A bill to protect medical marijuana patients from eviction has been given approval by a key committee in the New York Legislature.
The New York Senate Standing Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development has approved Senate Bill 3689, moving it forward in the legislative process and closer to a full Senate vote.
Filed in January by Senators James Sanders Jr. (D), Robert Jackson (D), Brian Kavanagh (D), and John Liu (D), the measure would prohibit landlords from evicting tenants solely due to their certified use of medical marijuana. The bill, which amends New York’s Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law, would provide additional legal protections for tenants who are registered medical marijuana patients under state law.
If enacted, the legislation would establish that a tenant’s certified medical use of marijuana cannot be used as the sole reason for eviction. However, it does not prevent landlords from pursuing evictions on other lawful grounds unrelated to medical marijuana use. The bill also allows tenants to use their status as certified medical marijuana patients as a defense in eviction proceedings.
For the bill’s text, click here.
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