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Senate Bill S4197A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to the ethical duty of public officers not to engage in or permit behavior which violates the human rights law

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Ethics And Internal Governance Committee

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Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2025-S4197 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6201
Current Committee:
Senate Ethics And Internal Governance
Law Section:
Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §74, Pub Off L; amd §94, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: S8421
2023-2024: S7137, A9279

2025-S4197 - Summary

Relates to the ethical standards of officers or employees of a state agency, members of the legislature and legislative employees with regard to engaging in acts of discrimination, sexual harassment or creating a hostile workplace.

2025-S4197 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4197 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4197
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 3, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. GOUNARDES, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Ethics  and
   Internal Governance
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the public officers law, in relation to expanding the
   ethical duties of public officers and employees

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Section 74 of the public officers law is amended by adding
 a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
   5. OTHER ETHICAL DUTIES. IT SHALL BE THE ETHICAL DUTY OF EVERY  PERSON
 SUBJECT  TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS
 OF ARTICLE FIFTEEN OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW AND ANY POLICIES  OR  PROCEDURES
 IMPLEMENTED  BY THEIR LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER, STATE AGENCY, OR STATE OFFICE
 RELATED THERETO. NO PERSON SHALL COMMIT AN ACT OF HARASSMENT OR DISCRIM-
 INATION WHILE SERVING IN THEIR OFFICIAL  CAPACITY  AND  NO  SUCH  PERSON
 SERVING IN A SUPERVISORY CAPACITY SHALL KNOW OF AN ACT OF DISCRIMINATION
 OR  HARASSMENT  WITHOUT  TAKING  ACTION,  INCLUDING  BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 IMPOSING CONSEQUENCES ON THE PERPETRATOR OF SUCH ACT  OF  DISCRIMINATION
 OR  HARASSMENT  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH ANY APPLICABLE LAW, RULE, POLICY OR
 PROCEDURE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07290-01-5

co-Sponsors

2025-S4197A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6201
Current Committee:
Senate Ethics And Internal Governance
Law Section:
Public Officers Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §74, Pub Off L; amd §94, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: S8421
2023-2024: S7137, A9279

2025-S4197A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to the ethical standards of officers or employees of a state agency, members of the legislature and legislative employees with regard to engaging in acts of discrimination, sexual harassment or creating a hostile workplace.

2025-S4197A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4197A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  4197--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 3, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. GOUNARDES, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Ethics  and
   Internal  Governance  --  recommitted  to  the Committee on Ethics and
   Internal Governance in accordance  with  Senate  Rule  6,  sec.  8  --
   committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the public  officers  law  and  the  executive  law,  in
   relation  to  standards  for  ethics  for  certain public officers and
   employees
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.   Paragraph d of subdivision 3 of section 74 of the public
 officers law, as amended by section 7 of part K of chapter  286  of  the
 laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
   d. No officer or employee of a state agency, member of the legislature
 or  legislative employee should use or attempt to use [his or her] THEIR
 official position to secure unwarranted  privileges  or  exemptions  for
 [himself  or  herself] THEMSELF or others, including but not limited to,
 the misappropriation to [himself, herself] THEMSELF or to others of  the
 property,  services or other resources of the state for private business
 or other compensated non-governmental purposes, OR ENGAGING IN  ACTS  OF
 UNLAWFUL  DISCRIMINATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, MAKING UNWELCOME
 SEXUAL ADVANCES, OR REQUESTS FOR  SEXUAL  FAVORS,  OR  ENGAGING  IN  ANY
 VERBAL,  NON-VERBAL,  OR  PHYSICAL  CONDUCT  OF  A SEXUAL NATURE OR THAT
 CREATES A HOSTILE, INTIMIDATING, OR OFFENSIVE WORKPLACE OR SUFFERING  OR
 PERMITTING  OTHERS  TO  DO  SO  IN THE WORKPLACE OR AT WORKPLACE-RELATED
 EVENTS.
   § 2. Subdivision 8 of section 94 of the executive law  is  amended  by
 adding a new paragraph (g) to read as follows:
   (G)  IN  THE  DISCRETION OF THE COMMISSION, THE TRAINING DEVELOPED AND
 ADMINISTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL NOT  BE  REQUIRED
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07290-02-6

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