Do you support this bill?

Assembly Bill A55A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Includes veterans in the definition of military status for purposes of unlawful discrimination

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - Stricken

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

Bill Amendments

2025-A55 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S2640
Law Section:
Executive Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §292, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: A9869
2023-2024: A569, S4515

2025-A55 - Summary

Includes veterans in the definition of military status to protect veterans from being unlawfully discriminated against.

2025-A55 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    55
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. EPSTEIN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation  to  adding  veterans  to
   protected classes for unlawful housing discrimination

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 296 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 2-b to read as follows:
   2-B. (A) IT SHALL BE  AN  UNLAWFUL  DISCRIMINATORY  PRACTICE  FOR  THE
 OWNER,  LESSEE,  SUB-LESSEE, ASSIGNEE, OR MANAGING AGENT OF PUBLICLY-AS-
 SISTED HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS OR OTHER PERSON HAVING THE RIGHT OF OWNER-
 SHIP OR POSSESSION OF OR THE RIGHT TO RENT OR LEASE SUCH  ACCOMMODATIONS
 TO  REFUSE  TO  SELL,  RENT OR LEASE OR OTHERWISE TO DENY TO OR WITHHOLD
 FROM ANY PERSON OR GROUP OF PERSONS SUCH HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS  BECAUSE
 OF SUCH PERSON'S STATUS AS A VETERAN.
   (B)  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE TERM "VETERAN" MEANS A
 PERSON WHO SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE UNIFORMED SERVICES OF THE UNITED
 STATES, OR IN THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, AIR NATIONAL GUARD, OR SERVICE AS
 A COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, COMMISSIONED  OFFI-
 CER  OF  THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION OR ENVIRON-
 MENTAL SCIENCES SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, OR CADET  AT  A  UNITED  STATES
 ARMED  FORCES  SERVICE  ACADEMY,  AND  WHO  HAS  BEEN RELEASED FROM SUCH
 SERVICE.
   § 2. Subdivision 5 of section 296 of the executive law is  amended  by
 adding a new paragraph (h) to read as follows:
   (H) (1) IT SHALL BE AN UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE FOR ANY PERSON
 OFFERING  OR  PROVIDING HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS, LAND OR COMMERCIAL SPACE
 AS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPHS (A), (B), AND  (C)  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION  TO
 REFUSE TO SELL, RENT OR LEASE ANY HOUSING ACCOMMODATION, LAND OR COMMER-
 CIAL SPACE TO ANY PERSON BECAUSE OF SUCH PERSON'S STATUS AS A VETERAN.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

co-Sponsors

2025-A55A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S2640
Law Section:
Executive Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §292, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: A9869
2023-2024: A569, S4515

2025-A55A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Includes veterans in the definition of military status to protect veterans from being unlawfully discriminated against.

2025-A55A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   55--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. EPSTEIN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Governmental Operations -- committee discharged, bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to including veterans in
   the definition of military status for purposes of  unlawful  discrimi-
   nation
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 28 of section 292  of  the  executive  law,  as
 added by chapter 106 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
   28.  The  term  "military  status"  when  used in this article means a
 person's participation in the military service of the United  States  or
 the  military  service  of  the state, including but not limited to, the
 armed forces of the United States, the  army  national  guard,  the  air
 national  guard, the New York naval militia, the New York guard, SERVICE
 AS A COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN THE  PUBLIC  HEALTH  SERVICE,  COMMISSIONED
 OFFICER  OF  THE  NATIONAL  OCEANIC  AND  ATMOSPHERIC  ADMINISTRATION OR
 COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE  ENVIRONMENTAL  SCIENCES  SERVICES  ADMINIS-
 TRATION,  A  CADET AT A UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES SERVICES ACADEMY, and
 such additional forces as may be created by the federal or state govern-
 ment as authorized by law.   "MILITARY  STATUS"  SHALL  ALSO  INCLUDE  A
 PERSON'S  PARTICIPATION  IN THE MILITARY SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OR
 THE MILITARY SERVICE OF THE STATE IF SUCH PERSON HAS BEEN RELEASED  FROM
 SUCH SERVICE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00532-04-5

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.