S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   11118
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             November 6, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Darling) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to establish a working 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. There is hereby established within the office of the  state
 commissioner  of  health  a  working group to be known as "racial equity
 working group".
   § 2. The working group shall address the issues related to racism as a
 public health crisis and do the following: create a publicly  accessible
 glossary  of  terms and definitions concerning racism and health equity;
 promote community engagement and provide tools for  government  agencies
 to engage actively and authentically with communities of color; continue
 to  work  to  build  alliances with organizations that have a legacy and
 track record of confronting racism;  encourage  community  partners  and
 stakeholders in the education, employment, housing, and criminal justice
 and safety arenas to recognize racism as a public health crisis and take
 appropriate  action; continue to promote racially equitable economic and
 workforce development in New York; continue to promote racially  equita-
 ble  hiring  and  promotion  of all employees including state employees;
 provide training to all elected officials, staff, funders, and  grantees
 on  workplace biases and how to mitigate them; promote and encourage all
 policies that prioritize the health of people of color;  support  local,
 state, regional, and federal initiatives that advance efforts to disman-
 tle systematic racism and mitigate exposure to adverse childhood experi-
 ences and trauma; incorporate educational efforts to address and disman-
 tle  racism and to expand understanding of racism and how racism affects
 individual and population  health;  and  secure  adequate  resources  to
 successfully accomplish the aforementioned activities.
   § 3. The working group shall consist of the following:
   (a) the state commissioner of health and his or her designee;
   (b) one member appointed by the state commissioner of health;
   (c) two members appointed by the governor;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16822-01-0

 A. 11118                            2
 
   (d) one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
   (e) one member appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
   (f) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; and
   (g) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
   §  4.  The  members  and  staff personnel of the racial equity working
 group shall serve without compensation, but shall be eligible to receive
 reimbursement for  their  reasonable,  actual  and  necessary  expenses,
 provided  however, members of the working group representing state agen-
 cies may receive reimbursement for their actual and  necessary  expenses
 from their respective agencies.
   §  5.  For  the  purposes  of this act, the commissioner of health may
 conduct such study in conjunction with any other  department,  division,
 board,  bureau,  commission, agency, or public authority of the state he
 or she deems necessary. To the maximum extent feasible, the commissioner
 of health shall be authorized to  request,  receive,  and  utilize  such
 resources  and  data  of  any other department, division, board, bureau,
 commission, agency, or public authority of the state as he  or  she  may
 reasonably  request  to  properly carry out his or her powers and duties
 pursuant to this act.
   § 6. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.