By Amanda Moses
On May 13th, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation protecting victims of domestic violence, which was introduced by NY State Senator Roxanne Persaud and Assemblymember Nikki Lucas—two elected officials who represent the Spring Creek Towers (SCT) community.
“The pandemic has led to a heartbreaking increase in domestic and gender-based violence, and New York must stand strong to protect survivors,” Governor Hochul said. “Ever since I helped my mother open a home for survivors of domestic violence, I’ve made it a personal priority to do everything in my power to stand with and support survivors. I’m proud to sign this legislation, a critically important step to ensure survivors can safely access the services they need without fear of discrimination or retaliation.”
The legislation S.8417B/A.9601B prohibits discrimination against victims of domestic violence in areas that were not previously guaranteed, such as housing, education, and public accommodations. Additionally, this bill expands coverage under the Human Rights Laws, increasing access to the complaint process and every context covered under New York’s anti-discrimination law.
“Discrimination against victims and survivors of domestic violence compounds the barriers they already face in recovering and rebuilding their lives. I am proud to work with Governor Hochul in codifying these protections against discrimination in housing, credit, public accommodations, educational institutions, and other areas in which survivors experience undue difficulties. I am also thankful to my colleague Assemblymember Nikki Lucas for introducing this very important legislation. No New Yorker should face discrimination as a victim or survivor of domestic violence,” State Senator Roxanne Persaud said.
This bill is pivotal for domestic violence victims because they were previously only covered as a protected class under employment provisions of the Human Rights Law. In other words, this meant that the victim only faced discrimination in the employment sector, when in fact there are many facets of discrimination a person can face. The S.8417B/A.9601B helps to expand the context of discrimination for victims of domestic violence, cultivating a survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive lens to New York State’s response to survivors.
“Victims of domestic violence are faced with a host of challenges, but battling discrimination should not be one of them. This bill adds protection for victims under the Human Rights law, which, before this legislation, had only protected victims against employment discrimination. This bill includes protection in areas of publicly-assisted housing, private housing, apprenticeship training programs, public accommodations, real estate professionals and other areas. I am thrilled that the legislation passed unanimously, with both Republicans and Democrats voting for the bill. I am equally thrilled that Governor Hochul has prioritized the signing of this bill into law so quickly,” Assemblymember Nikki Lucas said.
New York State reported 165,577 domestic violence orders of protection in the year 2020 alone, according to the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV). These numbers grew drastically to nearly 45% during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the serious issue that thousands face.
National Domestic Violence hotline: 800-799-7233
