The Campus Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, and Stalking Prevention and Response Act modernizes New York State's sexual-assault response programs by requiring all New York State colleges and universities to adopt uniform policies for preventing and responding to sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. It mandates a comprehensive system of definitions, rights, procedures, and reporting obligations that apply to every institution chartered by the Regents or created by legislative act.

Under the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act, employers in New York State must provide break time and a private, shielded space for employees to express breast milk. Amendments require written policies, disclosure to new hires, and minimum standards for lactation spaces, including privacy and access to seating and electricity. The statute safeguards lactating workers from discrimination and promotes retention after childbirth.

New York Executive Law § 296 identifies all conduct that constitutes unlawful discrimination in New York State. It applies across employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, education, real property transactions, and certain government actions.

New York State requires equal pay for “substantially similar work,” a standard that is broader than the federal “equal work” requirement. Pay differentials must be tied to job-related, non-discriminatory factors. The laws also restrict employers from seeking or relying on salary history and require written pay notices. The measures target gender-based wage gaps and strengthen enforcement tools for employees.

The Human Rights Law is New York’s primary civil-rights statute. It bars discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, and education on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, pregnancy-related conditions, and other protected traits. The statute also recognizes sexual harassment as unlawful sex discrimination. These provisions form the foundation of gender-equality protections throughout the state.

NYS Penal Law § 485.05 defined when a criminal offense qualifies as a hate crime in New York State. A crime becomes a hate crime if the person either selects the victim based on a belief or perception regarding the victim’s race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation, or if the offense is committed in whole or substantial part because of such a belief or perception.

The Domestic Violence Prevention Act created the statewide framework for identifying, assisting, and protecting victims of domestic violence in New York. It defines who is considered a victim and requires local social services districts to make both residential and non-residential services available. These services include emergency shelters, counseling, advocacy, access to information, referrals, and community outreach.

The Dignity for All Students Act requires New York State public elementary and secondary schools to provide an educational environment free from harassment, bullying, and discrimination. The law protects students on the basis of race, color, weight, national origin, ethnicity, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and sex.

The Marriage Equality Act amended New York’s Domestic Relations Law to make civil marriage equally available to couples regardless of gender. It states that a marriage is valid whether the spouses are of the same or different gender, and bars officials from denying a marriage license based on the applicants’ gender identity.

The New York State Paid Family Leave Law establishes a statewide program that guarantees paid, employment-protected leave for most private-sector employees in New York State. Enacted in 2016, and phased in beginning January 1, 2018, the law entitles eligible workers to take employment leave to bond with a new child, care for a family member with a serious health condition, or to support a loved one during a qualifying military deployment. Benefits increase over time, reaching twelve weeks of leave at a wage-replacement rate of sixty-seven percent by 2021.