in accordance with the requirements or
21 practice of a person's religion, color, national origin, citizenship or
22 immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01876-01-5
S. 491 2
1 military status, sex, disability or marital status, or that the patro-
2 nage or custom thereat of any person of or purporting to be of any
3 particular race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immi-
4 gration status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mili-
5 tary status, sex or marital status, or having a disability is unwelcome,
6 objectionable or not acceptable, desired or solicited.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
