What's happening
This bill expands wage payment law coverage to include employees of counties, towns, villages, school districts, and other public entities.
Why it matters
Expands worker protections. By including employees of counties, towns, villages, school districts, and other public entities under wage payment laws, the bill ensures that public sector workers receive the same legal protections regarding timely and complete wage payments as private sector employees.
Enables legal recourse. Public employees who experience wage payment violations, such as delayed or withheld pay, will have access to the same complaint processes, enforcement mechanisms, and remedies as private sector workers, potentially reducing wage theft or administrative errors.
Creates uniform standards. Applying wage payment laws to both public and private employers standardizes payroll practices across all sectors, potentially simplifying compliance for workers who change jobs between public and private employment and reducing confusion about their rights.
Signals government accountability. Including public employers underscores the expectation that government entities must meet the same labor standards as private businesses, promoting trust in public administration and equality under the law.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Include Public Jobs in Wage Law
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.
Extend Wage Laws to Public Workers
In Assembly Committee · Labor · Sponsor Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5087
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 8, 2019
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- 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 including public employment in wage payment provisions
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 190 of the labor law, as amended by chapter 281 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
3. "Employer" includes any person, corporation, limited liability company, or association employing any individual in any occupation, industry, trade, business or service. The term "employer" shall [not] include [a governmental agency] counties, towns, villages, school districts, and any other municipal corporations or public authorities.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00220-01-9
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 includ- ing public employment in wage payment provisions
Purpose
The bill provides a remedy for employees who are not paid by their public employer.
Summary of provisions
The bill adds public employees to Article 6 of the Labor Law.
Justification
Currently public employees are forced to resort to grievance arbi- tration, which may take place over an inordinate length of time and cost, in order to recover unpaid earned wages. This is particularly problematic for non-union employees. There are no consequences for a public employer failing to pay wages, such as a school district retain- ing compensation for extracurricular activities to teachers or for contingent workers. Adding public employers to existing law will serve as deterrent to employers withholding funds and provide a safety net for compensation.
Legislative history
2017-18: S.3119 - REFERRED TO LABOR 2015-16: S.1774 - Referred to Labor 2013-14: S.7895 - Referred to Rules
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Takes effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.