BILL NUMBER: S3936
SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to limiting the
naming of municipalities and subdivisions thereof
 
PURPOSE:
To prohibit municipalities from having a name containing the word swast-
ika, municipalities that have a name containing the word swastika must
change such a name to remove the word swastika.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends General Municipal Law by adding a new section 99-z,
prohibiting municipalities or any subdivision thereof from having a name
containing the word swastika and requiring municipalities or any subdi-
vision thereof which has a name containing the word swastika shall, by
an act of its governing body, change such name as to remove the word
swastika.
Section 2: Sets effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The word swastika refers to a symbol, most notably utilized and appro-
priated by the Third Reich and the Nazi Party. Since the Nazi Party's
appropriation, the swastika has become a symbol of hate to many, today
being most notably associated with the Holocaust. The swastika should
not be memorialized in the name of a municipality in New York State
because of the grave meaning that the symbol now represents for many.
This legislation will prohibit the use of the word Swastika in any muni-
cipality or subdivision's official name. It will also require any exist-
ing municipality or subdivision with a name containing the word Swastika
to change such name by an act of its governing body to remove the word
Swastika.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
Senate
2021: S3188A, Amend and Recommit to Local Government
2022: S3188A, Referred to Local Government
2023: S3345, Referred to Local Government
2024: S3345, Referred to Local Government Assembly
2021: A4658A, Reported Referred to Rules
2022: A4658A, Referred to Local Governments
2023: A205, Referred to Local Governments
2024: A205, Referred to Local Governments
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the state.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.