Details Meeting Name: Committee on Civil Rights (inactive) Agenda status: Final Meeting date/time: 12/9/2015 1:00 PM Minutes status: Final   Meeting location: 250 Broadway - Committee Rm, 14th Fl. Published agenda: Agenda Published minutes: Minutes   Meeting video: Video   Attachments: Meeting Items (9) 9 records Group Clear sorting Clear grouping Group by Type Group by Result Export Export to Excel Export to PDF Export to Word Show: All agenda items Legislation only All agenda items File # Ver. Prime Sponsor Agenda # Agenda Note Name Type Summary Action Result Action Details Multimedia                     Roll call Not available Int 0814-2015 * Brad S. Lander     Construction of the New York city human rights law. Introduction The 2005 Restoration Act provided that the New York City Human Rights Law is to be interpreted liberally and independently of similar federal or state provisions. This bill would recognize certain court cases that have given the Human Rights Law an independent construction as required by the Restoration Act. The bill also would require that exemptions and exceptions from the general provisions of the Human Rights Law be construed narrowly in order to maximize deterrence of discriminatory conduct. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0814-2015 * Brad S. Lander     Construction of the New York city human rights law. Introduction The 2005 Restoration Act provided that the New York City Human Rights Law is to be interpreted liberally and independently of similar federal or state provisions. This bill would recognize certain court cases that have given the Human Rights Law an independent construction as required by the Restoration Act. The bill also would require that exemptions and exceptions from the general provisions of the Human Rights Law be construed narrowly in order to maximize deterrence of discriminatory conduct. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0818-2015 * Darlene Mealy     Provision of attorney’s fees under the city human rights law Introduction This bill amends the attorney’s fees provisions of the city human rights law to include expert fees in attorney’s fees awards. This bill allows the Human Rights Commission to award attorney’s fees in complaints brought before it. This bill also directs courts and the Human Rights Commission to base attorney’s fee awards on the hourly market-rate charged by attorneys of similar skill and experience practicing in New York County, which customarily has the highest attorney rates in New York City. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0818-2015 * Darlene Mealy     Provision of attorney’s fees under the city human rights law Introduction This bill amends the attorney’s fees provisions of the city human rights law to include expert fees in attorney’s fees awards. This bill allows the Human Rights Commission to award attorney’s fees in complaints brought before it. This bill also directs courts and the Human Rights Commission to base attorney’s fee awards on the hourly market-rate charged by attorneys of similar skill and experience practicing in New York County, which customarily has the highest attorney rates in New York City. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0819-2015 * Rosie Mendez     Repeal of subdivision 16 of section 8-107 of such code relating to the applicability of provisions of the human rights law regarding sexual orientation. Introduction This bill would repeal Administrative Code § 8-107(16), which addresses how the New York City Human Rights Law’s (HRL) protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation should be construed. The subdivision to be repealed provides that the HRL should not be construed to (a) restrict an employer’s right to insist than an employee meet bona-fide job qualifications; (b) authorize or require affirmative action on the basis of sexual orientation; (c) limit or override any exemptions from the provisions of the HRL; (d) make lawful any act that violates the New York Penal Law; or (e) “[e]ndorse any particular behavior or way of life.” Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0819-2015 * Rosie Mendez     Repeal of subdivision 16 of section 8-107 of such code relating to the applicability of provisions of the human rights law regarding sexual orientation. Introduction This bill would repeal Administrative Code § 8-107(16), which addresses how the New York City Human Rights Law’s (HRL) protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation should be construed. The subdivision to be repealed provides that the HRL should not be construed to (a) restrict an employer’s right to insist than an employee meet bona-fide job qualifications; (b) authorize or require affirmative action on the basis of sexual orientation; (c) limit or override any exemptions from the provisions of the HRL; (d) make lawful any act that violates the New York Penal Law; or (e) “[e]ndorse any particular behavior or way of life.” Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1012-2015 * Melissa Mark-Viverito     Making improvements to clarify and strengthen the human rights law. Introduction This bill would amend the New York City Human Rights Law (HRL) to improve its organizational structure and enhance its clarity. The bill would make technical amendments necessary for restructuring and modernizing the language in the HRL, as well as changes clarifying the scope of the law’s protections for victims of domestic violence, sex offenses and stalking. The bill would move certain definitions into and out of section 8-102 of the Code and would apply a uniform style to the definitions section. The bill would also amend the Charter provisions setting forth the Human Rights Commission’s powers: consolidating duplicative provisions and repealing them from the Code, clarifying existing enforcement authority and amending the annual report due date. Additionally, the bill would move Chapters 8-11 of Title 8 to more subject-matter appropriate titles. Finally, the bill would update cross-references in other provisions of the Code to reflect the structural amendments to Title 8. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 1012-2015 * Melissa Mark-Viverito     Making improvements to clarify and strengthen the human rights law. Introduction This bill would amend the New York City Human Rights Law (HRL) to improve its organizational structure and enhance its clarity. The bill would make technical amendments necessary for restructuring and modernizing the language in the HRL, as well as changes clarifying the scope of the law’s protections for victims of domestic violence, sex offenses and stalking. The bill would move certain definitions into and out of section 8-102 of the Code and would apply a uniform style to the definitions section. The bill would also amend the Charter provisions setting forth the Human Rights Commission’s powers: consolidating duplicative provisions and repealing them from the Code, clarifying existing enforcement authority and amending the annual report due date. Additionally, the bill would move Chapters 8-11 of Title 8 to more subject-matter appropriate titles. Finally, the bill would update cross-references in other provisions of the Code to reflect the structural amendments to Title 8. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available