Assembly Bill A5679A

Signed By Governor
2021-2022 Legislative Session

Declares racism a public health crisis and establishes a working group to promote racial equity throughout the state

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status Via S2987 - Signed by Governor


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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Bill Amendments

2021-A5679 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S2987
Law Section:
Public Health
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:
S8673

2021-A5679 - Summary

Declares racism a public health crisis; establishes a working group within the department of health to promote racial equity throughout the state and address issues related to racism as a public health crisis.

2021-A5679 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5679
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 23, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. DARLING -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to declare racism a public health crisis and to establish a work-
   ing group to promote racial equity throughout the state
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative  findings  and  declarations. The legislature
 hereby finds and declares that racism is a  public  health  crisis  that
 poses  a threat to the health, safety, and quality of life to as many as
 forty-seven million Americans; and that racism  negatively  impacts  and
 exacerbates  health  inequities among historically marginalized communi-
 ties. The legislature further finds and declares that racism contributes
 to a national disparity between black and white infant mortality  rates;
 and  that  racism contributes to inequalities in housing, education, and
 employment, and that racism negatively impacts the lives  of  people  of
 color  in New York.  The legislature further finds that race is a social
 construct not rooted in  meaningful  biological  differences,  and  this
 system  unfairly  disadvantages  specific  individuals  and communities,
 while giving advantages to  other  individuals  and  communities.    The
 legislature  further  finds  and  declares  that the impact of racism on
 public health deserves action from all levels of government.  Therefore,
 this  legislation  establishes a working group to address issues related
 to racism and ensure the health and safety of the citizens of the state.
   § 2. There is hereby  established  within  the  office  of  the  state
 commissioner of health a working group to be known as the "racial equity
 working group".
   § 3. The working group shall address the issues related to racism as a
 public  health crisis, and biennially, shall study and provide recommen-
 dations for legislative or other  actions  that  can  be  undertaken  to
 reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities, including:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07219-01-1
              

co-Sponsors

2021-A5679A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S2987
Law Section:
Public Health
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:
S8673

2021-A5679A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Declares racism a public health crisis; establishes a working group within the department of health to promote racial equity throughout the state and address issues related to racism as a public health crisis.

2021-A5679A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  5679--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 23, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. DARLING -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Governmental Operations -- committee discharged, bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to declare racism a public health crisis and to establish a work-
   ing group to promote racial equity throughout the state

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Legislative  findings  and  declarations.  The  legislature
 hereby  finds  and  declares  that racism is a public health crisis that
 poses a threat to the health, safety, and quality of life to as many  as
 forty-seven  million  Americans;  and that racism negatively impacts and
 exacerbates health inequities among historically  marginalized  communi-
 ties. The legislature further finds and declares that racism contributes
 to  a national disparity between black and white infant mortality rates;
 and that racism contributes to inequalities in housing,  education,  and
 employment,  and  that  racism negatively impacts the lives of people of
 color in New York.  The legislature further finds that race is a  social
 construct  not  rooted  in  meaningful  biological differences, and this
 system unfairly  disadvantages  specific  individuals  and  communities,
 while  giving  advantages  to  other  individuals and communities.   The
 legislature further finds and declares that  the  impact  of  racism  on
 public  health deserves action from all levels of government. Therefore,
 this legislation establishes a working group to address  issues  related
 to racism and ensure the health and safety of the citizens of the state.
   §  2.  There  is  hereby established within the department of health a
 working group to be known as the "racial equity working group".
   § 3. The working group shall study  issues  related  to  racism  as  a
 public  health  crisis,  and  develop recommendations for legislative or
 other actions that can be undertaken to reduce or eliminate  racial  and
 ethnic disparities.
   The work group shall study:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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