New York Assembly Bill A06245 Latest Draft

   
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6245 2023-2024 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY April 3, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. GLICK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to discrimination against certain tenants who own or keep pets The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds that pet 2 companionship has a beneficial impact on the pet owner's physical and 3 mental health and numerous studies have demonstrated that senior citi- 4 zens with pets live longer, visit the doctor less often and recover more 5 quickly from illnesses. There exists a significant public interest and 6 purpose in preserving and enhancing the quality of life of the state's 7 senior citizens. Such persons should not be compelled to choose between 8 remaining in their home and having the therapeutic benefit of pet 9 companionship. The shortage of affordable housing across the state 10 offers such persons few housing options if forced to leave their homes 11 due to their need for pet companionship. Eviction of senior citizens 12 from multiple dwellings due to pet ownership is harmful to the public 13 welfare. 14 § 2. The real property law is amended by adding a new section 237-b to 15 read as follows: 16 § 237-b. Discrimination against persons who have certain household 17 pets. No person sixty-two years of age or older shall be denied occupan- 18 cy in a multiple dwelling or be subject to eviction from any such dwell- 19 ing on the sole ground that such person owns or keeps a common household 20 pet or pets, the harboring of which is not prohibited by the multiple 21 dwelling law or any other applicable law. This section shall not apply 22 where the harboring of a common household pet causes damage to the 23 subject premises, creates a nuisance or interferes substantially with 24 the health, safety or welfare of other tenants or occupants of the same 25 or adjacent building or structure. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09301-01-3 
 A. 6245 2 1 The owner of the multiple dwelling may establish reasonable rules for 2 the care and handling of common household pets as provided for in this 3 section. Such rules may include the following: 4 (1) requiring pets to be restrained on leashes or in carriers in the 5 custody and care of a responsible human companion in all common areas of 6 the premises; 7 (2) requiring the disposal of animal wastes in a manner reasonably 8 specified in the rules; 9 (3) requiring the use of reasonably designated elevators when accompa- 10 nied by pets; 11 (4) requiring compliance with applicable state and local health, 12 animal control, and animal anti-cruelty laws and regulations. 13 Nothing contained in this section or rules promulgated pursuant to 14 this section, shall limit or restrict rights granted to persons under 15 their leases or under any other law or ordinance. Nothing in this 16 section shall be construed to limit or restrict a municipality from 17 enacting or amending local laws or ordinances granting additional rights 18 to keep pets, provided, however, that no such law or ordinance shall 19 diminish any rights granted by this section. 20 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.