Assembly Bill A8208

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8208
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 5, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. RAGA -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Housing
 
 AN ACT to amend the  public  housing  law  and  the  executive  law,  in
   relation  to  requiring  persons  with housing vouchers be informed of
   their rights and provided with a bill of such rights

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Paragraphs (e) and (f) of subdivision 3 of section 600 of
 the public housing law, as added by chapter 690 of the laws of 2021, are
 amended and a new paragraph (g) is added to read as follows:
   (e) provide the public reasonable and regular opportunities to comment
 on fair housing issues and participate in the development  and  advance-
 ment of affirmative fair housing policy; [and]
   (f)  encourage  and  maintain  compliance  with article fifteen of the
 executive law and any other applicable anti-discrimination or fair hous-
 ing law[.]; AND
   (G) INFORM PERSONS WITH HOUSING VOUCHERS FROM A COVERED HOUSING AGENCY
 OF THEIR RIGHTS RELATING TO SUCH VOUCHERS.
   § 2. Section 170-e of the executive law, as added by  chapter  243  of
 the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
   §  170-e.  Disclosure of lawful source of income rights to prospective
 AND CURRENT tenants. 1. The division of human  rights  shall  promulgate
 regulations requiring any state, county, municipal or other governmental
 entity,  including but not limited to the division of housing and commu-
 nity renewal, or any agency or instrumentality of such  an  entity,  and
 any  public  or  private  non-profit entity authorized to administer any
 public housing program or assistance, including, but not limited to, the
 section eight housing choice voucher program, or any other form of hous-
 ing assistance, payment, subsidy or credit, regardless of whether or not
 such assistance, payment,  subsidy  or  credit  is  paid  or  attributed
 directly  to a landlord, to ensure that individuals who have applied for
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10446-01-5
              

 A. 8208                             2
 
 and are eligible to receive such assistance, payment, subsidy or  credit
 are  [informed]  PROVIDED  A  BILL OF RIGHTS, in writing, [of] DETAILING
 their rights and remedies available under law,  with  regard  to  lawful
 source of income discrimination pursuant to this section.
   2. SUCH BILL OF RIGHTS SHALL:
   (A)  BE  MADE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE OF THE DIVISION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
 AND ANY STATE, COUNTY, MUNICIPAL OR OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, INCLUDING
 BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL, OR ANY
 AGENCY OR INSTRUMENTALITY OF SUCH AN ENTITY, AND ANY PUBLIC  OR  PRIVATE
 NON-PROFIT ENTITY AUTHORIZED TO ADMINISTER ANY PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAM OR
 ASSISTANCE.
   (B)  BE PROVIDED TO PROSPECTIVE AND CURRENT TENANTS AND MADE AVAILABLE
 UNDER PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION IN ENGLISH, AS WELL  AS  IN  THE
 ELEVEN  LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH MOST FREQUENTLY SPOKEN IN THE STATE
 ACCORDING TO THE LATEST AVAILABLE DATA FROM  THE  UNITED  STATES  CENSUS
 BUREAU.
   §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
 sary  for  the  implementation  of  this  act  on its effective date are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.