Senate Bill S3492A

2013-2014 Legislative Session

Provides for the award of attorney fees in actions under the human rights law

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Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee


  • 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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Actions

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2013-S3492 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A8253
Current Committee:
Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:
Executive Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §297, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: S2380, A5441
2017-2018: S2261, A4688
2019-2020: S4085, A8795
2021-2022: S3323, A4471
2023-2024: S5767, A4240

2013-S3492 - Summary

Provides for the award of attorney's fees in actions under the human rights law.

2013-S3492 - Sponsor Memo

2013-S3492 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  3492

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 4, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- 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 providing  for  awards
  of attorney's fees in actions under the human rights law

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision 10 of section 297  of  the  executive  law,  as
added  by  section  17  of part D of chapter 405 of the laws of 1999, is
amended to read as follows:
  10. [With respect to cases of housing discrimination only, in]  IN  an
action  or  proceeding  at law under this section or section two hundred
ninety-eight of this article, the commissioner or the court may  in  its
discretion  award  reasonable  attorney's  fees  to  any  prevailing  or
substantially prevailing party; provided,  however,  that  a  prevailing
respondent  or  defendant in order to recover such reasonable attorney's
fees must make a motion requesting such fees [and show that  the  action
or  proceeding  brought  was  frivolous]; and further provided that in a
proceeding brought in the division of human rights, the commissioner may
only award attorney's fees as part of a final order after a public hear-
ing held pursuant to subdivision four of this section. In no case  shall
attorney's  fees  be  awarded to the division, nor shall the division be
liable to a prevailing or substantially prevailing party for  attorney's
fees, except in a case in which the division is a party to the action or
the  proceeding in the division's capacity as an employer.  [In order to
find the action or proceeding to be frivolous, the court or the  commis-
sioner must find in writing one or more of the following:
  (a)  the  action or proceeding was commenced, used or continued in bad
faith, solely to delay or prolong the resolution of the litigation or to
harass or maliciously injure another; or

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08196-01-3

              

co-Sponsors

2013-S3492A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A8253
Current Committee:
Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:
Executive Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §297, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: S2380, A5441
2017-2018: S2261, A4688
2019-2020: S4085, A8795
2021-2022: S3323, A4471
2023-2024: S5767, A4240

2013-S3492A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for the award of attorney's fees in actions under the human rights law.

2013-S3492A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2013-S3492A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 3492--A

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 4, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced by Sens. PARKER, ADAMS -- read twice and ordered printed, and
  when  printed  to  be committed to the Committee on Investigations and
  Government Operations -- committee discharged, bill  amended,  ordered
  reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN  ACT  to amend the executive law, in relation to providing for awards
  of attorney's fees in actions under the human rights law

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Subdivision  10  of  section 297 of the executive law, as
added by section 17 of part D of chapter 405 of the  laws  of  1999,  is
amended to read as follows:
  10.  [With  respect to cases of housing discrimination only, in] IN an
action or proceeding at law under this section or  section  two  hundred
ninety-eight  of this article, the commissioner or the court [may in its
discretion] SHALL award reasonable attorney's fees to any prevailing  or
substantially  prevailing  [party;  provided, however, that a prevailing
respondent or defendant in order to recover such  reasonable  attorney's
fees must make a motion requesting such fees and show that the action or
proceeding  brought  was  frivolous;  and  further  provided  that  in a
proceeding brought in the division of human rights, the commissioner may
only award attorney's fees as part of a final order after a public hear-
ing held pursuant to subdivision four  of  this  section]  PLAINTIFF  OR
COMPLAINANT.  In  no  case shall attorney's fees be awarded to the divi-
sion, nor shall the division be liable to a prevailing or  substantially
prevailing  party  for  attorney's  fees,  except in a case in which the
division is a party to the action or the proceeding  in  the  division's
capacity  as an employer.  [In order to find the action or proceeding to
be frivolous, the court or the commissioner must find in writing one  or
more of the following:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08196-02-3

S. 3492--A                          2
              

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