A 7873: Ends involuntary servitude in state and local correctional facilities in New York state.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7873 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY April 11, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MEEKS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction AN ACT to amend the civil rights law and the correction law, in relation to ending slavery for incarcerated individuals in New York state The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "no slavery in New York act". 3 § 2. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 16 to 4 read as follows: 5 § 16. Abolition of slavery, involuntary servitude, and forced labor. 6 Neither slavery, involuntary servitude, nor forced labor shall be 7 permitted to exist in the state of New York, including for persons 8 convicted of a crime. 9 § 3. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 172 to read 10 as follows: 11 § 172. Prohibition on labor that is compelled or induced in New York 12 carceral facilities. No incarcerated individual in any correctional 13 facility or local correctional facility shall be compelled or induced to 14 provide labor against such individual's will by force or other adverse 15 action against the incarcerated individual or against another person, or 16 by any reasonably feared threat thereof. 17 § 4. Section 2 of the correction law is amended by adding a new subdi- 18 vision 35 to read as follows: 19 35. "Adverse action" includes the use of the institutional rules, 20 regulations, and the disciplinary process referenced in section one 21 hundred thirty-eight of this chapter. 22 § 5. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi- 23 sion, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of 24 competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, 25 impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11173-01-5 
 A. 7873 2 1 its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section 2 or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg- 3 ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of 4 the legislature that this act would have been enacted even if such 5 invalid provisions had not been included herein. 6 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.