Bill > S04067

This bill codifies the "disparate impact" standard in New York's housing discrimination law, which means that a housing practice can be considered discriminatory even if there was no intentional discrimination. Specifically, the bill allows individuals to prove housing discrimination by showing that a practice has a discriminatory effect on a protected group, such as people of a certain race, gender, age, sexual orientation, or disability status. If a practice is shown to disproportionately harm a protected group, the burden shifts to the respondent (the entity being accused of discrimination) to prove that the practice is necessary to achieve legitimate, non-discriminatory goals and cannot be achieved through a less discriminatory alternative. The bill ensures that while a practice might have a legitimate justification, this does not automatically protect against claims of intentional discrimination. Additionally, the law is designed to be broadly interpretable, meaning it does not limit existing protections against discriminatory practices. The bill will apply to housing discrimination cases occurring on or after its effective date.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4067