Int. No. 1101-A

By Council Members Farías, Louis, Richardson Jordan, Hanif, Restler, Sanchez, Hudson, Narcisse, Avilés, Cabán, Menin, Schulman, Brooks-Powers, Krishnan, Nurse, Riley, Gennaro, Williams, Rivera, Dinowitz and Salamanca

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to anti-racism training for human services contractors

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 78 of the New York city charter is amended by adding a new section 3405 to read as follows:

§ 3405 Anti-racism training for human services contractors. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Covered employee. The term “covered employee” means an employee of a human services contractor who directly renders human services to members of the public in performance of a human services contract, or an employee who supervises such an employee.

Human services. The term “human services” means any social services provided to members of the public including, but not necessarily limited to, day care, foster care, home care, health or medical services, housing and shelter assistance, preventive services, youth services, the operation of senior centers, employment training and assistance, vocational and educational programs, legal services, and recreation programs.

Human services agency. The term “human services agency” means any covered agency that provides, or contracts for the provision of, human services.

Human services contract. The term “human services contract” means a written agreement, other than an emergency contract procured pursuant to section 315, between a contractor and a human services agency, the principal purpose of which is to provide human services.

Human services contractor. The term "human services contractor" means any contractor that enters into a human services contract with a human services agency. A person shall be deemed a human services contractor for the duration of the human services contract that such contractor enters into.

Interactive training. The term “interactive training” means a participatory training program whereby the trainee is actively engaged in a trainer-trainee interaction through the use of questions or other participatory methods as determined by the chief equity officer, provided that an “interactive training” need not be live or facilitated by an in-person instructor.

b. The chief equity officer, in consultation with the commissioner of citywide administrative services, the head of each human services agency, and representatives from human services contractors, shall create and regularly update an anti-racism training for covered employees. Such training shall be an interactive training, the purpose of which shall be to improve the provision of human services in the city, including by:

1. Providing covered employees with tools to adequately serve individuals from diverse backgrounds, including members of marginalized groups;

2. Helping covered employees improve awareness of, and sensitivity to, how racism and related injustices impact the provision of human services in the city; and

3. Promoting policies, practices, and norms designed to combat racism and advance racial equity in the provision of human services in the city.

c. The chief equity officer, in consultation with the commissioner of citywide administrative services, the head of each human services agency, and representatives from human services contractors, may create a unique version of such training for any particular group of covered employees to ensure that:

1. The information covered is appropriately tailored to the work of such employees in light of their relevant professional responsibilities, the particular services they provide, or the populations they serve; and

2. The training avoids duplication with other trainings such employees are required to complete pursuant to federal, state, or local law.

d. The chief equity officer shall ensure that:

1. Such training is available as an online interactive training that can be completed on demand and free of charge on the website of the office of racial equity; and

2. Those who complete such online interactive training are provided with an electronic certification of such completion.

e. The chief equity officer may also make such training available as in-person interactive training, provided that the chief equity officer also provides those who complete such in-person training with a certification of such completion.

f. Each human services contractor shall:

1. Ensure that covered employees of such contractor complete such training at least once per year; and

2. Maintain records showing compliance with this section.

g. The chief equity officer shall create a process by which human services contractors that are subject to training requirements in multiple jurisdictions, or that otherwise provide an alternative annual interactive anti-racism training to all covered employees, may certify their compliance with this section, provided that such alternative training meets the requirements of subdivision b of this section.

§ 2.  This local law takes effect on July 1, 2025.

CJM/JLB

LS #13802

11/28/2023 10:30 PM