What's happening
This bill requires the New York Department of Labor to annually publish the names of large employers whose workers receive public assistance.
Why it matters
Increases transparency about which large employers have significant numbers of workers relying on public assistance, potentially highlighting companies where pay or benefits may be insufficient to meet basic needs.
May incentivize large employers to improve wages, hours, or benefits to avoid public association with high employee reliance on government aid, possibly reducing the burden on public assistance programs.
Covers a broad range of public benefits—including Medicaid, child health insurance, TANF, earned income tax credits, and SNAP—so it reflects the full spectrum of work-supporting assistance used by low-wage employees.
Could provide advocates, policymakers, and the public with valuable data for debates about working conditions, minimum wage laws, and the role of public subsidies in supporting low-wage business models.
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Who cares
New York State Department of Labor
The department would have to post employer names on its website and update the list annually.
Employers with 50 or more qualifying workers receiving assistance
Their names would be published if at least 50 employees work at least 26 weeks a year and 10 hours a week and receive covered benefits or tax credits.
Workers receiving covered benefits or tax credits
Their employers could appear on the list based on workers’ receipt of Medicaid, child health insurance, TANF-funded assistance, earned income tax credits or SNAP benefits.
Headline styles
Name Employers Using Public Aid
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- 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.
Name Big Employers Using Welfare
In Senate Committee · Labor · Sponsor Gustavo Rivera
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
987
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. MAMDANI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring the department of labor to publish the names of employers which employ 50 or more employees who receive public assistance
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 12-a to read as follows:
§ 12-a. Publication of employers with employees receiving public assistance. 1. The department shall, on its internet website, post and annually update the names of employers which employ fifty or more employees who work not less than twenty-six weeks a year and not less than ten hours a week, and who receive public assistance.
2. For the purposes of this section "public assistance" includes:
a. medical assistance pursuant to title eleven of article five of the social services law;
b. child health insurance pursuant to title one-A of article twentyfive of the public health law;
c. assistance funded by the federal temporary assistance for needy families block grant program;
d. the earned income personal income tax credit pursuant to subsection (d) or (d-1) of section six hundred six of the tax law; or
e. supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits pursuant to section ninety-five of the social services law.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00183-01-5
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.