S4197 • 2025

Relates to the ethical duty of public officers not to engage in or permit behavior which violates the human rights law

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Andrew Gounardes
Last action: 2026-05-19
Official status: In Senate Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Relates to the ethical duty of public officers not to engage in or permit behavior which violates the human rights law

Relates to the ethical duty of public officers not to engage in or permit behavior which violates the human rights law Relates to the ethical standards of officers or employees of a state agency, members of the legislature and legislative employees with regard to engaging in acts of discrimination, sexual harassment or creating a hostile workplace.

What This Bill Does

Relates to the ethical duty of public officers not to engage in or permit behavior which violates the human rights law Relates to the ethical standards of officers or employees of a state agency, members of the legislature and legislative employees with regard to engaging in acts of discrimination, sexual harassment or creating a hostile workplace.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-05-19 Senate
AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO ETHICS AND INTERNAL GOVERNANCE
2026-05-19 Senate
PRINT NUMBER 4197A
2026-01-07 Senate
REFERRED TO ETHICS AND INTERNAL GOVERNANCE
2025-02-03 Senate
REFERRED TO ETHICS AND INTERNAL GOVERNANCE

Official Summary Text

Relates to the ethical duty of public officers not to engage in or permit behavior which violates the human rights law
Relates to the ethical standards of officers or employees of a state agency, members of the legislature and legislative employees with regard to engaging in acts of discrimination, sexual harassment or creating a hostile workplace.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4197

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                    I N  S E N A T E

                                    February 3, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sens. GOUNARDES, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered print-
          ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Ethics  and
          Internal Governance

        AN  ACT  to  amend the public officers law, in relation to expanding the
          ethical duties of public officers and employees

          THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section  1. Section 74 of the public officers law is amended by adding
     2  a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
     3    5. OTHER ETHICAL DUTIES. IT SHALL BE THE ETHICAL DUTY OF EVERY  PERSON
     4  SUBJECT  TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS
     5  OF ARTICLE FIFTEEN OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW AND ANY POLICIES  OR  PROCEDURES
     6  IMPLEMENTED  BY THEIR LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER, STATE AGENCY, OR STATE OFFICE
     7  RELATED THERETO. NO PERSON SHALL COMMIT AN ACT OF HARASSMENT OR DISCRIM-
     8  INATION WHILE SERVING IN THEIR OFFICIAL  CAPACITY  AND  NO  SUCH  PERSON
     9  SERVING IN A SUPERVISORY CAPACITY SHALL KNOW OF AN ACT OF DISCRIMINATION
    10  OR  HARASSMENT  WITHOUT  TAKING  ACTION,  INCLUDING  BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
    11  IMPOSING CONSEQUENCES ON THE PERPETRATOR OF SUCH ACT  OF  DISCRIMINATION
    12  OR  HARASSMENT  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH ANY APPLICABLE LAW, RULE, POLICY OR
    13  PROCEDURE.
    14    § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    15  have become a law.




         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07290-01-5