Senate Bill S5138

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5138
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 11, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. MAYER, KENNEDY, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the  Committee  on  Local
   Government
 
 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:
 
   Section  1.  Section 239-o of the general municipal law, as amended by
 chapter 413 of the laws of 1964, is amended to read as follows:
   § 239-o. Creation, appointment and terms. The governing board  of  any
 county,  city,  village or town may by resolution create a commission on
 human rights. The governing board shall determine the number of  members
 of  such commission, the terms of the members, the manner of appointment
 of the members, the selection of a chairman  and  the  compensation,  if
 any,  to be paid to them. In selecting the membership of the commission,
 the governing board shall take into  consideration  the  various  [reli-
 gious,  racial, nationality] AGES, RACES, CREED, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN,
 SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, MILITARY STATUS, SEX,
 DISABILITY, PREDISPOSING GENETIC CHARACTERISTICS, FAMILIAL STATUS, MARI-
 TAL STATUS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM STATUS and political groups in  the
 community.  The establishment of such a commission at one level of local
 government shall not preclude establishment  of  such  a  commission  at
 other levels of local government.
   §  2.  Paragraph  (a) of subdivision 1 of section 239-q of the general
 municipal law, as amended by chapter 958 of the laws of 1968, is amended
 to read as follows:
   (a) To foster mutual respect  and  understanding  among  all  [racial,
 religious  and  nationality] AGES, RACES, CREED, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN,
 SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, MILITARY STATUS, SEX,
 DISABILITY, PREDISPOSING GENETIC CHARACTERISTICS, FAMILIAL STATUS, MARI-
 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

 S. 5138                             2
 
   § 3. Subdivisions (a) and (b) of section 239-r of the general  munici-
 pal  law,  as amended by chapter 958 of the laws of 1968, are amended to
 read as follows:
   (a)  To  receive  complaints  of  alleged discrimination because of AN
 INDIVIDUAL'S AGE, race, creed, color or national origin,  SEXUAL  ORIEN-
 TATION,  GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, MILITARY STATUS, MARITAL STATUS,
 SEX, DISABILITY, PREDISPOSING GENETIC CHARACTERISTICS, FAMILIAL  STATUS,
 MARITAL  STATUS  OR  DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM STATUS, to seek the active
 assistance of the division of human rights in the solution of complaints
 which fall within the jurisdiction of the division and  to  prepare  its
 own  plans  in  the case of other complaints with a view to reducing and
 eliminating such alleged discrimination through the process  of  confer-
 ence, conciliation and persuasion.
   (b)  To hold conferences, and other public meetings in the interest of
 the constructive resolution of [racial, religious and nationality]  AGE,
 RACE, CREED, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY
 OR  EXPRESSION,  MILITARY  STATUS, SEX, DISABILITY, PREDISPOSING GENETIC
 CHARACTERISTICS, FAMILIAL STATUS, MARITAL STATUS AND  DOMESTIC  VIOLENCE
 VICTIM  STATUS group tensions and the prejudice and discrimination occa-
 sioned thereby.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.