<STYLE><!--U {color: Green}S {color: RED} I {color: DARKBLUE; background-color:yellow} P.brk {page-break-before:always}--></STYLE> <BASEFONT SIZE=3> <PRE WIDTH="99"> <FONT SIZE=5><B> STATE OF NEW YORK</B></FONT> ________________________________________________________________________ 8004 2025-2026 Regular Sessions <FONT SIZE=5><B> IN SENATE</B></FONT> May 15, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern- ment Operations AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to prohibiting the use of biometric surveillance system or biometric surveillance information in places of public accommodation <B><U>The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-</U></B> <B><U>bly, do enact as follows:</U></B> 1 Section 1. Article 4 of the civil rights law is amended to add a new 2 section 40-h to read as follows: 3 <B><U>§ 40-h. Biometric surveillance. 1. For the purposes of this section:</U></B> 4 <B><U>(a) "Biometric information" means any measurable physiological, biolog-</U></B> 5 <B><U>ical or behavioral characteristics that are attributable to an individ-</U></B> 6 <B><U>ual person, including facial characteristics, fingerprint character-</U></B> 7 <B><U>istics, hand characteristics, eye characteristics, vocal</U></B> 8 <B><U>characteristics, and any other physical characteristics that can be</U></B> 9 <B><U>used, singly or in combination with each other or with other informa-</U></B> 10 <B><U>tion, to establish individual identity. Examples of biometric informa-</U></B> 11 <B><U>tion include, but are not limited to, fingerprints, handprints, retina</U></B> 12 <B><U>and iris patterns, DNA sequence, voice, gait, and facial geometry.</U></B> 13 <B><U>(b) "Biometric surveillance" means either of the following, alone or</U></B> 14 <B><U>in combination:</U></B> 15 <B><U>(i) an automated or semi-automated process by which a person is iden-</U></B> 16 <B><U>tified or attempted to be identified based on their biometric informa-</U></B> 17 <B><U>tion, including identification of known or unknown individuals or</U></B> 18 <B><U>groups; and/or</U></B> 19 <B><U>(ii) an automated or semi-automated process that generates, or assists</U></B> 20 <B><U>in generating, surveillance information about an individual based on</U></B> 21 <B><U>their biometric information.</U></B> 22 <B><U>(c) "Biometric surveillance system" means any computer software or</U></B> 23 <B><U>application that performs biometric surveillance.</U></B> EXPLANATION--Matter in <B><U>italics</U></B> (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [<B><S> </S></B>] is old law to be omitted. LBD01391-01-5 </PRE><P CLASS="brk"><PRE WIDTH="99"> S. 8004 2 1 <B><U>(d) "Surveillance information" means either of the following, alone or</U></B> 2 <B><U>in combination:</U></B> 3 <B><U>(i) any information about a known or unknown individual, including but</U></B> 4 <B><U>not limited to, a person's name, date of birth, gender, aggregated</U></B> 5 <B><U>location data, or criminal background; and/or</U></B> 6 <B><U>(ii) any information derived from biometric information, including but</U></B> 7 <B><U>not limited to, assessments about an individual's sentiment, state of</U></B> 8 <B><U>mind or level of dangerousness.</U></B> 9 <B><U>(e) "Use" does not include using biometric information to unlock a</U></B> 10 <B><U>personal or business device, such as a telephone or laptop computer.</U></B> 11 <B><U>2. It shall be unlawful for any person who is the owner, franchisor,</U></B> 12 <B><U>franchisee, lessor, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent</U></B> 13 <B><U>or employee of any place or provider of public accommodation to use any</U></B> 14 <B><U>biometric surveillance system or biometric surveillance information or</U></B> 15 <B><U>enter into any agreement that authorizes any third party, on behalf of</U></B> 16 <B><U>the owner, franchisor, franchisee, lessor, lessee, proprietor, manager,</U></B> 17 <B><U>superintendent, agent or employee of any place or provider of public</U></B> 18 <B><U>accommodation, to use any biometric surveillance system or biometric</U></B> 19 <B><U>surveillance information.</U></B> 20 <B><U>3. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the owner,</U></B> 21 <B><U>franchisor, franchisee, lessor, lessee, proprietor, manager, superinten-</U></B> 22 <B><U>dent, agent or employee of any place or provider of public accommodation</U></B> 23 <B><U>from using biometric surveillance on an electronic device, such as a</U></B> 24 <B><U>cell phone or tablet for the sole purpose of user authentication.</U></B> 25 <B><U>4. No place or provider of public accommodation may collect, capture,</U></B> 26 <B><U>purchase, receive through trade, or otherwise obtain a person's biome-</U></B> 27 <B><U>tric information, unless it first:</U></B> 28 <B><U>(a) informs the subject or the subject's legally authorized represen-</U></B> 29 <B><U>tative in writing that biometric information is being collected or</U></B> 30 <B><U>stored;</U></B> 31 <B><U>(b) informs the subject or the subject's legally authorized represen-</U></B> 32 <B><U>tative in writing of the specific purpose and length of term for which</U></B> 33 <B><U>biometric information is being collected, stored, and used; and</U></B> 34 <B><U>(c) receives a written release executed by the subject of the biome-</U></B> 35 <B><U>tric information or the subject's legally authorized representative; and</U></B> 36 <B><U>the subject must provide their consent knowingly and voluntarily through</U></B> 37 <B><U>the written release, and giving consent may not be made a condition of</U></B> 38 <B><U>provision of a service by a provider of a public accommodation or entry</U></B> 39 <B><U>into a place of public accommodation.</U></B> 40 <B><U>5. An owner, franchisor, franchisee, lessor, lessee, proprietor,</U></B> 41 <B><U>manager, superintendent, agent or employee of any place or provider of</U></B> 42 <B><U>public accommodation in possession of biometric information shall:</U></B> 43 <B><U>(a) store, transmit, and protect from disclosure all biometric infor-</U></B> 44 <B><U>mation using the reasonable standard of care within the industry of the</U></B> 45 <B><U>owner, franchisor, franchisee, lessor, lessee, proprietor, manager,</U></B> 46 <B><U>superintendent, agent or employee of any place or provider of public</U></B> 47 <B><U>accommodation; and</U></B> 48 <B><U>(b) store, transmit, and protect from disclosure all biometric infor-</U></B> 49 <B><U>mation in a manner that is the same as or more protective than the</U></B> 50 <B><U>manner in which the owner, franchisor, franchisee, lessor, lessee,</U></B> 51 <B><U>proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent or employee of any place or</U></B> 52 <B><U>provider of public accommodation stores, transmits, and protects other</U></B> 53 <B><U>confidential and sensitive information.</U></B> 54 <B><U>6. (a) Any person who or any agency, bureau, corporation or associ-</U></B> 55 <B><U>ation which shall violate any of the provisions of this section or who</U></B> 56 <B><U>or which shall aid or incite the violation of any of said provisions</U></B> </PRE><P CLASS="brk"><PRE WIDTH="99"> S. 8004 3 1 <B><U>shall for each and every violation thereof be liable to a penalty of not</U></B> 2 <B><U>less than the greater of one thousand dollars of actual damages, to be</U></B> 3 <B><U>recovered by the person aggrieved thereby or by any resident of this</U></B> 4 <B><U>state, to whom such person shall assign their cause of action, in any</U></B> 5 <B><U>court of competent jurisdiction in the county in which the plaintiff or</U></B> 6 <B><U>the defendant shall reside.</U></B> 7 <B><U>(b) In any action brought under this section, the court shall award</U></B> 8 <B><U>reasonable attorneys' fees to a prevailing plaintiff.</U></B> 9 <B><U>(c) Upon motion from a criminal defendant, a court shall order that</U></B> 10 <B><U>evidence be suppressed or excluded if the court finds that such evidence</U></B> 11 <B><U>was obtained in violation of this section.</U></B> 12 <B><U>(d) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to limit any indi-</U></B> 13 <B><U>vidual's rights under state or federal law.</U></B> 14 <B><U>7. Severability. If any provision of this section shall be held to be</U></B> 15 <B><U>invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall</U></B> 16 <B><U>be considered separately and apart from the remaining provisions, which</U></B> 17 <B><U>shall remain in full force and effect.</U></B> 18 § 2. This law shall take effect immediately.