What's happening
This bill allows essential federal workers in New York to receive unemployment benefits during federal government shutdowns, requiring repayment if back pay is later received.
Why it matters
Provides a financial lifeline for essential federal workers. During federal government shutdowns, these workers are often required to work without pay, causing immediate hardship; this bill ensures they can access unemployment benefits to cover living expenses during those periods.
Requires repayment if back pay is received. If the federal government later pays workers for the shutdown period, those employees must repay the unemployment benefits, preventing double compensation while still ensuring short-term support.
Works independently of federal decisions. The bill guarantees access to state unemployment benefits for essential workers, even if federal laws or guidance change, offering a stable, predictable safety net during shutdowns.
Defines eligibility clearly. "Essential federal worker" and "shutdown" are specifically defined, reducing ambiguity and ensuring the law targets only those affected by unpaid work during federal funding lapses.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Unemployment for Essential Workers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
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.
Unemployment Aid for Essential Workers
In Senate Committee · Labor · Sponsor Anna Kaplan
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6984
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 3, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. DenDEKKER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to making unemployment insurance benefits available to essential federal workers during a federal government shutdown
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 591-b to read as follows:
§ 591-b. Federal shutdown; benefits for essential federal workers. 1. As used in this section, the term:
(a) "essential federal worker":
(i) means an employee of a federal government agency who is required to work without pay during a shutdown; and
(ii) is a resident of this state; and
(b) "shutdown" means any period in which there is more than a twentyfour hour lapse in appropriations for any federal government agency or federal department as a result of a failure of the federal government to enact a regular appropriations bill or continuing resolution.
2. Any essential federal worker shall be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits pursuant to this article during the period of a shutdown. If a shutdown ends and an essential federal worker is paid by the federal government for any period of time the essential federal worker worked without pay during the shutdown, the essential federal worker shall reimburse the unemployment insurance fund in an amount equal to the unemployment insurance benefits the essential federal worker received during the period of the shutdown. Such reimbursement of unemployment insurance benefits by such essential federal worker shall occur within ninety days after the end of such shutdown. The provisions of this section shall apply regardless of passage of federal legislation or the issuance of federal guidance from the United States department of labor or another federal agency which allows an essential federal worker to receive unemployment insurance benefits.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09815-01-9
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.