What's happening
This bill requires the New York Department of Labor to annually publish the names of large employers whose workers receive public assistance.
Why it matters
Increases transparency about low-wage employment. By requiring the publication of large employers whose workers rely on public assistance, the bill highlights which companies may be paying wages or providing benefits insufficient to keep employees off government aid.
Potential pressure on employers. Public disclosure could incentivize large employers to improve wages and benefits, as being listed might create reputational risk or public scrutiny around their labor practices.
Broad definition of public assistance. The bill covers a wide range of programs—including Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, SNAP, and the Earned Income Tax Credit—capturing more employers whose workers supplement their income with government aid.
Data-driven policy discussion. By making this information public, the bill enables lawmakers, advocates, and the public to better understand the overlap between employment and reliance on public assistance, potentially informing future labor and welfare policy decisions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Publish Employers of Aid Recipients
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to labor
- Referred to labor
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
166
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by Sen. RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring the department of labor to publish the names of employers which employ 50 or more employees who receive public assistance
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 12-a to read as follows:
§ 12-a. Publication of employers with employees receiving public assistance. 1. The department shall, on its internet website, post and annually update the names of employers which employ fifty or more employees who work not less than twenty-six weeks a year and not less than ten hours a week, and who receive public assistance.
2. For the purposes of this section "public assistance" includes:
a. medical assistance pursuant to title eleven of article five of the social services law;
b. child health insurance pursuant to title one-A of article twentyfive of the public health law;
c. assistance funded by the federal temporary assistance for needy families block grant program;
d. the earned income personal income tax credit pursuant to subsection (d) or (d-1) of section six hundred six of the tax law; or
e. supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits pursuant to section ninety-five of the social services law.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02155-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring the department of labor to publish the names of employers which employ 50 or more employees who receive public assistance
Purpose
Establishes disclosure requirements for certain employers whose workforce receives public assistance.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the Labor Law to include a new section 12a, which mandates the publication of employers with employees receiving certain forms of public assistance. The department shall on its internet website post and annually update the names of employers which employ one hundred or more employees who work not less than twenty six weeks a year and not less than ten hours a week and who receive public assistance. Section 2 determines the date the law shall take effect.
Justification
An April 2015 report, published by the University of California/Berkeley's Center for Labor Research and Education, analyzed state spending for Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and federal spending for those programs as well as food stamps and the Earned Income Tax Credit. It found that the American taxpayer in general, and the New York State taxpayer in particular, are subsidizing companies that pay low wages to its employees to an alarming degree. Quoting from the Report: "Overall, we find that between 2009 and 2011 the federal government spent $127.8 billion per year on these four programs for working families and the states collectively spent $25 billion per year on Medicaid/CHIP and TANF for working families for a total of $152.8 billion per year. In all, more than half ---- 56 percent ---- of combined state and federal spending on public assistance goes to working families." Further, 52 percent of the all state spending supported working families, defined as working for 26 weeks a year and 10 hours a week. UC Berkeley concluded that in New York $3.3 billion of public assistance went to working families.
It is clear that the New York taxpayer is thus subsidizing people who work because their employers do not pay a living wage. New York taxpayer have a fundamental right to know where their tax dollars are spent, and for what reason. While the struggle to increase wages in New York State continues, this bill would add much-needed transparency to how our taxes are spent. It mandates that the Department of Labor will disclose on its website the name of any employer in the state that has 50 or more employees on any of these types of public assistance.
Legislative history
2015-2016: 55291
Fiscal implications
To Be Determined
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.