NY A03255

Requires courts and the commissioner to award reasonable attorneys' fees and costs to prevailing plaintiffs in discrimination cases under New York's Human Rights Law, expanding beyond the current limitation to employment and housing discrimination only

Allows expert witness fees to be awarded in the same manner as attorneys' fees to prevailing plaintiffs

Permits discretionary award of attorneys' fees to prevailing defendants only if they demonstrate the action was frivolous, brought in bad faith, or had no reasonable legal basis

Exempts the Division of Human Rights from paying or receiving attorneys' fees unless the division is acting in its capacity as an employer

Expands availability of punitive damages by removing language that limited them to employment discrimination (private employers) and housing discrimination cases only