On April 5, 2017, the New York City Council approved the passage of a bill which formally amends the New York City Human Rights Law. The bill makes it a discriminatory employment practice for an employer to:

1. inquire about the salary history of an applicant for employment, which includes either asking the applicant directly about his or her salary history or conducting a search of publicly available records or reports; or
2. rely on the salary history of an applicant in determining that applicant’s salary at any stage in the employment process, unless the applicant “unprompted” and “willingly” discloses his or her prior salary information.

The law applies to all employers, both public and private. It is slated to go into effect 180 days after it is signed.