Skip to content
A779Assembly2025-2026 SessionSame asS12

Protect Public Workers' Rights

Official title

“Relates to the rights of public employees related to suspension or demotion upon the abolition or reduction of positions”

Sponsor Stacey Pheffer AmatoAD-23+5 co-sponsorsAffects Finance
Status
Signed by Governor
Impact
4/10
Low
Outcome
Signed into law

Bill progress

Signed into law

What's happening

This bill ensures that collective bargaining agreements granting greater rights to public employees regarding suspension or demotion override the minimum rights in current law.

Why it matters

  1. Strengthens union-negotiated protections. This bill confirms that if a union contract gives public employees stronger rights regarding suspensions or demotions than what state law requires, those enhanced protections will prevail, reinforcing the value of collective bargaining.

  2. Direct impact on job security. Public employees may gain more certainty and security in their positions, as their negotiated rights against suspension or demotion cannot be reduced by changes to state law.

  3. Could influence future contract negotiations. By clarifying that contractual rights can exceed statutory protections, the bill may encourage unions to negotiate for even greater protections in future agreements, potentially raising standards across the public sector.

The daily · weekday mornings

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

Protect Public Workers' Rights

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Stacey Pheffer Amato

Assembly Member · Assembly District 23

Chair, Governmental Employees

History

  1. Signed chap.361
  2. Delivered to governor
  3. Returned to assembly
  4. Passed senateVote 59–0
  5. 3rd reading cal.286
  6. Substituted for S12
  7. Referred to civil service and pensions
  8. Delivered to senate
  9. Passed assembly
  10. Advanced to third reading cal.12
  11. Reported
  12. Referred to governmental employees

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.

S12Senate

Protect Public Worker Rights

Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Robert Jackson

Impact 4 · Low30% to pass

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

779

2025-2026 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)

January 8, 2025

Introduced by M. of A. PHEFFER AMATO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees

AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to the rights of public employees related to suspension or demotion upon the abolition or reduction of positions

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Section 80 of the civil service law is amended by adding a new subdivision 10 to read as follows:

10. Effect of collective bargaining agreements. Nothing contained in this section shall modify, replace or supersede any provision of a collective bargaining agreement that provides for greater rights than required by this section.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD00084-01-5

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.