Labor & Employment

in committee · New York · Senate Jun 5, 2026

S 8677: Relates to eligibility for paid sick leave

Requires an employer to provide sick leave to an employee who telecommutes at the same rate and under the same conditions that an employee present at the employer's work site would accrue it.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates equal sick leave access for telecommuters, expanding worker benefits under Labor & Employment protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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in committee · New York · Senate Jun 5, 2026

S 7660: Details the procedure that certain school districts must follow when dealing with disciplinary actions for bus drivers and bus driver's assistants

This bill requires school districts in Westchester, Putnam, Nassau, and Suffolk counties to follow existing union contracts when disciplining bus drivers and driver's assistants. Districts must honor these agreements before taking adverse actions unless a superintendent certifies the driver's conduct involved "egregious misconduct" creating immediate danger to students. If such certification occurs, districts must complete a 5-business-day expedited review process, bypassing standard grievance procedures. Drivers or assistants wrongfully disciplined during this process are entitled to punitive damages if exonerated. The law applies specifically to transportation contracts in those counties.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates adherence to union contracts in disciplinary actions, protecting workers' rights through collective bargaining agreements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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in committee · New York · Senate Jun 5, 2026

S 1018: Relates to education transportation contracts

S 1018 requires school districts in cities with at least one million residents (like New York City) to include specific worker protections in all contracts for transporting K-12 students. The bill mandates that these contracts must preserve wages, health benefits, retirement plans, seniority, and hiring preferences for school bus workers who were employed as of June 30, 2023, and became unemployed due to contract loss or service reductions. It applies directly to contractors and subcontractors providing school bus services, ensuring continuity of employment terms for affected workers. The law does not change existing bidding requirements for contracts but adds these labor protections as a condition for contract approval. This bill affects school districts, transportation contractors, and approximately 100,000 school bus workers in large urban areas.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates preservation of wages, health benefits, retirement, seniority, and hiring preferences for affected school bus workers in transportation contracts.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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in committee · New York · Senate Jun 5, 2026

S 8227: Prohibits the use of student loan payment credit history checks in certain cases

This bill (S 8227) prohibits most employers from asking about or using an applicant's student loan payment history when making hiring decisions. It directly affects job applicants with student loans by preventing employers from discriminating against them based on their loan repayment status. The law includes an exception for employers required by state/federal law or financial regulations (like those in the securities industry) to check this information. The provision takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentPrevents employment discrimination based on student loan status, protecting applicants' rights in hiring decisions per bill's explicit prohibition of employer use of loan history checks.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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in committee · New York · Senate Jun 5, 2026

S 162: Authorizes the commissioner of labor and the workers' compensation board to issue stop-work orders

Authorizes the commissioner of labor and the workers' compensation board to issue stop-work orders; establishes procedure for the issuance of such orders; establishes penalties for failure to comply with such orders.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAuthorizes stop-work orders for workplace safety enforcement, strengthening worker protection protocols and compliance with safety standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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in committee · New York · Senate Jun 5, 2026

S 1858: Expands protections regarding violations of safety conditions in adult care facilities

Expands protections regarding violations of safety conditions in adult care facilities; provides penalties for safety violations and operating without a valid license; prohibits reductions in fines in certain circumstances where a patient is endangered or harmed.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands patient safety protections in adult care facilities by imposing penalties for violations and prohibiting reduced fines when patients are endangered, directly strengthening healthcare facility safety standards.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands safety protections in facilities with penalties for violations, improving workplace safety for employees - aligning with Labor & Employment protections.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed both · New York · Senate Jun 5, 2026

S 8451: Enacts the New York fundamental artificial intelligence requirements in (FAIR) news act

Enacts the "New York fundamental artificial intelligence requirements in (FAIR) news act"; provides transparency requirements for news media content composed, authored, or otherwise created through generative AI.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly mandates workplace protections for news media workers, directly advancing labor & employment protections in the specified sector.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates AI oversight, fairness disclosures, and workplace protections for news media, regulating AI systems to protect workers and consumers per FAIR Act requirements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed both · New York · Assembly Jun 4, 2026

A 11560: Enacts the responsible data center development act

Places a one year moratorium on the issuance of data center permits; requires utilities to establish an independent classification of service for large data centers; sets energy efficiency goals for data centers; provides for benefits for host communities; sets labor standards for the construction of data centers.

Topics ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyBill imposes a moratorium on data center permits and sets efficiency goals, restricting energy infrastructure development.80% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly sets labor standards for data center construction, directly strengthening worker protections.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill promotes responsible data center development through energy efficiency, labor standards, and community benefits.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed · New York · Senate Jun 4, 2026

S 10240: Authorizes Larry Mendel to receive his 30 years of service credit granting eligibility for the length of service award program

This bill authorizes Larry Mendel, a retired volunteer firefighter from the Patterson Volunteer Fire Department, to receive the length of service award he was previously denied due to record-keeping errors. The legislation ensures that Mendel's service certificates will be accepted as proof of his over 30 years of work and grants him the benefits he would have earned had the records been kept correctly. Additionally, the bill mandates that Glatfelter Specialty Benefits, which has a contract with the fire department, must cover all costs associated with implementing these provisions. The law takes effect immediately to resolve this specific administrative issue without affecting other individuals or changing broader program rules.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill corrects record-keeping errors to grant a retired volunteer firefighter previously denied benefits, thereby protecting worker rights and expanding earned benefits.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed both · New York · Assembly Jun 4, 2026

A 10833: Relates to disability benefits for certain individuals employed by the Nassau county police department

Provides a performance of duty presumption for diseases of the heart for members who serve as an ambulance medical technician, ambulance medical coordinator, ambulance medical technician/supervisor or a member who performs ambulance medical technician related services, or a police medic, police medic coordinator, police medic supervisor, bureau director police emergency ambulance services - county, assistant bureau director police emergency ambulance services - county, or a member who performs police medic or police emergency ambulance related services and is employed in the Nassau county police department.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes a presumption for heart disease benefits for medical personnel, protecting their health and access to disability coverage.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands disability benefits and establishes a presumption for specific police roles, strengthening worker protections and benefits.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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