Senate Resolution No. 2871

BY: Senator STEWART-COUSINS

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
proposing to establish the Joint Legislative Task
Force on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Tolerance,
and providing for such task force's powers and
duties

WHEREAS, The State has an obligation to address the many impacts of
longstanding discrimination against marginalized communities resulting
in disparate outcomes in many aspects of their lives, including but not
limited to health, employment, education, housing; and

WHEREAS, The legislature, as the lawmaking body in the state, has a
responsibility to respond to these issues; and

WHEREAS, There is an urgent need now, in this time of increased
injustice, to holistically examine the contributing causes of
discrimination against these communities and work to develop
comprehensive solutions; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED (if the &HOUSE concur), That a joint legislative task force,
to be known as the "Joint Legislative Task Force on Diversity, Equity,
Inclusion and Tolerance" is hereby created to consist of thirty members
to be appointed as follows: fifteen members of the Senate to be
appointed by the Temporary President of the Senate and fifteen members
of the Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. The
Temporary President of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly shall
each designate one of their appointees to serve as a co-chair of such
task force. Any vacancy in the membership of such task force shall be
filled by the officer authorized to make the original appointment. In
addition, the Temporary President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
Assembly shall serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of such task
force; and be it further

RESOLVED (if the &HOUSE concur), That the scope of authority for such
task force shall be to examine and analyze the existing programs, laws,
rules, and regulations in the state and how they contribute to or fail
to address the discrimination faced by marginalized communities, and
work to develop holistic solutions in response to those findings;
provided, however, that bills shall not be referred to such task force
for consideration and such task force shall not have the power to report
or hold for further consideration any bill; and be it further

RESOLVED (if the &HOUSE concur), That the task force shall also
explore ways to end explicit and implicit bias, including preventing the
proliferation of hateful rhetoric that turns into violent actions,
promote and educate New Yorkers regarding the importance of diversity,
equity, and inclusion in our government, workplaces, and society as a
whole, and to further measures promoting the tolerance and acceptance of
the different and unique nature of all of the citizens of the state; and
be it further

RESOLVED (if the &HOUSE concur), That the task force may sit at any
place within the state as it may determine to conduct its business and

hold meetings and hearings. In accordance with section 105 of the Public
Officers Law, it may conduct executive sessions when the subject matter
under consideration warrants such sessions in the determination of the
task force. Such task force shall have the power to adopt rules for the
conduct of its proceedings, and it shall have all the powers of a
legislative committee as provided by the Legislative Law, including, but
not limited to the power to compel testimony or the production of
documents pursuant to section 62-a of the Legislative Law, provided that
any such process to compel testimony or produce documents or other
information shall only be authorized jointly by the co-chairs of the
task force, in their discretion; and be it further

RESOLVED (if the &HOUSE concur), That the task force shall promulgate
such rules and procedures for preserving and ensuring the
confidentiality of information it may determine warrants such
confidentiality, including requiring the members of the task force and
staff engaged by the task force to maintain the confidentiality of such
information; and be it further

RESOLVED (if the &HOUSE concur), That the task force shall submit a
report of its findings and recommendations to the Temporary President of
the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly by December 15, 2023, and
annually thereafter.