N.Y. Executive Law § 290: Purposes of article

§ 290. Purposes of article. 1. This article shall be known as the

"Human Rights Law".

2. It shall be deemed an exercise of the police power of the state for

the protection of the public welfare, health and peace of the people of

this state, and in fulfillment of the provisions of the constitution of

this state concerning civil rights.

3. The legislature hereby finds and declares that the state has the

responsibility to act to assure that every individual within this state

is afforded an equal opportunity to enjoy a full and productive life and

that the failure to provide such equal opportunity, whether because of

discrimination, prejudice, intolerance or inadequate education,

training, housing or health care not only threatens the rights and

proper privileges of its inhabitants but menaces the institutions and

foundation of a free democratic state and threatens the peace, order,

health, safety and general welfare of the state and its inhabitants. A

division in the executive department is hereby created to encourage

programs designed to insure that every individual shall have an equal

opportunity to participate fully in the economic, cultural and

intellectual life of the state; to encourage and promote the development

and execution by all persons within the state of such state programs; to

eliminate and prevent discrimination in employment, in places of public

accommodation, resort or amusement, in educational institutions, in

public services, in housing accommodations, in commercial space and in

credit transactions and to take other actions against discrimination as

herein provided; and the division established hereunder is hereby given

general jurisdiction and power for such purposes.