A 2139: Requires state agencies and courts to take into consideration the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition and contemporary examples of antisemitism when reviewing, investigating, or deciding whether there has been a violation of any non-criminal or criminal law, rule, or policy prohibiting discriminatory acts.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2139 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 15, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BERGER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to enacting the "Honoring Our Pledge to Eliminate Anti-Semitism (HOPE) act" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Honoring 2 Our Pledge to Eliminate Anti-Semitism (HOPE) act". 3 § 2. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 79-r to 4 read as follows: 5 § 79-r. Adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance 6 definition of anti-Semitism. 1. As used in this section, the following 7 terms shall have the following meanings: 8 (a) "Anti-Semitism" shall have the same meaning as provided for in the 9 working definition of anti-Semitism adopted by the International Holo- 10 caust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) on May twenty-sixth, two thousand 11 sixteen, and shall include the contemporary examples of anti-Semitism 12 set forth therein. 13 (b) "State agency" shall mean any office, department, board, commis- 14 sion, bureau, division, public corporation, agency or instrumentality of 15 the state. 16 2. In reviewing, investigating, or deciding whether there has been a 17 violation of any non-criminal or criminal law, rule, or policy prohibit- 18 ing discriminatory acts, a state agency or court shall take into consid- 19 eration the definition of anti-Semitism as set forth in this section for 20 purposes of determining whether an alleged act was motivated by discri- 21 minatory anti-Semitic intent, including but not limited to claims 22 brought pursuant to article fifteen of the executive law or article four 23 hundred eighty-five of the penal law. 24 3. A state agency or court shall apply the same legal standard as 25 applicable to like claims of discrimination arising under laws of this EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01172-02-5 
 A. 2139 2 1 state, including article fifteen of the executive law or article four 2 hundred eighty-five of the penal law. 3 4. For the purposes of training of state personnel related to discrim- 4 ination and anti-bias training, the definition of anti-Semitism 5 described in this section shall be used as an educational tool to famil- 6 iarize staff and officials with anti-Semitism. 7 5. This section shall not be construed to diminish or infringe upon 8 any right protected under the first amendment to the United States 9 Constitution, or the Constitution of the state of New York, and shall 10 not be construed to conflict with federal, state, or local discrimi- 11 nation laws. 12 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.