S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5001
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
February 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON, SALAZAR -- read twice and
ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
Housing, Construction and Community Development
AN ACT to amend the public housing law, in relation to the definition of
"family member"
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 4 of section 14 of the public
housing law, as added by chapter 116 of the laws of 1997, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) that for the purposes of such regulations: (i) "family member"
shall be defined as a [husband, wife, son, daughter, stepson, step-
daughter, father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, brother, sister,
grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, daughter-in-law,
son-in-law, mother-in-law or father-in-law] SPOUSE, CHILD, STEPCHILD,
PARENT, STEPPARENT, SIBLING, SIBLING OF A PARENT, CHILD OF A SIBLING,
GRANDPARENT, GRANDCHILD, SPOUSE OF A CHILD, OR PARENT OF A SPOUSE of the
tenant; or any other person residing with the tenant in the housing
accommodation as a primary residence who can prove emotional and finan-
cial commitment, and interdependence between such person and the tenant.
Although no single factor shall be solely determinative, evidence which
is to be considered in determining whether such emotional and financial
commitment and interdependence existed, may include, without limitation,
such factors as listed below. In no event would evidence of a sexual
relationship between such persons be required or considered.
(A) longevity of the relationship;
(B) sharing of or relying upon each other for payment of household or
family expenses, or other common necessities of life;
(C) intermingling of finances as evidenced by, among other things,
joint ownership of bank accounts, personal and real property, credit
cards, loan obligations, sharing a household budget for purposes of
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00955-01-5
S. 5001 2
receiving government benefits, or such other factors as may be deter-
mined by regulation;
(D) engaging in family-type activities by jointly attending family
functions, holidays and celebrations, social and recreational activ-
ities, or such other factors as may be determined by regulation;
(E) formalizing of legal obligations, intentions, and responsibilities
to each other by such means as executing wills naming each other as
executor or beneficiary, conferring upon each other a power of attorney
or authority to make health care decisions each for the other, entering
into a personal relationship contract, making a domestic partnership
declaration, or serving as a representative payee for purposes of public
benefits, or such other factors as may be determined by regulation;
(F) holding themselves out as family members to other family members,
friends, members of the community or religious institutions, or society
in general, through their words or actions;
(G) regularly performing family functions, such as caring for each
other or each other's extended family members, or relying upon each
other for daily family services;
(H) engaging in any other pattern of behavior, agreement, or other
action which evidences the intention of creating a long-term, emotional-
ly-committed relationship.
(ii) a "senior citizen" is defined as a person who is sixty-two years
of age or older;
(iii) a "disabled person" is defined as a person who has an impairment
which results from anatomical, physiological or psychological condi-
tions, other than addiction to alcohol, gambling, or any controlled
substance, which are demonstrable by medically acceptable clinical and
laboratory diagnostic techniques, and which are expected to be permanent
and which substantially limit one or more of such person's major life
activities.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
