Research


Administrative History

In light of the continuing human rights movement in the 1960s, Governor Nelson Rockefeller saw a need to review New York's outdated human rights laws, administrative machinery, and procedures. On August 10, 1967, the Governor appointed a Committee to carry out this review.

Areas of study and activity by the Committee were: improvement in structure, functions, and procedures of the State Commission for Human Rights; the nature of the relations between the State Commission for Human Rights and local, state, and federal agencies, advisory councils, non-governmental bodies, and the public; establishment of responsibility in the state for policy making and continued research in the area of human rights; and new areas for legislation, and review and recommendations for improvement of existing problem legislation.

In carrying out its study, the Committee: consulted experts in human rights including business, labor, and academic leaders and local, state, and federal government officials; reviewed local, state, federal, and model anti-discrimination and civil rights acts and procedures; conducted public hearings in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and New York City; and reviewed other studies and reports.

In its final report to the Governor submitted March 27, 1968, the Committee made a number of recommendations including: abolish the State Commission for Human Rights and establish a new Division of Human Rights and a Human Rights Review Board in the Executive Department; reorganize and expand legislative provisions against discrimination in employment; clarify definition of "places of public accommodation" and define as discriminatory exclusion from such places on the basis of sex; prohibit discrimination in public educational institutions; allow fewer exemptions from provisions prohibiting discrimination in rental housing; prohibit discrimination based on sex in most real estate transactions; prohibit discrimination in provision of public services, in business, trade, or professional associations, and in commercial transactions; and implement and expand the Governor's program to promote equal opportunity in state employment.

The Committee also made a number of recommendations regarding procedures for enforcing human rights provisions by the proposed new Division of Human Rights. Finally, the Committee proposed a new Human Rights Law to establish the Division of Human Rights and prohibit discrimination in employment, public accommodations, educational institutions, and real estate transactions.