Attorney General James Leads Coalition Urging EPA to Strengthen Protections Against Childhood Lead Poisoning

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James, leading a coalition of 19 attorneys general, called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen protections against lead poisoning, particularly for children living in low-income communities and communities of color. While EPA has taken steps to increase public health protections and address lead contamination in vulnerable communities, the coalition argues that EPA could bolster its plans by taking various steps to target childhood lead poisoning, such as expanding resources to better enforce laws, creating new policies to address hazardous waste sites and drinking water, and more. 

“Lead poisoning in our kids is a dangerous problem that disproportionately impacts low-income, and Black and brown children and jeopardizes their health and future,” said Attorney General James. “EPA’s current lead plan is an important and necessary start, but more comprehensive resources, strategy, policies, and collaboration are needed to tackle the issue head-on. Our coalition is urging the federal government to be a forceful, reliable, and effective partner in ending childhood lead poisoning in our most vulnerable communities.” 

Lead is a highly toxic metal that can cause serious and irreversible adverse health effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that children in at least 4 million households nationwide are exposed to high levels of lead. A 2021 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics suggested that more than half of all U.S. children have detectable levels of lead in their blood. That study also found that elevated blood lead levels in children were closely related to poverty, race, and living in older housing.  

New York has some of the oldest housing stock in the nation resulting in an ongoing public health crisis of lead poisoning of children from lead paint in aging rental housing. New York communities, in places like Buffalo, suffer from some of the highest rates of childhood lead exposure in the nation from poor housing conditions in old homes with lead paint. Children who have been exposed to even very low levels of lead are at risk for neurological and physical problems during critical stages of early development. In fact, no safe lead level in children has been identified. Children under the age of six are more likely to be exposed to lead than any other age group, as their normal behaviors could result in them chewing lead paint chips; breathing in or swallowing dust from old lead paint that gets on floors, window sills, and hands; and lead can be found in soil, foods eaten by children, and other consumer products.  

In their comments, the coalition credits EPA’s Draft Lead Strategy for identifying government-led approaches to increasing public health protections, addressing legacy lead contamination for communities with the greatest exposures, and promoting environmental justice. However, the coalition’s comments identify numerous other measures necessary to strengthen the plan by aggressively targeting hazards posed by lead in paint, drinking water, soils, aviation fuel, air, food, and through occupational and take-home exposures. These include: 

• Increasing resources for the enforcement of existing laws relating to lead paint in rental housing and amending existing regulations to require landlords to increase the frequency of inspections of houses with a history of lead paint hazards; 
• Developing proactive policies and standards for hazardous waste sites, drinking water, and other sources of lead exposure that are more protective of health and designed to reduce lead poisoning; 
• Developing aggressive deadlines for tightening standards, developing enforcement policies, and conducting an endangerment determination for lead in aviation gas under the Clean Air Act; 
• Identifying meaningful environmental justice targets to ensure that the communities most in need and the vulnerable are protected; 
• Encouraging inter-agency collaboration and data-sharing with other federal agencies such as HUD, OSHA, FAA, FDA, and USDA; 
• Pledging allocations of federal funds to replace drinking water service lines containing lead reach struggling and historically marginalized communities; 
• Adopting federal regulations requiring testing of water and remediation of lead service lines and lead plumbing fixtures in public, charter, and private schools, and in childcare centers;  
• Expanding multi-language informational campaigns and blood lead testing programs to address “take-home lead” exposure — lead from work that accumulates on a worker’s clothing and shoes; and 
• Developing other specific metrics for achieving and evaluating success in lead reduction. 

Attorney General James is a leader in the fight to end childhood lead poisoning. Through her various legal action across the state of New York, she is holding accountable landlords that allow lead paint-related hazards to proliferate in low-income rental properties. In October 2021, Attorney General James sued landlord John Kiggins and his company, Endzone Properties, Inc., for repeatedly violating lead paint laws and failing to address lead paint hazards, which resulted in the lead poisoning of 18 children living in Endzone properties in Syracuse. In September 2021, Attorney General James announced an agreement in her lawsuit against Chestnut Holdings of New York, Inc., a property management corporation, over its failures to protect children from lead paint hazards in New York City. Also in September 2021, Attorney General James reached a pre-suit agreement with A&E Real Estate Holdings, LLC to ensure that children living in its New York City apartments are protected from dangerous lead-based paint. Additionally, in September 2020, Attorney General James sued a group of Buffalo individuals and companies for repeated violations of city, county, state, and federal laws by illegally allowing lead paint-related hazards to proliferate in their rental properties . 

Joining Attorney General James in submitting the comments are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. 

NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, Council Members Tiffany Cabán and Pierina Sanchez Called to Nix 421-a Developer Tax Break

 

Comptroller Lander presented new analysis of $1.8 billion boondoggle and recommended comprehensive property tax reform. Cabán + Sanchez announced co-sponsored resolution urging state legislators to let 421-a expire.

 New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and Council Members Tiffany Cabán and Pierina Sanchez rallied with advocates and other elected officials to call for the end of the 421-A tax break. Council Members Cabán and Sanchez introduced a City Council resolution (Res 0064-2022) urging the state legislature and the Governor to allow the program to expire, rather than enact a revised version proposed in the Governor’s budget. Comptroller Lander concurrently released A Better Way Than 421-a: The High-Rising Costs of New York City’s Most Unaffordable Tax Exemption, an analysis of the cost of the program and its proposed changes, the impact on housing production, and the nexus between 421-a and structural property tax reform.

Read the resolution here. Read the report here. The press conference was livestreamed here.

“The 421-a program is a towering boondoggle – costing our city $1.77 billion this year in foregone taxes and delivering only a small handful of actually affordable units in return,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “Rearranging the number and letters is tantamount to slapping a gold-plated bandaid on to hold together a deeply inequitable and opaque property tax system, and then pretending we’ve fixed our affordable housing crisis. Tinkering around the edges may be what developers want, but it’s not what New York City needs. It’s time to let 421-a sunset — and take our best shot to build a fair and stable property tax system that eliminates disparities, facilitates rental development, and focuses our scarce affordable housing resources on genuinely affordable housing. Today, we are laying out the path to do it.”

“421-a is not an affordable housing strategy, it’s Free Billions for Developers. At a time when we have so many people desperately in need of vital assistance, we have absolutely got to stop this massive give-away to the wealthy real estate interests who need it least. New York City real estate is one of the most valuable, most profitable asset forms in the world. It’s time we stopped focusing on pleasing the profiteers, and started focusing on meeting the needs of the everyday New Yorkers who make this city such a desirable place to live,” said NYC Council Member Tiffany Cabán.

“In its 51 years of existence, 421-a has yet to provide the adequate number of affordable homes for low-income New Yorkers. Instead, this program has given developers the biggest tax break in our city for their profit. In a city where 75% of New Yorkers cannot afford the units set aside through this program, 421-a does not provide low income New Yorkers with the affordable homes they need. We need a true affordable housing plan for New Yorkers, not another opportunity for developers to profit. It is time we make New York City affordable for New York City residents,” said Council Member Pierina Sanchez.

Over the years, New York’s property tax system has become a patchwork of exemptions and abatements responding to changes in the housing market, the largest of which is 421-a. Established in 1971, the 421-a tax exemption was designed to spur housing development at a time of disinvestment. The Department of Finance estimates that the 421-a program will cost New York City $1.77 billion in foregone tax revenue for roughly 64,000 exemptions this year.  Both the Comptroller’s report and Council Resolution call on state legislators to allow the current program to expire as scheduled on June 15, 2022.

In “A Better Way Than 421-a,” the Comptroller’s office estimates that more than 60% of the income-restricted units created by the 2017 version of the program were built for families earning well over $100,000 a year, making those units unaffordable to nearly 75% of New Yorkers. For example, a family of three would have to earn up to $139,620 and pay about $3,400 a month for a two-bedroom apartment. The rally on Wednesday was held at The Willoughby in downtown Brooklyn, which will receive this tax break and has an open affordable housing lottery. The least expensive unit is $2,500 per month for a studio apartment, advertised to an individual or couple making between $86,500 and $124,150.

Governor Hochul has proposed a reformed version of the tax break called 485-w, which offers developers three options in order to qualify for a decades-long tax break. Based on an analysis of the impacts of the 2017 program, the Comptroller’s office anticipates that most developments would likely choose 485-w’s new Option B or Option C (see page 15 of A Better Way Than 421-a), creating units with monthly rent for a two-bedroom at over $2,300 or estimated monthly homeownership costs over $3,800, still out of reach for the majority of New Yorkers.

Rather than small reforms that achieve little affordability—like 485-w—the Comptroller’s office proposes structural changes to the property tax system that would address the disparity in taxation between condominium and rental buildings that constrains the development of multifamily rental housing. The New York City Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform found that the median effective tax rate on rental buildings is roughly double than a condo building, a strong disincentive to developing rental housing. The Comptroller’s report finds that the lower, uniformly, and broadly applied tax rates proposed by the New York City Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform could largely eliminate the need for 421-a as a development incentive.

The report recommends that State legislators should let 421-a expire on June 15, 2022 and should set a deadline of December 31, 2022 to achieve structural property tax reform. The report finds that allowing 421-a to lapse in June, with a deadline of achieving comprehensive property tax reform, is not likely to impair housing production in the short term. The Comptroller’s office analyzed permitting data from when 421-a lapsed in 2015, finding that developers rushed to begin projects before the deadline, yielding roughly three times as many permitted units in that year as in the years prior. The data shows that the number of permits jumped to over 25,000 units in May and June 2015 just before the program was initially set to expire; more permits were filed in those two months than in all of 2014. The analysis found more than 50,000 units permitted in 2015 have been built, with large increases in the number of units receiving 421-a exemptions.

A Better Way than 421-a lays out recommendations on how to reform the City’s property tax system to bring both parity horizontally between homeowners across the city, as well as vertically between new rentals and new condos/co-ops. Building on the principles and recommendations in the Commission’s Final Report in December, the Comptroller’s office urges comprehensive property tax reform that would include the following elements:

• Introduce a uniform sales-based valuation methodology and a single revenue-neutral tax rate for 1-3 family homes, co-ops and condominiums, and small rental buildings. Tax relief programs should favor primary and low-income residents and replace the current assessed value growth caps.
• Make tax treatment equal between new residential constructions to provide a broad, strong, fair incentive for new construction going forward. This would largely eliminate the need for a 421a-style development incentive program.
• Establish a new, targeted affordable housing tax incentive that would match the level needed to achieve genuine affordability, rather than provide a tax exemption that underwrites both market-rate and income restricted units. This new incentive should also come along with strong labor standards to provide good jobs for New Yorkers.

“421-a has always been a boondoggle, generating very little truly affordable housing for the communities we represent,” said Judith Goldiner, Attorney-In-Charge of the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society. “Governor Hochul’s proposed ‘reform’ to 421-a, 485-w, is just another version of the fundamentally flawed tax break and is in many ways much worse. We laud the Senate and Assembly for taking this costly tax break out of the budget, saving New York City hundreds of millions of dollars each year, and call on the City to use these funds to expand already proven housing programs – including CityFHEPS, a highly successful voucher initiative that has so far connected thousands of New Yorkers to safe and affordable housing.”

“With affordability at record lows and rents at record highs the last thing we can afford is to continue to waste billions of dollars on the failed 421-A program or the Governors proposal for its doppelgänger 485-w,” said Charles Khan, Organizing Director at the Strong Economy for All Coalition. “The program has proven, similar to NY’s other economic development programs, to be excellent at padding the profits of wealthy developers and an abject failure at creating actually affordable housing or sustainable good jobs.”

“Churches United for Fair Housing is thankful for the strong leadership of Comptroller Brad Lander, Council Member Tiffany Caban, and Council Member Pierina Sanchez as they elevate calls on the City level to our State Legislature to finally end the broken and flawed 421A program,” said Whitney Hu, Director of Civic Engagement and Research for Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH). “After 50 years, multiple attempts at reform, 421A has only increased displacement, rent prices, gentrification, and has failed to provide true affordable housing for New Yorkers while giving giant tax giveaways to corporate developers. It’s time to end that program and make space for investments and legislation that will actually protect New Yorkers and keep them in their homes including social housing and passing Good Cause.”

“It’s long past time that we end 421a. We cannot afford to give tax breaks to new luxury developments with high priced rents that push residents out. The urgency of our housing crisis is clear. We must end 421a and use our precious public benefits to support the truly affordable housing our neighborhoods need, not the private profit interests of real estate developers,” said Barika X Williams, Executive Director of Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development (ANHD).

Read more about the analysis in A Better Way than 421-a here.

Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery and Firearm Attack on New York City Police Department Officers

 

Defendant Stabbed NYPD Officer in the Neck, Robbed Him of His Service Weapon and Fired Multiple Shots at Other NYPD Officers During Civil Unrest

 Dzenan Camovic pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to robbing a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer’s firearm and discharging the firearm at NYPD officers during the course of the robbery. The offenses took place on June 3, 2020, when Camovic attacked multiple police officers on patrol in Brooklyn. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner on March 15, 2022.

When sentenced, Camovic faces 30 years’ imprisonment pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement with the government. Camovic has stipulated that the terrorism enhancement to the United States Sentencing Guidelines—an enhanced sentence for certain criminal conduct that was calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion—is applicable to his offense. As part of his plea agreement, Camovic, a Bosnian citizen illegally in the United States, agreed to the entry of an order of removal so that he will be deported after completing his sentence. Camovic also pleaded guilty today in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn to charges arising out of the same conduct.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, FBI, New York Field Office and Keechant Sewell, Commissioner, NYPD, announced the guilty plea.

“With this guilty plea, Camovic admitted robbing a police officer’s gun and shooting that gun during an extremely violent attack on officers keeping the city safe during a public emergency,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “Inspired by terrorists, the defendant viciously attacked officers, stabbing one officer in the neck and shooting another in the hand. Protecting our community from terrorist attacks will always be a priority of this Office, and we will bring to justice those who commit such reprehensible acts against the community and against our law enforcement partners.”

Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force for its outstanding work on the case and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance.

“When Mr. Camovic ambushed and feloniously assaulted several heroic NYPD officers, it was also an attack on our city and our collective sense of security.  Yesterday’s plea ensures Mr. Camovic will never again be in a position to commit such a heinous act on our soil.  His case should serve as an example of the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting our communities against extremists, while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our law enforcement partners,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. 

“An attack on police officers who are sworn to protect the public is an attack on all of us,” stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell, “and our society will never tolerate such destructive violence. This prosecution affirms our joint commitment to confront, combat, and defeat violent extremism in all its forms, anywhere. I commend the NYPD detectives, FBI agents, and representatives of the more than 50 agencies that make up the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force for their investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.”

As set forth in court filings and during the plea proceeding, on the evening of June 3, 2020, in the midst of a public health emergency and while New York City was under a nightly curfew order due to civil unrest, Camovic attacked several uniformed NYPD officers assigned to an anti-looting post near the intersection of Flatbush and Church Avenues in Brooklyn. At approximately 11:30 p.m., Camovic walked past two police officers on foot patrol and appeared to crouch for several minutes watching them. Camovic then moved around the block in an apparent effort to approach the two police officers from behind. 

At approximately 11:50 p.m., Camovic rounded the corner from Flatbush Avenue onto Church Avenue and stabbed one of the officers (“Officer 1”) in the neck with a knife. After stabbing Officer 1, Camovic chased the second officer (“Officer 2”), lunging at him and attempting to stab him. Camovic then ran back to Officer 1, attacked him, forcibly took control of Officer 1’s firearm and fired multiple shots at Officer 2 and other officers who responded to the scene. Responding officers ultimately shot Camovic and took him into custody. Several officers suffered injuries during Camovic’s attack and robbery, including Officer 1, who was stabbed in the neck, and Officer 2, who was shot in the hand.

During his attack on the police officers, Camovic repeatedly shouted “Allahu Akbar,” an Arabic phrase meaning “God is the greatest,” that has been used by perpetrators of violent jihadist terror attacks during the commission of violent attacks. Prior to the attack, Camovic possessed a significant volume of radical jihadist propaganda. 

Governor Hochul Announces More Than 20 Million COVID-19 Tests to Be Deployed Across State Through Spring to Bolster Ongoing Preparedness Efforts

 

Tests To Be Distributed to Nursing Homes, Adult Care Facilities, Schools, NYCHA Residences, Senior Centers, Food Banks, and Elected Officials for Local Communities

More Than 54 Million Tests Already Distributed Throughout the State in Recent Months, More than 90 Million Procured To Date

State Will Establish Precautionary Stockpile of At Least 20 Million Tests

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that more than 20 million COVID-19 over-the-counter tests will be distributed across the state through the Spring to bolster New York State's ongoing preparedness efforts. 

“As we've seen throughout the pandemic, test kits are a critical tool in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 and prevent exposure to others,” Governor Hochul said. “While our numbers remain low, now is the time to ramp up the distribution of tests and build up our stockpile so we can bolster our preparedness for the future to protect our communities, and safely move forward through this pandemic."

The State will continue to provide over-the-counter test kits to nursing homes, adult care facilities, and schools, and will partner with elected officials for continued distribution to the public, during the next few months to identify new COVID-19 cases and keep New Yorkers safe. 

This includes one million tests to schools outside of New York City every other week until the end of the school year. New York City no longer receives State distributions because they have sufficient test kits to get them through the year. At home tests have proven to be an invaluable tool for identifying cases and protecting our communities; they were responsible for finding at least 15,000 positive cases among students and staff the week after the winter break alone.

In addition to these continued distributions, the State is increasing distribution points for test kits. The State will partner with Mayors, County Executives, Members of Congress, Borough Presidents and State Legislators across New York to increase access to tests for the general public. And the State will coordinate distribution of 1.74 million tests to the NYC Housing Authority tenants, enough for each household to receive four tests. An additional 500,000 tests will be made available to various food banks and senior centers throughout the state, based on request.

Ahead of the Omicron surge in late 2021, Governor Hochul and her team identified the need to secure over-the-counter test kits to combat the Omicron surge, providing regular distributions to the general public, prioritizing schools and adult care facilities across the state. 

More than 54 million tests have already been distributed throughout New York since the beginning of the year, including nearly 30 million tests to schools, 12.5 million tests to nursing homes and adult-care facilities, and more than 10 million tests to local officials for public distribution in their respective communities. The distribution efforts follow the procurement of more than 90 million rapid tests in recent months. 

Of the more than 90 million tests procured, approximately 20 million tests have been stored to help prepare for any potential surges later this year

State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “This winter Governor Hochul got test kits into New Yorkers hands to combat the Omicron surge. These kits helped keep all of us safe by identifying cases early so that New Yorkers could take action to stop the spread. Our team at DHSES will continue to distribute millions of additional test kits to New Yorkers this spring to help us identify future infections and interrupt transmission early and will maintain the State’s stockpile of this essential tool in case of a future surge.” 

State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, “Testing has been a critical tool to curb the spread of COVID-19, and the State continues the important work of getting test kits to New Yorkers. The distribution of rapid tests has been a hallmark of Governor Hochul’s winter surge plan, and testing continues to help our classrooms, workplaces, and communities at increased risk stay healthy and safe. If New Yorkers have had COVID-19 exposure, experience symptoms, or have recently traveled, they should take advantage of these free at-home tests being distributed statewide thanks to the hard work of our partners at the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.”

Bronx Rive Arts Center (BRAC) Spring 2022

 

BRONX RIVER ART CENTER (BRAC) ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF REGISTRATION FOR SPRING 2022 CLASSES IN FINE ARTS AND MEDIA.

Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) continues with its mission to bring high quality and affordable classes in Fine Arts and Digital Media at its state of the art facility located in the West Farms area of the Bronx. For Spring 2022, BRAC offers in person classes in Cartooning, Drawing, Painting, Textile Art and Crochet, Ceramics, Printmaking, Mixed-Media Painting, and in hybrid mode (online and onsite) Digital Illustration and Digital Animation for children, youth, teens, adults and families. Spring 2022 registration will take place until April 23rd through Eventbrite with an Early Bird discount special of 10% off through March 26th ! In addition, BRAC has partnered with KaN Design Studio for its TPS+2.0 (teens plus young adults) Project Studio course to design and produce the "Tableware Product Design" project inspired by ethnic food cultures. TPS+2.0 will take place in BRAC's 3D Makerspace; including the ceramics studio, woodworking shop, and Digital Media Lab. The final designs will be part of a public art installation featured in the Summer exhibition "Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love" at the New York Botanical Garden. TPS+2.0 is Free and by Application Only. BRAC's Spring 2022 classes will begin the week of April 4th and run through June 20th with a culminating Student Exhibition opening on June 18. For more information, please visit our website: www.bronxriverart.org to see a more detailed listing of classes, and the roster of professional teaching artists who will be teaching this Spring.

SPRING 2022 REGISTRATION Visual Arts and Digital Media Spring 2022 Classes REGISTER FOR CLASSES NOW REGISTER HERE

COVID-19 vaccination proof requirements have expanded to include younger children and to require full vaccination: Children: Children ages 5 to 11 are now required to have proof of vaccination for the public indoor activities. They must show they have received at least one dose of a vaccine. Full Vaccination: People 12 and older participating in public indoor activities are now required to show proof they have received two vaccine doses, except for those who have received the one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Starting January 29, 2022, children ages 5 to 11 must also show proof of full vaccination. Masking, social distancing, hand washing, temperature check and exposure questionnaire will be strictly enforced.

This program is made possible with support from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, including the Bronx Delegation. Additional support is from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, the NYS Council on the Arts with support from Governor Kathy Hochul and the NYS Legislature including Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda. Foundation support is from Con Edison: The Power of Giving, BronxCare Health System, New York Community Trust and private donors.

Permits Filed For 1258 Shakespeare Avenue In Highbridge, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a 70-story residential building at 1258 Shakespeare Avenue in Highbridge, The Bronx. Located between Jerome Avenue and West 169th Street, the lot is near the 170th Street subway station, serviced by the 4 train. Zev Mayer of Skyrock NYC Development is listed as the owner behind the applications, and is also responsible for permits for the neighboring five-story residential building at 1268 Shakespeare Avenue.

The proposed 70-foot-tall development will yield 48,137 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 90 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 534 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a 35-foot-long rear yard and 45 open parking spaces.

Nikolai Katz Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits were filed last month. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON INDICTMENT OF ASSAMAD NASH FOR MURDER OF CHRISTINA YUNA LEE

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after Assamad Nash was indicted in Manhattan for the murder of Christina Yuna Lee last month:

 

“Today’s indictment of Assamad Nash is another critical step towards delivering justice for the brutal killing of Christina Yuna Lee. I want to thank the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, as well as the NYPD’s 5th Precinct and Emergency Services Unit, for their work in taking a dangerous individual off the streets. The new emergency taskforce we’re creating will address the intersection where public safety, mental health, and homelessness intertwine, and is our latest effort to support the AAPI community during these troubling times. As we mournfully commemorate the one-year anniversary of the horrific Atlanta spa shootings, I want members of our AAPI community, and all New Yorkers, to know that we are working around the clock to put an end to this violence and ensure that people in every neighborhood can feel safe in our city.”

 

Governor Hochul Signs Package of Legislation to Address Workplace Harassment and Discrimination

 

Legislation (S.812B/A.2035B) Establishes a Confidential Hotline for Complaints of Workplace Sexual Harassment     

Legislation (S.3395B/A.2483B) Includes the State and all Public Employers as Subject to the Human Rights Law   

Legislation (S.5870/A.7101) Prohibits Release of Personnel Records as a Retaliatory Action Against Employees   

Complements Governor's Equity Agenda, Including Creating a Council on Gender Equity and Protecting Reproductive Access for All 

 Governor Kathy Hochul today signed a package of legislation to address workplace harassment and discrimination. Legislation (S.812B/A.2035B) establishes a toll free confidential hotline for complaints of workplace sexual harassment. Legislation (S.3395B/A.2483B) includes the State and all public employers as subject to the provisions of the Human Rights Law. Legislation (S.5870/A.7101) prohibits the release of personnel files as a retaliatory action against employees. The legislation was signed at a Women’s History Month celebration with advocates for gender equity and women’s rights.

“From day one, it has been one of my top priorities to clean up Albany, change a culture of harassment and abuse, and ensure safe, respectful workplaces,” Governor Hochul said. “Everyone has the right to a workplace free of unlawful discrimination and harassment, and I will never stop fighting for gender equity. While there’s more work to be done, I am proud of the steps we are taking to promote safety, dignity, and respect for all New Yorkers.”

Addressing sexual harassment is part of Governor Hochul’s Equity Agenda, which includes the creation of a Council on Gender Equity, measures to protect access to reproductive health services, including abortion care and prenatal and postnatal care, increased support for minority and women-owned businesses (MWBEs), investments in child care access, and a plan to bring free child care to every SUNY campus. The Governor is also calling on the legislature to pass the Equal Rights Amendment this session.

Legislation S.812B/A.2035B will require the Division of Human Rights to establish a toll free confidential hotline for complaints of workplace sexual harassment. Many victims of workplace sexual harassment are unable to exercise their legal rights because they are not aware of what those rights are. The function of the hotline will be to connect complainants with experienced pro-bono attorneys who will help make them aware of their legal rights and advise them on the specifics of their individualized cases.

Legislation S.3395B/A.2483B clarifies that the State is considered an employer of anyone serving in the executive, judiciary, and legislative branches – including the staff of elected officials or judges – and subject to the provisions of the Human Rights Law. This legislation will clarify that the state will not be able to avoid responsibility for harassment of public employees and ensure that New York’s sweeping anti-harassment regulations protect both public and private employees.

Legislation S.5870/A.7101 establishes that the release of personnel records to discredit victims of workplace discrimination counts as a retaliatory action under the Human Rights Law. The Human Rights Law expressly prohibits all forms of retaliation against complainants. This legislation clarifies that the release of a personnel record counts as retaliation except where it is necessary to comply with an investigation. This bill also provides additional recourse to victims of unlawful retaliation under this new provision by allowing them to file a complaint with the Attorney General who may commence a proceeding in state Supreme Court.

Photos credit, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson.