S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7282
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 19, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. BUCHWALD, PEOPLES-STOKES -- (at request of the
   Division of Human Rights) -- read once and referred to  the  Committee
   on Governmental Operations
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the executive law, in relation to providing that, in
   housing cases only, after a dismissal for lack of  probable  cause  or
   lack  of  jurisdiction,  a complainant would have the option to appeal
   the final order, or bring a de novo action in court
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  9  of  section  297 of the executive law, as
 amended by section 16 of part D of chapter 405 of the laws of  1999,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   9.  Any  person claiming to be aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory
 practice shall have a cause of action in any court of appropriate juris-
 diction for damages, including, in cases of housing discrimination only,
 punitive damages, and such other remedies as may be appropriate, includ-
 ing any civil fines and penalties provided in subdivision four  of  this
 section,  unless such person had filed a complaint hereunder or with any
 local commission on human rights, or with the superintendent pursuant to
 the provisions of section two  hundred  ninety-six-a  of  this  chapter,
 provided  that,  where  the division has dismissed such complaint on the
 grounds of administrative convenience, on the grounds  of  untimeliness,
 or on the grounds that the election of remedies is annulled, such person
 shall  maintain  all  rights  to  bring suit as if no complaint had been
 filed with the division. At any time prior to a hearing before a hearing
 examiner, a person who has a  complaint  pending  at  the  division  may
 request  that  the  division  dismiss the complaint and annul his or her
 election of remedies so that the human rights law claim may  be  pursued
 in court, and the division may, upon such request, dismiss the complaint
 on  the  grounds that such person's election of an administrative remedy
 is annulled. Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of section two hundred four
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD10113-01-7

 A. 7282                             2
 
 of the civil practice law and rules, if a complaint is  so  annulled  by
 the  division,  upon  the  request  of the party bringing such complaint
 before the division, such party's rights to bring such cause  of  action
 before a court of appropriate jurisdiction shall be limited by the stat-
 ute of limitations in effect in such court at the time the complaint was
 initially filed with the division. Any party to a housing discrimination
 complaint  shall  have the right within twenty days following a determi-
 nation of probable cause pursuant to subdivision two of this section  to
 elect  to  have  an  action  commenced in a civil court, and an attorney
 representing the division of human rights will be appointed  to  present
 the  complaint  in court, or, with the consent of the division, the case
 may be presented by complainant's attorney. A  complaint  filed  by  the
 equal  employment opportunity commission to comply with the requirements
 of 42 USC 2000e-5(c) and 42 USC 12117(a) and 29  USC  633(b)  shall  not
 constitute the filing of a complaint within the meaning of this subdivi-
 sion.  No  person  who  has initiated any action in a court of competent
 jurisdiction or who has an  action  pending  before  any  administrative
 agency under any other law of the state based upon an act which would be
 an  unlawful  discriminatory  practice  under  this  article, may file a
 complaint with respect to the same grievance under this section or under
 section two hundred ninety-six-a of this article. IN  CASES  OF  HOUSING
 DISCRIMINATION  ONLY, A PERSON WHOSE COMPLAINT HAS BEEN DISMISSED BY THE
 DIVISION AFTER INVESTIGATION FOR LACK OF JURISDICTION OR LACK OF  PROBA-
 BLE  CAUSE  MAY  FILE THE SAME CAUSE OF ACTION IN A COURT OF APPROPRIATE
 JURISDICTION PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, UNLESS JUDICIAL  REVIEW  OF  SUCH
 DISMISSAL  HAS  BEEN SOUGHT PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINETY-EIGHT
 OF THIS ARTICLE.
   § 2. Section 298 of the executive law, as amended by  chapter  166  of
 the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
   § 298. Judicial  review  and enforcement.  Any complainant, respondent
 or other person aggrieved by an order of the commissioner  which  is  an
 order  after public hearing, a cease and desist order, an order awarding
 damages, an order dismissing a complaint, or by an order of the division
 which makes a final disposition  of  a  complaint  may  obtain  judicial
 review  thereof,  and  the division may obtain an order of court for its
 enforcement and for the enforcement of any  order  of  the  commissioner
 which has not been appealed to the court, in a proceeding as provided in
 this  section.  Such proceeding shall be brought in the supreme court in
 the county wherein the unlawful discriminatory  practice  which  is  the
 subject  of the order occurs or wherein any person required in the order
 to cease and desist from an unlawful discriminatory practice or to  take
 other  affirmative action resides or transacts business. Such proceeding
 shall be initiated by the filing of a notice of petition and petition in
 such court.  Thereafter, at a time and in a manner to  be  specified  by
 rules  of  court, the division shall file with the court a written tran-
 script of the record of all prior proceedings.  Upon  the  filing  of  a
 notice  of  petition  and petition, the court shall have jurisdiction of
 the proceeding and of the  questions  determined  therein,  except  that
 where  the  order sought to be reviewed was made as a result of a public
 hearing held pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision four of section  two
 hundred  ninety-seven  of  this  article,  the court shall make an order
 directing that the proceeding be  transferred  for  disposition  to  the
 appellate  division  of  the  supreme  court  in the judicial department
 embracing the county in which the proceeding was  commenced.  The  court
 shall  have power to grant such temporary relief or restraining order as
 it deems just and proper, and to make  and  enter  upon  the  pleadings,

 A. 7282                             3
 
 testimony, and proceedings set forth in such transcript an order enforc-
 ing,  modifying, and enforcing as so modified, or setting aside in whole
 or in part such order. No objection that has not  been  urged  in  prior
 proceedings  shall  be  considered  by  the court, unless the failure or
 neglect to urge such objection shall be excused because of extraordinary
 circumstances. Any party may move the court to remit  the  case  to  the
 division  in  the interests of justice for the purpose of adducing addi-
 tional specified and material evidence  and  seeking  findings  thereon,
 provided  he  or  she shows reasonable grounds for the failure to adduce
 such evidence in prior proceedings. The findings of facts on which  such
 order  is  based shall be conclusive if supported by sufficient evidence
 on the record considered as a whole. All such proceedings shall be heard
 and determined by the court and any appeal taken from  its  judgment  or
 order  shall  be  reviewed  by  the appropriate appellate court as expe-
 ditiously as possible and with lawful precedence over other matters. The
 jurisdiction of the courts over these proceedings, as provided for here-
 in, shall be exclusive and their judgments and orders  shall  be  final,
 subject  to  appellate  review  in the same manner and form and with the
 same effect as provided  for  appeals  from  a  judgment  in  a  special
 proceeding.  The  division's copy of the testimony shall be available at
 all reasonable times to all parties for examination without cost and for
 the purposes of judicial review of such order.  Any  appeal  under  this
 section and any proceeding, if instituted under article seventy-eight of
 the civil practice law and rules to which the division or the board is a
 party  shall be heard on the record without requirement of printing. The
 division may appear in court by one of its attorneys. A proceeding under
 this section when instituted by any  complainant,  respondent  or  other
 person  aggrieved must be instituted within sixty days after the service
 of such order. IN CASES OF  HOUSING  DISCRIMINATION  ONLY,  A  COMPLAINT
 DISMISSED AFTER INVESTIGATION FOR LACK OF JURISDICTION OR LACK OF PROBA-
 BLE  CAUSE  MAY  EITHER BE APPEALED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION OR THE SAME
 CAUSE OF ACTION MAY BE FILED IN  A  COURT  OF  APPROPRIATE  JURISDICTION
 PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINETY-SEVEN OF THIS ARTICLE.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.