What's happening
This bill lowers the weekly work hour requirement from forty to twenty hours for domestic workers to qualify for temporary disability benefits.
Why it matters
Expands access to benefits for part-time domestic workers. By lowering the threshold from forty to twenty hours per week, many more domestic workers—such as housekeepers, nannies, and caregivers—would now qualify for temporary disability insurance, providing financial support if they are unable to work due to illness or injury.
Addresses a significant coverage gap. Previously, many domestic workers who worked less than full-time hours for one employer were excluded from these benefits, leaving a vulnerable group without protection. This bill directly addresses that gap.
May increase responsibilities and costs for employers. Employers of domestic workers who hire for at least twenty hours per week would now be required to provide temporary disability coverage, which could mean additional administrative duties and insurance costs.
Recognizes and values domestic work. By aligning the benefits eligibility more closely with other types of employment, the bill acknowledges the importance and legitimacy of domestic labor in the workforce.
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Who cares
Domestic workers in private homes
The bill would lower the weekly work threshold for employer coverage under temporary disability benefits law from 40 to 20 hours, extending coverage to workers who meet the remaining requirements.
Households employing domestic workers
Employers with qualifying workers putting in 20 to 39 hours per week would become covered employers after the four-week waiting period, provided the workers are employed on at least 30 days in a calendar year.
Domestic worker advocates
The bill would expand temporary disability coverage to domestic workers working fewer than 40 hours a week without changing the law’s four-week waiting period or 30-day employment requirement.
Headline styles
Expand Disability for Domestic Workers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Ordered to third reading cal.407
- Advanced to third reading cal.227
- Reported
- Referred to labor
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5758
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 15, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. TITUS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to covered employment as a domestic worker for temporary disability benefits
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 202 of the workers' compensation law, as amended by chapter 65 of the laws of 1983, is amended to read as follows:
2. The provisions of subdivision one of this section shall not apply to an employer of personal or domestic employees in a private home, except an employer shall become a covered employer from and after the expiration of four weeks following the employment of one or more personal or domestic employees who work for a minimum of [forty] twenty hours per week for such employer and are employed on each of at least thirty days in any calendar year.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06116-01-7
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.