BILL NUMBER: S951

SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the cannabis law, in relation to including gender equal-
ity in the social and economic equity plan of the New York state canna-
bis control board

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section one adds transgender, gender-nonconforming and non-binary indi-
viduals to the list of social and economic equity applicants,.

Section two defines transgender, gender-nonconforming and non-binary
individuals.

Section three provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Earlier this year, New York took the historic step of legalizing adult-
              

use cannabis. This legislation, in part, created a social and economic
equity program to encourage those most disproportionately impacted by
cannabis enforcement to participate in this new industry.  To that end,
there is a goal for 50% of the licenses under this program to be granted
to social and economic equity applicants. The social and economic equity
plan is intended to provide priority in licensing to individuals from
communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis
prohibition, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, certi-
fied MWBEs, distressed farmers, and service-disabled veterans.

This bill will include transgender, gender-nonconforming and non-binary
individuals in the social and economic equity plan giving them priority
in licensing. Every New Yorker deserves the right to express and identi-
fy their gender as they choose. An unintended consequence of the law
would force certain individuals from choosing between their gender iden-
tity and receiving priority for a license.  The social equity aspect of
the MRTA is meant to uplift historically marginalized groups through
economic opportunities in the cannabis industry and this bill furthers
that effort.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22: S.7517

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.