Prohibits landlords or their agents from inquiring or requiring disclosure about citizenship or immigration status, requiring specific immigration documentation to be presented, disclosing immigration or citizenship status to third parties, or threatening to report a tenant's citizenship or immigration status in retaliation for asserting their rights.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9490
IN SENATE
March 18, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
ment Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to unlawful discriminato-
ry practices against tenants relating to citizenship or immigration
status
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 5 of section 296 of the execu-
2 tive law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 5 to read as follows:
3 (5) (i) To inquire about or require disclosure of citizenship or immi-
4 gration status;
5 (ii) To require specific immigration documentation, including but not
6 limited to a green card or similar documentation, as the sole acceptable
7 form of identification;
8 (iii) To disclose a tenant's immigration or citizenship status to
9 third parties, including but not limited to federal authorities, except
10 when required by court order; or
11 (iv) To report or threaten to report a tenant's citizenship or immi-
12 gration status to immigration authorities in retaliation for asserting
13 rights under this chapter or any other provision of law.
14 § 2. Subdivision 5 of section 296 of the executive law is amended by
15 adding a new paragraph (i) to read as follows:
16 (i) The provisions of subparagraph five of paragraph (a) of this
17 subdivision shall not be construed to prohibit an owner, lessee, sub-
18 lessee, assignee, or managing agent of, or other person having the right
19 to sell, rent or lease a housing accommodation, constructed or to be
20 constructed, or any agent or employee thereof, from:
21 (1) verifying the identity of a potential tenant or conducting other
22 standard tenant screening practices that are otherwise lawful; provided,
23 however, that such identity verification or other standard tenant
24 screening practice shall not impose heightened requirements based on
25 citizenship or immigration status; or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14712-01-6
S. 9490 2
1 (2) complying with federal requirements regarding citizenship or immi-
2 gration status for federally subsidized housing programs that would
3 otherwise be prohibited under this chapter.
4 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
