What's happening
This bill sets minimum wage rates for small employers and youth workers in New York, effective December 31, 2018.
Why it matters
Creates a special minimum wage tier for small businesses (50 or fewer employees), setting lower rates than those for larger employers—potentially easing financial pressure on small business owners but leading to a two-tier wage system for workers.
Establishes a youth minimum wage (ages 15–20), which matches the new small business rates, potentially making it cheaper for employers to hire young workers—this could boost youth employment but also legalizes lower pay for younger workers even if they do the same work as adults.
Codifies regional differences within New York State, with the highest rates in New York City and lower rates in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and the rest of the state—this recognizes cost-of-living variations but creates geographic disparities in worker pay.
Links these minimums to the federal standard if it ever exceeds the state rates, ensuring future alignment and preventing New York’s minimum wage for these groups from falling below the federal floor.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Lower Minimum Wage for Youth
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to labor
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8307
IN SENATE
April 30, 2018
Introduced by Sen. GOLDEN -- 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 minimum wage requirements for certain employers and employees
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 652 of the labor law is amended by adding two new subdivisions 7 and 8 to read as follows:
7. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other subdivision of this section, every employer of fifty or less employees shall pay for each hour worked a wage of not less than, or if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors:
(a) New York City. Every employer shall pay to each of its eligible employees for each hour worked in the city of New York a wage of not less than $13.00 per hour on or after December 31, 2018.
(b) Remainder of Downstate. Every employer shall pay to each of its eligible employees a wage for each hour worked in the counties of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester a wage of not less than $11.00 per hour on or after December 31, 2018.
(c) Remainder of state. Every employer shall pay to each of its eligible employees a wage for each hour worked outside of the city of New York and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, a wage of not less than $10.40 per hour on or after December 31, 2018.
8. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other subdivision in this section, every employer shall pay to each employee who is between the ages of fifteen and twenty, for each hour worked a wage of not less than, or if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors:
(a) New York City. Every employer shall pay to each of its eligible employees for each hour worked in the city of New York a wage of not less than $13.00 per hour on or after December 31, 2018.
(b) Remainder of Downstate. Every employer shall pay to each of its eligible employees a wage for each hour worked in the counties of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15570-01-8
S. 8307 2
Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester a wage of not less than $11.00 per hour on or after December 31, 2018.
(c) Remainder of state. Every employer shall pay to each of its eligible employees a wage for each hour worked outside of the city of New York and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, a wage of not less than $10.40 per hour on or after December 31, 2018.
§ 2. This act shall take effect December 31, 2018.
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 minimum wage requirements for certain employers and employees
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would will cap the State minimum wage for all employees work- ing for firms with less than fifty-one employees, and for all employees under age 21 at the rate set as of December 31, 2017.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill adds two new subdivisions to section 652 of the Labor Law to cap the minimum wage as established as of December 31, 2017 for firms that employ 50 workers or less (small employers) and for employees aged between 16 and 20.
The new subdivision 7 sets the minimum wage for in the City of New York at $13.00 per hour, $11.00 for Long Island and Westchester County, and $10.40 for the rest of the State for all employees working for firms with fifty employees or less.
Subdivision 8 sets similar minimum wage rates for all employees under 21, regardless of the size of the firm for which they work.
Section 2 provides for an effective date of December 31, 2018.
Justification
New York State is scheduled to have the nation's highest minimum wage ($15 an hour in New York City) by a substantial margin at the end of 2017. Workers in restaurant chains will get to the $15.00 level around the State even quicker.
This level of a minimum wage set to provide a "living wage" for all employers may be justifiable for head of household workers, but this level of compensation will provide significant barriers for workers looking to enter employment on the path to a real career. In addition, smaller employers will find the competitive pressure of such a high compensation level often forcing them to reduce staffing, relocate outside of New York, or closing down altogether.
Capping minimum wage rates for small employers and workers just entering the labor force will maintain the advantages of providing a living wage for employees whose households are most dependent on the increased income, while protecting our vulnerable small employers and helping early entrants gain invaluable experience.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
Not Applicable.
Effective date
This act will take effect on December 31, 2018.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.