The Division of Human Rights is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the New York State Human Rights Law. This law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, disability or other specified classes. The Division accomplishes its mission through the investigation and resolution of discrimination complaint; the promotion of human rights awareness through education, conciliation and other measure; the development of human rights policy for the State and outreach to community groups.

The Division operates from its main office in New York City from nine regional offices in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Rochester, Brooklyn, Long Island, Lower Manhattan and Peekskill and from two satellite offices on Long Island and in Syracuse.

This agency is included in the Education, Labor and Family Assistance appropriation bill.

State Operations

The Executive proposes total All Funds appropriations for the Division of $18,224,000, reflecting level spending in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2003-2004.

The Executive recommends a workforce of 205 employees for the Division during State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2003-04, a reduction of 4 full-time employees. This workforce reduction reflects a hiring freeze on four positions that are approved in the current fiscal year, but remain vacant and will not be filled in SFY 2003-2004.

The Division had been involved in litigation, NOW v. Pataki, in which the plaintiff alleged that the time needed to process individual complaints due to the extensive caseload backlog failed to provide petitioners with adequate protection of their human rights. In the latest judgment, the Court ruled in favor of the State. The Division's records indicate that the backlog of discrimination complaints that once stood at 16,000 in 1995 has been reduced to 7,554 open cases as of December 2002.