New York Anti-Caste Discrimination Bill Seeks to Add Caste as a Protected Category Under State Human Rights Law

New York Anti-Caste Discrimination Bill Seeks to Add Caste as a Protected Category Under State Human Rights Law

[Swati Sawant with Assembly member raga]

NEW YORK, May 20, 2026 — New York State is considering S6531/A6920, a historic bill that would explicitly prohibit caste discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The bill was initiated by Swati M. Sawant, Esq., a Dalit attorney who identified a gap in New York law and brought the issue to state legislators. If passed, New York would lead the nation in providing explicit state-level caste protections.

About the Bill

In July 2023, Sawant reached out to Assemblymember Steven Raga’s office. After identifying a critical legal gap — New York Executive Law §296 does not name caste as a protected category — nearly two years of advocacy followed. The bill was formally introduced in March 2025. S6531/A6920 would establish caste as a standalone protected category under the New York Human Rights Law. As of May 2026, it has secured 10 State Senate and 20 State Assembly co-sponsors, with more than 45 memos or formal statements of support from organizations, bar associations, labor unions, and individuals.

New York’s First Caste Discrimination Case

Sawant’s advocacy began in 2018, when she filed New York’s first caste discrimination charge on behalf of a Dalit Nepali worker who faced harassment and termination after his caste identity became known. The New York State Division of Human Rights dismissed his case, stating in its order that caste “is not a protected classification under the Human Rights Law.” The EEOC reached the same conclusion. That written admission became the evidentiary foundation of S6531/A6920.

“I filed the first caste discrimination case in New York in 2018 and watched it get dismissed — not because caste discrimination didn’t happen, but because our law had no language to address it. As someone from the caste-oppressed community, I knew then that we needed to write ourselves into the law.”
— Swati Sawant, Esq., Immigration Attorney & Advocate for Caste Equity

Albany Advocacy Day — May 5, 2026 

Sawant organized and led a coalition Advocacy Day at the New York State Capitol. More than 20 advocates met with legislators across both chambers. Three Assembly Members co-sponsored the bill on the spot: Assemblymember Jonathan Rivera, Assemblymember Ron Kim, and Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson. Participating organizations included the Sikh Coalition, SASI, Begampura Cultural Society of New York, and Hindus for Human Rights.

Among the most powerful voices was Punyawati Ramtel, a Nepali immigrant who shared her direct experience of caste discrimination in New York City — turned away from housing by landlords and denied jobs by employers solely because of her caste identity.

“We had never imagined that in a country like the United States, founded on freedom and equal rights, we would still face such humiliation from members of our own community. It deeply affected our dignity and self-respect.” — Punyawati Ramtel, Lobby Day witness, Albany, May 5, 2026

UN Special Rapporteur Calls on New York to Act On May 4, 2026, Ashwini K.P. — the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Racism and the first Dalit and Asian person ever appointed to this role — issued a formal communication to the United States government calling on the New York State Legislature to pass S6531/A6920, citing ICERD and UN Committee General Recommendation No. 29.

Why This Bill Matters

Caste discrimination does not stay behind when communities migrate. Research documents that Dalits in the United States face discrimination in workplaces, housing, and public life. The New York State Legislative session ends June 4, 2026.