What's happening
This bill adds a severability clause to the labor law regarding discrimination based on reproductive health decisions, ensuring unaffected provisions remain valid if any part is ruled invalid.
Why it matters
Preserves Legal Protections. By adding a severability clause, the bill ensures that if any part of the law protecting employees from discrimination based on reproductive health choices is struck down, the rest of the protections remain in force, maintaining legal safeguards for workers.
Limits Impact of Court Challenges. The amendment confines the effect of any court ruling that finds a specific provision invalid to only that provision and the particular people or circumstances involved, preventing broader disruption to the law.
Clarifies Legislative Intent. Explicitly states that the legislature intends the law to stand even if certain sections are found invalid, which can guide courts to preserve as much of the law as possible and uphold the overall purpose of protecting reproductive health decision rights in the workplace.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Keep Law If Part Invalid
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.85
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading cal.375
- Substituted for A8981
- Referred to labor
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 49–10
- Ordered to third reading cal.121
- Referred to rules
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.
Protect Rest of Labor Law
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Ellen C. Jaffee
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7197
IN SENATE
January 10, 2020
Introduced by Sen. METZGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to the severability of certain provisions
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 203-e of the labor law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2019, amending the labor law relating to discrimination based on an employee's or a dependent's reproductive health decision making, as proposed in legislative bill numbers S. 660 and A. 584, is amended by adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. If any word, phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstances shall, for any reason, be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, and the application thereof to other persons or circumstances, but shall be confined in its operation to the word, phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered and to the person or circumstances involved. It is hereby declared to be the intent of the legislature that this section would have been enacted even if such invalid provisions had not been included herein.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2019, amending the labor law relating to discrimination based on an employee's or a dependent's reproductive health decision making, as proposed in legislative bill numbers S. 660 and A. 584, takes effect.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02778-07-0
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 the severability of certain provisions
Purpose
This is a Chapter Amendment that makes changes to provisions of L.2019, Ch.457.
Summary of provisions
This legislation amends the underlying chapter by adding a severability clause.
Justification
The underlying chapter sought to prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based on the employees' or dependent's reproductive health decisions, and to provide remedies for such violations. The chap- ter amendment adds a severability clause.
Legislative history
Chapter amendment to Chapter 457 of the Laws of 2019.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2019, amending the labor law relating to discrim- ination based on an employee's or a dependent's reproductive health decision making, as proposed in legislative bill numbers S. 660 and A. 584, takes effect.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.