Assembly Bill A7873

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7873
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 11, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. MEEKS -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Correction
 
 AN ACT to amend the civil rights law and the correction law, in relation
   to ending slavery for incarcerated individuals in New York state
 
   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 "no slavery in New York act".
   § 2. The civil rights law is amended by adding a  new  section  16  to
 read as follows:
   §  16.  ABOLITION OF SLAVERY, INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE, AND FORCED LABOR.
 NEITHER SLAVERY,  INVOLUNTARY  SERVITUDE,  NOR  FORCED  LABOR  SHALL  BE
 PERMITTED  TO  EXIST  IN  THE  STATE  OF NEW YORK, INCLUDING FOR PERSONS
 CONVICTED OF A CRIME.
   § 3. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 172 to read
 as follows:
   § 172. PROHIBITION ON LABOR THAT IS COMPELLED OR INDUCED IN  NEW  YORK
 CARCERAL  FACILITIES.  NO  INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUAL  IN ANY CORRECTIONAL
 FACILITY OR LOCAL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY SHALL BE COMPELLED OR INDUCED TO
 PROVIDE LABOR AGAINST SUCH INDIVIDUAL'S WILL BY FORCE OR  OTHER  ADVERSE
 ACTION AGAINST THE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL OR AGAINST ANOTHER PERSON, OR
 BY ANY REASONABLY FEARED THREAT THEREOF.
   § 4. Section 2 of the correction law is amended by adding a new subdi-
 vision 35 to read as follows:
   35.  "ADVERSE  ACTION"  INCLUDES  THE  USE OF THE INSTITUTIONAL RULES,
 REGULATIONS, AND THE DISCIPLINARY  PROCESS  REFERENCED  IN  SECTION  ONE
 HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHT OF THIS CHAPTER.
   § 5. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
 sion,  section  or  part  of  this act shall be adjudged by any court of
 competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment  shall  not  affect,
 impair,  or  invalidate  the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11173-01-5
              

 A. 7873                             2
 
 its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph,  subdivision,  section
 or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
 ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
 the  legislature  that  this  act  would  have been enacted even if such
 invalid provisions had not been included herein.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.