The Business Council of New York State, whose membership includes over 3200 member firms as
well as hundreds of chambers of commerce and professional trade associations, has reviewed the
above mentioned legislation and opposes its enactment.

This legislation would amend New York State’s Executive Law and extend the period for filing a
complaint with the Human Rights Division from one year to three years.

Here in New York State, we have ample experience showing that the longer an investigation takes
to complete, the more difficult it is to gather timely and accurate information to bring the
complaint to a satisfactory conclusion. Witnesses relocate and memories fade. This bill would
certainly diminish the opportunity to begin an investigation in a timely manner.

The current one year period is already longer than the federal filing period of 300 days.

We believe that extending the filing period would actually work against the goal of investigating
and settling complaints in a timely manner and reduce the chance of providing justice for the
individual.

Extending the filing period would stretch the already finite administrative resources that we
currently have to conduct investigations, and reduce their ability to bring complaints to a timely
conclusion.

For these reasons, The Business Council opposes this legislation and respectfully urges that it not
be enacted by the Assembly.

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