S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6922
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 18, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. TAPIA -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Housing
 
 AN ACT to amend the public housing law,  in  relation  to  enacting  the
   "fair housing and source of income discrimination awareness act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "fair housing and source of income discrimination awareness act".
   §  2.  Legislative  findings  and  intent.  The  legislature finds and
 declares that discrimination based on lawful sources of income,  includ-
 ing  but  not limited to housing vouchers, subsidies, and other forms of
 government assistance, continues to be a barrier  to  fair  housing.  To
 ensure that all applicants are aware of their rights and have the neces-
 sary  resources  to  address discrimination, this act mandates that real
 estate brokers, real estate  agents,  property  owners,  landlords,  and
 online  housing  platforms provide formal notice to applicants regarding
 protections  against  source  of  income  discrimination.  Additionally,
 voucher  providers  shall be required to supply recipients with informa-
 tion on advocacy organizations and reporting mechanisms for  discrimina-
 tory practices.
   §  3.  The public housing law is amended by adding a new section 223-c
 to read as follows:
   § 223-C. SOURCE  OF  HOUSING  DISCRIMINATION  AWARENESS.  1.  FOR  THE
 PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING
 MEANINGS:
   (A) "DIVISION" MEANS THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL.
   (B) "FORMAL NOTICE" MEANS A DOCUMENT DEVELOPED BY THE DIVISION OUTLIN-
 ING VOUCHER HOLDER'S RIGHTS UNDER STATE AND LOCAL LAWS REGARDING  SOURCE
 OF INCOME DISCRIMINATION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10873-01-5
 A. 6922                             2
 
              

   (C)  "ONLINE HOUSING PLATFORM" SHALL MEAN ANY WEBSITE, APPLICATION, OR
 DIGITAL SERVICE THAT FACILITATES THE ADVERTISEMENT, LISTING,  OR  RENTAL
 OF HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS WITHIN THE STATE.
   (D)  "REAL  ESTATE  BROKER"  SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED BY
 SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FORTY OF THE REAL PROPERTY LAW.
   (E) "REAL ESTATE AGENT" SHALL  HAVE  THE  SAME  MEANING  AS  THE  TERM
 "AGENT" AS DEFINED BY SECTION FOUR HUNDRED FORTY-THREE OF THE REAL PROP-
 ERTY LAW.
   (F)  "SOURCE  OF  INCOME DISCRIMINATION" MEANS THE UNLAWFUL REFUSAL TO
 RENT, LEASE, OR OTHERWISE DENY HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES BASED ON  AN  INDI-
 VIDUAL'S  LAWFUL  SOURCE OF INCOME, AS PROHIBITED UNDER PARAGRAPH (A) OF
 SUBDIVISION FIVE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED NINETY-SIX OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
   (G) "VOUCHER"  MEANS  RENTAL  ASSISTANCE  ADMINISTERED  BY  A  VOUCHER
 PROVIDER  PURSUANT TO THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVEL-
 OPMENT'S SECTION EIGHT HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM.
   (H) "VOUCHER HOLDER" MEANS A RECIPIENT OF VOUCHERS.
   (I) "VOUCHER PROVIDER" MEANS A "PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY" AS SUCH TERM IS
 DEFINED BY 42 USC § 1437A(B)(6), AUTHORIZED TO  ADMINISTER  VOUCHERS  IN
 THE STATE.
   2. ALL REAL ESTATE BROKERS, REAL ESTATE AGENTS, LANDLORDS, AND PROPER-
 TY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES SHALL PROVIDE EVERY PROSPECTIVE TENANT OR APPLI-
 CANT WHO IS A VOUCHER HOLDER WITH A FORMAL NOTICE, AS SHALL BE DEVELOPED
 BY  THE  DIVISION,  EXPLAINING  THEIR  RIGHTS  AGAINST  SOURCE OF INCOME
 DISCRIMINATION. SUCH PROSPECTIVE TENANTS AND APPLICANTS  SHALL  SIGN  AN
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT  OF  RECEIPT  OF  SUCH NOTICE, WHICH MAY BE IN DIGITAL OR
 PAPER FORM. IF SUCH PROSPECTIVE TENANT OR APPLICANT REFUSES TO SIGN SUCH
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT, THE REAL ESTATE BROKER, REAL ESTATE AGENT,  OR  LANDLORD
 SHALL DOCUMENT THAT SUCH NOTICE WAS PROVIDED.
   3.  (A)  ANY  ONLINE HOUSING PLATFORM OPERATING WITHIN THE STATE SHALL
 PROMINENTLY DISPLAY A NOTICE  INFORMING  PROSPECTIVE  TENANTS  OF  THEIR
 RIGHTS  AS  VOUCHER  HOLDERS. SUCH NOTICE SHALL BE VISIBLE ON ALL RENTAL
 LISTING PAGES AND INCLUDE INFORMATION  ABOUT  HOW  TO  REPORT  SUSPECTED
 DISCRIMINATION.
   (B)  ONLINE  PLATFORMS  SHALL  REQUIRE ALL PROPERTY OWNERS, LANDLORDS,
 REAL ESTATE AGENTS, AND REAL ESTATE BROKERS POSTING LISTINGS  TO  AFFIRM
 THAT  THEY  ARE  AWARE OF AND SHALL COMPLY WITH ALL STATE AND LOCAL LAWS
 PROHIBITING SOURCE OF INCOME DISCRIMINATION.
   4. ALL VOUCHER PROVIDERS SHALL:
   (A) PROVIDE VOUCHER HOLDERS WITH HOTLINE OR OTHER CONTACT  INFORMATION
 FOR  ORGANIZATIONS  THAT  OFFER ADVOCACY, LEGAL ASSISTANCE, AND GUIDANCE
 FOR INDIVIDUALS FACING SOURCE OF INCOME DISCRIMINATION;
   (B) INFORM VOUCHER HOLDERS OF BEST PRACTICES FOR DOCUMENTING POTENTIAL
 DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOR, INCLUDING MAINTAINING WRITTEN RECORDS OF COMMU-
 NICATIONS, SAVING ADVERTISEMENTS, AND RECORDING INTERACTIONS WITH  LAND-
 LORDS, REAL ESTATE AGENTS, AND REAL ESTATE BROKERS; AND
   (C)  SUPPLY  VOUCHER  HOLDERS WITH THE APPROPRIATE CONTACT INFORMATION
 FOR REPORTING DISCRIMINATION, INCLUDING THE DIVISION,  THE  DIVISION  OF
 HUMAN RIGHTS, LOCAL ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, AND NON-PROFITS.
   5.  (A)  FAILURE TO PROVIDE A REQUIRED NOTICE UNDER SUBDIVISION TWO OR
 THREE OF THIS SECTION, OR HOTLINE OR OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION OR RECOM-
 MENDATIONS FOR BEST PRACTICES UNDER SUBDIVISION FOUR  OF  THIS  SECTION,
 SHALL  CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL BE GROUNDS FOR A
 VOUCHER HOLDER TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH  THE  DIVISION  OR  DIVISION  OF
 HUMAN RIGHTS.
   (B)  ANY  REAL  ESTATE  BROKER,  REAL ESTATE AGENT, LANDLORD, PROPERTY
 MANAGEMENT COMPANY, OR ONLINE HOUSING PLATFORM FOUND  TO  HAVE  VIOLATED
 A. 6922                             3
 
 ANY PROVISION OF THIS SECTION MAY BE SUBJECT TO CIVIL PENALTIES, INCLUD-
 ING  FINES  UP  TO  TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS PER VIOLATION, AS
 DETERMINED BY THE APPROPRIATE ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
   6.  THE DIVISION AND THE DIVISION OF HUMAN RIGHTS SHALL PROMULGATE ANY
 RULES AND/OR REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THE PROVISIONS OF  THIS
 SECTION.
   §  4.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
 this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made, including by
 emergency, and completed on or before such effective date.