BILL NUMBER: S7151

SPONSOR: STAVISKY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to including certain
for-profit entities in the definition of educational institution

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to expand the discrimination protections of
the Human Rights Law to include for-profit educational institutions.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill amends the definition of the term educational institution in
the Human Rights Law to include for-profit colleges, universities,
career schools and English as a second language schools.

 
JUSTIFICATION:
              

All New Yorkers should be able to attend school without being afraid of
discrimination or harassment, and to the extent that students are
harassed or bullied in school, remedies should be available to them
under the New York State Human Rights Law. For decades, the Division of
Human Rights has accepted, investigated, and adjudicated discrimination
complaints from attendees of both public and private secondary schools
and universities. In 2012, a New York State Court of Appeals case,
involving severe racial bullying of a young girl, held that the law did
not cover public schools (including public universities) as the statuto-
ry language referencing "educational corporation" or "educational insti-
tution" did not indicate the scope of coverage. It is critical to extend
the protections of the Human Rights Law to as many students as possible,
and to clarify that the provisions shall apply to for profit colleges,
universities, career schools and English as a second language schools.
This bill would define educational institutions to include both public
and private schools and ensure that all students are afforded protection
against discrimination.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate