Text of NY A 69 (2024)

STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 69 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 4, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SAYEGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing that it is an unlawful discriminatory practice to deny a refugee resettlement in certain instances The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby finds and 2 declares all of the following: 3 a. Under federal law, a refugee is a person who is forced to flee 4 their country of origin due to persecution, or a well-founded fear of 5 persecution, based upon their religion, nationality, membership in a 6 particular social group, or political opinion; 7 b. At the end of 2020, there were 82.4 million forcibly displaced 8 people in the world, 25.9 million of which were refugees. This is double 9 the recorded number in 2010, and the highest it has ever been; 10 c. Recognizing the importance of refugee resettlement, the United 11 States created the Refugee Act of 1980; 12 d. Since 1980, the United States Refugee Resettlement program has 13 saved more than 3.6 million refugees, and resettled them across the 14 country; 15 e. New York was one of the top four states in the country resettling 16 the most refugees in 2020; 17 f. On September 19, 2016, the United Nations General Assembly unan- 18 imously adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, 19 which reaffirms the importance of the international refugee regime and 20 contains a wide range of commitments to strengthen and enhance mech- 21 anisms to protect these individuals; 22 g. Research from reputable sources including the Fiscal Policy Insti- 23 tute, Urban Institute, Pew Research Center, and New American Economy EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01786-01-3 A. 69 2 1 find a positive economic and social impact of refugees across New York 2 State; 3 h. Governor Kathy Hochul reaffirmed New York State's commitment to 4 helping refugees on August 19, 2021 by welcoming those fleeing Afghanis- 5 tan; 6 i. The Statue of Liberty, a national monument and icon of freedom that 7 has been welcoming immigrants from across the world to New York State 8 since 1886, states, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses 9 yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 10 Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside 11 the golden door!" 12 § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 296-e to 13 read as follows: 14 § 296-e. Unlawful discriminatory practices relating to refugees. It 15 shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for the state, or any agen- 16 cy or bureau thereof, or for any other entity to deny a refugee 17 resettlement anywhere within the state based on any criterion, method of 18 administration, or practice that has the purpose or effect of discrimi- 19 nating on the basis of age, race, creed, color, national origin, reli- 20 gion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, 21 military status, familial status, predisposing genetic characteristics, 22 disability, marital status, or status as a victim of domestic violence. 23 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.