Int. No. 1118-A

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

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to anti-racism and anti-racial discrimination trainings for employees, interns, independent contractors, and volunteers of city agencies

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 35 of the New York city charter is amended by adding a new section 815.3 to read as follows:

§ 815.3 Anti-racism and anti-racial discrimination trainings. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the terms “agency” and “interactive training” have the same meanings as in section 815.1.

Employee. The term “employee” means employees, interns, independent contractors, and volunteers of city agencies.

Independent contractor.  The term “independent contractor” means an independent contractor of an agency, or an employee thereof, who communicates with one or more city employees for at least one hour each week in work for the city which is anticipated to extend for not fewer than four weeks.

Volunteer.  The term “volunteer” means an individual who, other than a city employee, is appointed to and serves without compensation on a board, commission, committee or other body created by law, rule or executive order, the expenses of which are paid in whole or part from the city treasury. 

b. The department, in consultation with the office of racial equity and the commission on human rights, shall create and update, as necessary in the view of the department, an anti-racism and anti-racial discrimination training for agency employees. Such training shall be an interactive training, the purpose of which shall be to enable agency employees, including supervisory and managerial employees, to identify, respond to, and combat racism and racial discrimination in the workplace.

c. The department, in consultation with the office of racial equity and the commission on human rights, may create a unique version of such training for any particular group of agency employees to ensure that:

1. The information covered is relevant to such employees in light of their particular duties or work environment; and

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

                     d. Each agency, in consultation with the department, shall ensure that each of its employees completes such training at least once per year. Such training may be provided in combination with other trainings provided to the agency’s employees.

e. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an agency may satisfy its obligation pursuant to subdivision d of this section using an alternative training, provided that the department, in consultation with the office of racial equity and the commission on human rights, has reviewed and approved such training for such purpose. Any such approval shall be valid for no longer than 5 years.

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

CJM/JLB

LS #13527

11/6/2023 5:39 PM