STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7565
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 9, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BARRETT -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to county, city,
village or town commissions on human rights
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 239-o of the general municipal law, as amended by
2 chapter 413 of the laws of 1964, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 239-o. Creation, appointment and terms. The governing board of any
4 county, city, village or town may by resolution create a commission on
5 human rights. The governing board shall determine the number of members
6 of such commission, the terms of the members, the manner of appointment
7 of the members, the selection of a chairman and the compensation, if
8 any, to be paid to them. In selecting the membership of the commission,
9 the governing board shall take into consideration the various [reli-
10 gious, racial, nationality] ages, races, creed, color, national origin,
11 sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, sex,
12 disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, mari-
13 tal status, domestic violence victim status and political groups in the
14 community. The establishment of such a commission at one level of local
15 government shall not preclude establishment of such a commission at
16 other levels of local government.
17 § 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 239-q of the general
18 municipal law, as amended by chapter 958 of the laws of 1968, is amended
19 to read as follows:
20 (a) To foster mutual respect and understanding among all [racial,
21 religious and nationality] ages, races, creed, color, national origin,
22 sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, sex,
23 disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, mari-
24 tal status and domestic violence victim status groups in the community.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09971-04-9
A. 7565 2
1 § 3. Subdivisions (a) and (b) of section 239-r of the general munici-
2 pal law, as amended by chapter 958 of the laws of 1968, are amended to
3 read as follows:
4 (a) To receive complaints of alleged discrimination because of an
5 individual's age, race, creed, color or national origin, sexual orien-
6 tation, gender identity or expression, military status, marital status,
7 sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status,
8 marital status or domestic violence victim status, to seek the active
9 assistance of the division of human rights in the solution of complaints
10 which fall within the jurisdiction of the division and to prepare its
11 own plans in the case of other complaints with a view to reducing and
12 eliminating such alleged discrimination through the process of confer-
13 ence, conciliation and persuasion.
14 (b) To hold conferences, and other public meetings in the interest of
15 the constructive resolution of [racial, religious and nationality] age,
16 race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity
17 or expression, military status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic
18 characteristics, familial status, marital status and domestic violence
19 victim status group tensions and the prejudice and discrimination occa-
20 sioned thereby.
21 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
