Assembly Bill A2161

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to resettlement of asylum seekers

download bill text pdf

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-A2161 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Local Governments
Law Section:
General Municipal Law
Laws Affected:
Add §98-c, Gen Muni L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A7992

2025-A2161 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits municipal corporations from refusing resettlement of asylum seekers from other municipal corporations in the state, provided that the resettling municipal corporation covers the costs of such resettlement, and no property of the municipal corporation receiving such asylum seekers is used without such municipal corporation's consent.

2025-A2161 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2161
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 15, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. RAJKUMAR, RAGA -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Local Governments
 
 AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in  relation  to  prohibiting
   municipal  corporations  from  refusing resettlement of asylum seekers
   from other municipal corporations in the state

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  general  municipal  law  is  amended by adding a new
 section 98-c to read as follows:
   § 98-C. RESETTLEMENT OF ASYLUM SEEKERS. 1. NO MUNICIPAL CORPORATION IN
 THE STATE SHALL REFUSE, PROHIBIT,  OR  OTHERWISE  PREVENT  A  RESETTLING
 MUNICIPAL CORPORATION FROM RESETTLING ASYLUM SEEKERS INTO SUCH MUNICIPAL
 CORPORATION, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT:
   (A)  SUCH  RESETTLING  MUNICIPAL  CORPORATION SHALL COVER ALL COSTS OF
 SUCH RESETTLEMENT INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED  TO,  CONTINUING  COSTS  OF
 SHELTER FOR SUCH ASYLUM SEEKERS; AND
   (B)  NO  PROPERTY OWNED BY THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATION INTO WHICH ASYLUM
 SEEKERS ARE BEING RESETTLED SHALL BE USED FOR SUCH RESETTLEMENT  WITHOUT
 THE CONSENT OF SUCH MUNICIPAL CORPORATION.
   2. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE
 FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "ASYLUM  SEEKER" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO CHANGES THEIR COUNTRY OF
 USUAL RESIDENCE TO SEEK TEMPORARY  OR  PERMANENT  RESIDENCE  IN  ANOTHER
 COUNTRY,  AND  WHO HAS APPLIED FOR ASYLUM UNDER 8 U.S. CODE § 1158 OR IS
 ELIGIBLE TO APPLY; OR WHO IS A REFUGEE AS DEFINED BY SECTION  101(A)(42)
 OF THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT (INA).
   (B)  "RESETTLING  MUNICIPAL CORPORATION" MEANS A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION
 IN THE STATE THAT IS ASSISTING ASYLUM  SEEKERS  WITH  RESETTLEMENT  INTO
 ANOTHER MUNICIPAL CORPORATION IN THE STATE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04110-01-5

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