Assembly Bill A2139

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Enacts the "Honoring Our Pledge to Eliminate Anti-Semitism (HOPE) act"

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly 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

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2025-A2139 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Governmental Operations
Law Section:
Civil Rights Law
Laws Affected:
Add §79-r, Civ Rts L

2025-A2139 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires state agencies and courts to take into consideration the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition and contemporary examples of anti-Semitism when reviewing, investigating, or deciding whether there has been a violation of any non-criminal or criminal law, rule, or policy prohibiting discriminatory acts.

2025-A2139 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2139
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 15, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. BERGER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Governmental Operations
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  civil  rights  law, in relation to enacting the
   "Honoring Our Pledge to Eliminate Anti-Semitism (HOPE) act"
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Honoring
 Our Pledge to Eliminate Anti-Semitism (HOPE) act".
   § 2. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section  79-r  to
 read as follows:
   § 79-R. ADOPTION  OF  THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE
 DEFINITION OF ANTI-SEMITISM. 1.  AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE  FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "ANTI-SEMITISM" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE
 WORKING  DEFINITION  OF ANTI-SEMITISM ADOPTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL HOLO-
 CAUST REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE (IHRA)  ON  MAY  TWENTY-SIXTH,  TWO  THOUSAND
 SIXTEEN,  AND  SHALL  INCLUDE THE CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLES OF ANTI-SEMITISM
 SET FORTH THEREIN.
   (B) "STATE AGENCY" SHALL MEAN ANY OFFICE, DEPARTMENT,  BOARD,  COMMIS-
 SION, BUREAU, DIVISION, PUBLIC CORPORATION, AGENCY OR INSTRUMENTALITY OF
 THE STATE.
   2.  IN  REVIEWING, INVESTIGATING, OR DECIDING WHETHER THERE HAS BEEN A
 VIOLATION OF ANY NON-CRIMINAL OR CRIMINAL LAW, RULE, OR POLICY PROHIBIT-
 ING DISCRIMINATORY ACTS, A STATE AGENCY OR COURT SHALL TAKE INTO CONSID-
 ERATION THE DEFINITION OF ANTI-SEMITISM AS SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION FOR
 PURPOSES OF DETERMINING WHETHER AN ALLEGED ACT WAS MOTIVATED BY  DISCRI-
 MINATORY  ANTI-SEMITIC  INTENT,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO CLAIMS
 BROUGHT PURSUANT TO ARTICLE FIFTEEN OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW OR ARTICLE FOUR
 HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE OF THE PENAL LAW.
   3. A STATE AGENCY OR COURT SHALL APPLY  THE  SAME  LEGAL  STANDARD  AS
 APPLICABLE  TO  LIKE CLAIMS OF DISCRIMINATION ARISING UNDER LAWS OF THIS
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01172-02-5

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