What's happening
This bill expands protections for employees against employer retaliation when they report certain legal or ethical violations to supervisors, authorities, or the public.
Why it matters
Broadens the scope of whistleblower protection. By including disclosures about violations of specific sections of the Public Officers Law and Penal Law (such as corruption, official misconduct, and certain types of fraud), the bill expands what counts as protected reporting, not just threats to public health or safety.
Covers more types of reporting. Employees are protected not only when reporting to supervisors or official bodies, but also when making information public, which could encourage transparency and empower workers to speak out without fear of retaliation.
Encourages ethical behavior and deters misconduct. By shielding employees who protest or refuse to participate in illegal or unethical acts, the bill helps create a workplace culture where following the law and ethical standards is prioritized over protecting an employer’s reputation.
Supports accountability in both public and private sectors. The inclusion of references to public officers and penal laws means the bill’s protections are relevant for both government and private-sector employees, aiming to expose and prevent corruption, fraud, and abuse across a wide range of workplaces.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Whistleblowers on Bribery
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
25 Co-sponsors
- Sandy Galef
- Michael G. Miller
- Jeffrey Dinowitz
- Albert A. Stirpe
- Addie Jenne
- James Skoufis
- Michael Montesano
- Gary Finch
- Richard Gottfried
- Victor M. Pichardo
- William Colton
- Latoya Joyner
- Walter T. Mosley
- Carmen E. Arroyo
- Charles Barron
- Earlene Hooper
- Fred Thiele
- Ellen C. Jaffee
- Andrew Raia
- Kevin Cahill
- Peter Lawrence
- Phil Steck
- Luis R. Sepúlveda
- Barbara Lifton
- Jose Rivera
History
- Referred to labor
- Referred to labor
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Protect Whistleblowers From Retaliation
In Senate Committee · Labor · Sponsor Diane J. Savino
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2156
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 17, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI, GALEF, M. G. MILLER, DINOWITZ, STIRPE, JENNE, SKOUFIS, MONTESANO, FINCH, GOTTFRIED, PICHARDO, COLTON, JOYNER, MOSLEY, ARROYO, BARRON, HOOPER, THIELE, JAFFEE, GRAF, RAIA, CAHILL, LAWRENCE, STECK, SEPULVEDA, LIFTON, RIVERA -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, GIGLIO, GLICK, LOPEZ, MAGEE, SIMON, SIMOTAS -read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to retaliatory action by employers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 740 of the labor law, as added by chapter 660 of the laws of 1984, paragraph (a) as amended by chapter 442 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
2. Prohibitions. An employer shall not take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because such employee does any of the following:
(a) (i) discloses, or threatens to disclose to a supervisor or to a public body an activity, policy or practice of the employer that is in violation of law, rule or regulation which violation creates and presents a substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety, or which constitutes health care fraud; or
[(b)] (ii) provides information to, or testifies before, any public body conducting an investigation, hearing or inquiry into any such violation of a law, rule or regulation by such employer; or
[(c)] (iii) objects to, or refuses to participate in any such activity, policy or practice in violation of a law, rule or regulation[.]; or
(b) protests or discloses, whether to a supervisor, a public entity, or to the public in general, any action that constitutes a violation of section seventy-three, seventy-three-A, seventy-four, seventy-five, or seventy-six of the public officers law or section 175.20, 175.25, 175.40, 195.20 or article two hundred of the penal law.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03380-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.