Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official source posted by the New York State Senate, fetched 2026-08-11. Nothing is edited or removed. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official source appears here in brackets. The official bill page.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6869
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
March 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ALVAREZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law and the state finance law, in relation
to discriminatory practices by real estate appraisers and further fair
housing compliance
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 292 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 42 to read as follows:
42. THE TERM "REAL ESTATE APPRAISAL" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS IN
SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-A OF THIS CHAPTER.
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT (A) REAL ESTATE APPRAISALS SUBJECT TO THIS ARTI-
CLE INCLUDE THOSE PERFORMED BY ANY PERSON OR ENTITY WHOSE BUSINESS HOLDS
ITSELF OUT AS ENGAGING IN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE APPRAISALS, REGARDLESS
OF WHETHER OR NOT SUCH PERSON OR ENTITY IS CERTIFIED OR LICENSED TO
PROVIDE REAL ESTATE APPRAISALS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE
SIX-E OF THIS CHAPTER, AND (B) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, THE
REAL ESTATE APPRAISAL INCLUDES ALL ORAL COMMUNICATIONS AND ALL WRITTEN
COMMENTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED AS SUPPORT FOR THE ESTIMATE,
OPINION OF VALUE, OR ANALYSIS.
§ 2. Subdivision 5 of section 296 of the executive law is amended by
adding a new paragraph (h) to read as follows:
(H) IT SHALL BE AN UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE FOR ANY PERSON TO
DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY INDIVIDUAL IN MAKING REAL ESTATE APPRAISAL
SERVICES AVAILABLE OR TO BASE A REAL ESTATE APPRAISAL, ESTIMATE, OR
OPINION OF VALUE ON THE RACE, CREED, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, CITIZEN-
SHIP OR IMMIGRATION STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY OR
EXPRESSION, MILITARY STATUS, SEX, AGE, DISABILITY, MARITAL STATUS,
STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, LAWFUL SOURCE OF INCOME, OR
FAMILIAL STATUS OF EITHER THE PROSPECTIVE OWNERS OR OCCUPANTS OF THE
REAL PROPERTY, THE PRESENT OWNERS OR OCCUPANTS OF THE REAL PROPERTY, OR
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11019-01-5
A. 6869 2
THE PRESENT OWNERS OR OCCUPANTS OF THE REAL PROPERTIES IN THE VICINITY
OF THE PROPERTY. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT A REAL ESTATE
APPRAISER FROM TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION FACTORS OTHER THAN RACE, CREED,
COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, CITIZENSHIP OR IMMIGRATION STATUS, SEXUAL ORIEN-
TATION, GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, MILITARY STATUS, SEX, AGE, DISA-
BILITY, MARITAL STATUS, STATUS AS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, LAWFUL
SOURCE OF INCOME, OR FAMILIAL STATUS.
§ 3. Subdivision 9 of section 160-e of the executive law, as amended
by chapter 397 of the laws of 1991, is amended to read as follows:
9. To suspend and revoke certificates or licenses OR IMPOSE FINES
pursuant to the disciplinary proceedings provided for in this article.
§ 4. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 160-u of the
executive law, as amended by chapter 397 of the laws of 1991, is amended
to read as follows:
The rights of any holder under a state certificate as a state certi-
fied real estate appraiser, or a license as a state licensed real estate
appraiser, may be revoked or suspended, or the holder of the certif-
ication or license may be otherwise disciplined in accordance with the
provisions of this article, upon any of the grounds set forth in this
section. AS AN ALTERNATIVE OR IN ADDITION TO SUCH SUSPENSION OR REVOCA-
TION, A FINE NOT EXCEEDING TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS MAY BE IMPOSED ON ANY
HOLDER OF THE CERTIFICATION OR LICENSE, PROVIDED THAT FIFTY PERCENT OF
ALL MONEYS RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOR SUCH FINES SHALL BE
PAYABLE TO THE ANTI-DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING FUND ESTABLISHED PURSUANT
TO SECTION EIGHTY-A OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW. The department may inves-
tigate the actions of a state certified or licensed real estate
appraiser, and may [revoke or suspend the rights of] SANCTION OR OTHER-
WISE DISCIPLINE a certificate or license holder [or otherwise discipline
a state certified or licensed real estate appraiser] for any of the
following acts or omissions:
§ 5. Subdivision 1 of section 160-v of the executive law, as amended
by chapter 241 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
1. Before suspending or revoking any certification or license OR
IMPOSING ANY FINES ON A HOLDER OF A CERTIFICATION OR LICENSE, the
department shall notify the state certified or licensed real estate
appraiser or licensed real estate appraiser assistant in writing of any
charges made at least twenty days prior to the date set for the hearing
and shall afford [him or her] SUCH REAL ESTATE APPRAISER OR SUCH REAL
ESTATE APPRAISER ASSISTANT an opportunity to be heard in person or by
counsel.
§ 6. Subdivision 2 of section 160-w of the executive law, as amended
by chapter 241 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
2. If the department determined that a state certified or licensed
real estate appraiser or licensed real estate appraiser assistant is
guilty of a violation of any of the provisions of this article, it shall
prepare a finding of fact and recommend that such appraiser be repri-
manded [or], that [his or her] THEIR certification or license be
suspended or revoked, AND/OR INDICATE WHETHER A FINE SHALL BE IMPOSED.
The decision and order of the department shall be final.
§ 7. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 80-a of the state finance law,
subdivision 2 as added by chapter 687 of the laws of 2021 and subdivi-
sion 3 as amended by chapter 89 of the laws of 2022, are amended to read
as follows:
2. The anti-discrimination in housing fund shall consist of moneys
appropriated thereto, moneys transferred from any other fund or sources,
FIFTY PERCENT OF ALL FINES AND FORFEITURES COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SUBDI-
A. 6869 3
VISION ONE OF SECTION ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-U OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW, and
fifty percent of all fines and forfeitures collected pursuant to para-
graph (a) of subdivision one of section four hundred forty-one-c of the
real property law. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the
state from receiving grants, gifts or bequests for the purposes of the
fund as defined in this section and depositing them into the fund
according to law.
3. The moneys in the anti-discrimination in housing fund shall be kept
separate from and shall not be commingled with any other moneys in the
custody of the state comptroller. Such moneys shall be made available to
the office of the attorney general, for [fair housing testing] PROGRAMS
ASSISTING WITH FAIR HOUSING COMPLIANCE, WHICH INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT
LIMITED TO, FAIR HOUSING TESTING, OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ON FAIR HOUSING
PROTECTIONS, ADDRESSING AND INVESTIGATING FAIR HOUSING ALLEGATIONS AND
COMPLAINTS, AND ADDRESSING DISCRIMINATION IN APPRAISALS, INCLUDING NEW
APPRAISALS AND APPRAISAL REVIEW, through allocation of grants to duly
applying county, city, town or village human rights commissions, or
other duly applying county, city, town, village or not-for-profit enti-
ties specializing in the prevention of unlawful discrimination in hous-
ing, to detect unlawful discrimination in housing.
§ 8. Severability. If any provision of this act, or any application of
any provision of this act, is held to be invalid, that shall not affect
the validity or effectiveness of any other provision of this act, or of
any other application of any provision of this act, which can be given
effect without that provision or application; and to that end, the
provisions and applications of this act are severable.
§ 9. This act shall take effect immediately.Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.