Senate Bill S8209

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Relates to establishing the office of racial equity and social justice

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions

co-Sponsors

2019-S8209 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A10319
Current Committee:
Senate Finance
Law Section:
Executive Law
Laws Affected:
Add Art 15-D §§328-e - 328-g, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: S3468, A2358
2023-2024: S1359, A4187

2019-S8209 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the office of racial equity and social justice to act as the official state planning and coordinating office for changes in policy, practice and allocation of state resources so that race or social justice constructs do not predict an individual's success, while also improving opportunities and outcomes for all people, and performing all necessary and appropriate services required to fulfill these duties.

2019-S8209 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8209 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8209
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 17, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  the
   office of racial equity and social justice
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new  article  15-D
 to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 15-D
                OFFICE OF RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
 
 SECTION 328-E. DEFINITIONS.
         328-F. OFFICE  OF  RACIAL  EQUITY  AND SOCIAL JUSTICE; DIRECTOR,
                  ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES.
         328-G. FUNCTIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE OFFICE.
   § 328-E. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS  ARTICLE,  THE  FOLLOWING  TERMS
 SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1. "OFFICE" MEANS THE OFFICE OF RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
   2.  "DIRECTOR"  MEANS  THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF RACIAL EQUITY AND
 SOCIAL JUSTICE.
   3.  "EQUITY" MEANS FAIR AND JUST OPPORTUNITIES AND  OUTCOMES  FOR  ALL
 INDIVIDUALS.
   4.  "SOCIAL  JUSTICE"  MEANS EVERY INDIVIDUAL DESERVES TO BENEFIT FROM
 THE SAME ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL RIGHTS AND  OPPORTUNITIES,  FREE
 FROM  HEALTH DISPARITIES, REGARDLESS OF RACE; SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS; AGE;
 SEX, INCLUDING ON THE BASIS OF GENDER IDENTITY OR ORIENTATION; RELIGION;
 DISABILITY; OR OTHER CHARACTERISTICS.
   5. "RACE" MEANS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT THAT  ARTIFICIALLY  DIVIDES  PEOPLE
 INTO  DISTINCT  GROUPS BASED ON CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS PHYSICAL APPEAR-
 ANCE,  INCLUDING  COLOR;  ANCESTRAL  HERITAGE;   CULTURAL   AFFILIATION;
 CULTURAL  HISTORY;  ETHNIC  CLASSIFICATION; AND THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND
 POLITICAL NEEDS OF A SOCIETY AT A GIVEN PERIOD.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16132-02-0
              

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.