What's happening
This bill allows New Yorkers collecting unemployment to work part-time and receive partial benefits, with benefit reductions based on part-time earnings.
Why it matters
Encourages workforce re-entry and flexibility. By allowing individuals to work part-time while still collecting partial unemployment benefits, the bill helps ease the transition back to full employment and supports those who can only find or accept part-time positions.
Provides financial incentive to work. The reduction of benefits by 50% of part-time earnings means claimants still keep a portion of their unemployment support even as they earn wages, reducing the "benefits cliff" that can discourage people from accepting part-time work.
Requires clear and regular reporting. Claimants must report their part-time earnings each pay period, increasing transparency and accountability, but also creating an added administrative requirement for both workers and the Department of Labor.
Imposes penalties for dishonesty. False or inaccurate reporting of part-time wages will trigger existing penalties, reinforcing the importance of accurate income disclosure and aiming to deter fraud.
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Who cares
Unemployment claimants taking part-time jobs
The bill would allow them to collect partial unemployment benefits, reducing benefits by 50 percent of their part-time income during each compensable period.
New York State Department of Labor
The commissioner would determine how to apply the benefit reduction and could issue rules needed to implement the bill.
Unemployment claimants reporting part-time wages
They would have to report earnings each compensable period and would face existing statutory penalties for inaccurate reporting or failure to report.
Headline styles
Let Unemployed Work Part-Time
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
8 Co-sponsors
History
- Held for consideration in labor
- Referred to labor
- Referred to labor
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4295
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 2, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. GOODELL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to allowing claimants collecting unemployment to obtain part-time work without losing their unemployment benefits
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 590 of the labor law, as amended by chapter 645 of the laws of 1951, is amended to read as follows:
1. Entitlement to benefits. A claimant shall be entitled to accumulate effective days for the purpose of benefit rights only if he has complied with the provisions of this article regarding the filing of his claim, including the filing of a valid original claim, registered as totally unemployed or partially employed pursuant to section five hundred ninety-a of this title, reported his subsequent employment and unemployment, and reported for work or otherwise given notice of the continuance of his unemployment.
§ 2. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 590-a to read as follows:
§ 590-a. Reductions in unemployment benefits due to part-time work. 1. Entitlement to benefits. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary any claimant who accepts part-time work shall be eligible to collect partial unemployment pursuant to this section provided such claimant meets the criteria outlined in this section.
2. Reporting part-time employment. A claimant collecting unemployment who is paid for part-time employment while collecting unemployment shall be required to report during each compensable period the amount of money earned from such part-time work.
3. Benefit rate. A claimant's unemployment benefit shall be reduced by fifty percent of the part-time income during a compensable period, in a manner determined by the commissioner.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09137-01-7
A. 4295 2
4. Penalties for false or inaccurate reporting. The provisions of section five hundred ninety-four of this title shall control should a claimant inaccurately report or fail to report the amount of part-time wages earned during any compensable period.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law provided, however that the commissioner of labor may promulgate any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of this act prior to such effective date.
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.