Labor & Employment (Workers' Compensation)

in committee · New York · Senate Apr 28, 2026

S 8967: Relates to penalties for discrimination against employees

This bill increases penalties for employers who discriminate against employees under New York's workers' compensation law. It sets penalties at three times the employee's total compensation (wages and benefits from the previous year), with half paid directly to the affected employee and half to the state treasury. Employers - not their insurance carriers - are personally liable for these penalties, and any insurance clause attempting to exempt them is void. Employees must file discrimination complaints within two years of the incident. The law takes effect 90 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases penalties for employment discrimination, making employers personally liable and directing half penalties to affected employees, strengthening worker protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Employment Discrimination Workers' Compensation

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in committee · New York · Assembly May 15, 2026

A 9571: Relates to increasing short-term disability benefits

This bill (A 9571) increases family leave benefits under New York's workers' compensation law, directly affecting eligible employees taking leave for medical care, bonding with a newborn, or military family exigencies. It gradually raises weekly benefit percentages (from 50% to 67% of average weekly wage) and extends maximum leave duration (from 8 to 12 weeks) over time, with specific phased-in dates starting in 2018. Covered employers must provide these enhanced benefits while maintaining health insurance coverage during leave. The changes apply to employees meeting eligibility criteria under the law, with the Superintendent of Financial Services retaining limited authority to delay increases.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareIncreases disability benefits for medical leave, expanding access to healthcare during treatment and recovery per bill's medical care focus.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases weekly disability benefits (50%→67% wage) and extends leave duration (8→12 weeks), directly expanding worker benefits under labor protections.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly covers 'military family exigencies' as a leave reason, directly supporting veterans' families through enhanced disability benefits.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Paid Leave Workers' Compensation Military Families

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in committee · New York · Assembly Feb 4, 2025

A 1677: Relates to claims for mental injury premised upon extraordinary work-related stress incurred at work

Relates to claims for mental injury premised upon extraordinary work-related stress incurred at work, including claims for post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder or major depressive disorder resulting from work-related stress when demonstrated that such disorder arose out of extraordinary work-related stress attributable to a distinct work-related event or events directly related to the employment and occurring during the performance of the employee's job duties; amends the effectiveness thereof.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workers' ability to claim mental health injuries from work stress, strengthening workplace safety protections and worker rights under employment standards.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 29, 2026

S 8052: Provides a disability presumption to members of public retirement systems

Provides that a member of a public retirement system who has been determined to have a permanent partial disability by the workers' compensation board of the state of New York, and who the United States social security administration has determined is disabled for substantial gainful activity, and approved for social security disability benefits, shall be deemed to be disabled for the purposes of eligibility for disability benefits of such public retirement system.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentStreamlines disability benefit eligibility for public workers by presuming disability based on existing workers' comp and Social Security determinations, protecting access to retirement benefits.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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in committee · New York · Senate May 20, 2026

S 3951: Prohibits cases from being closed without a hearing or written stipulation; repealer

Prohibits cases from being closed without a hearing or written stipulation; requires a stenographic record of all hearings held; requires minutes and decisions to be provided to the injured worker in their native language.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires hearings and language-accessible records for injured workers, directly protecting their rights in claims processing95% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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vetoed · New York · Assembly Dec 12, 2025

A 2748: Relates to eligibility for classification as permanent total disability

Relates to eligibility for classification as permanent total disability; includes inability to perform the full range of sedentary work or approval for federal social security disability benefits as a result of a compensable accident or occupational disease as constituting permanent total disability.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands eligibility for permanent total disability benefits by including inability to perform sedentary work or federal disability approval for work-related injuries, directly protecting workers' rights and expanding benefits.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 4673: Relates to benefits for police officers, correction officers, firefighters, and other emergency personnel diagnosed with PTSD

Relates to benefits for police officers, correction officers, firefighters, and other emergency personnel diagnosed with PTSD by making their injury compensable if it cannot be shown, by a preponderance of evidence, that the PTSD was caused by factors unrelated to their occupation.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands compensable injury benefits for emergency personnel with work-related PTSD, strengthening workplace safety and benefits protections for high-risk occupations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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in committee · New York · Senate Jun 4, 2025

S 7193: Relates to the effectiveness of the New York black car operators' injury compensation fund, inc.

This bill extends the expiration date of New York's Black Car Operators' Injury Compensation Fund by three years, directly affecting black car operators (like ride-share drivers) who rely on this fund for work injury compensation. It amends the fund's governing law to change its expiration from six years to nine years after implementation. The key provision adjusts the fund's operational timeline without altering its compensation structure or eligibility rules. This extension ensures continued access to injury benefits for affected drivers without new policy changes.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends injury compensation fund for black car operators, ensuring continued access to workplace injury benefits without altering eligibility or structure.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Workers' Compensation

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 7272: Relates to benefits for police officers, correction officers, firefighters, and other emergency personnel diagnosed with PTSD

Relates to benefits for police officers, correction officers, firefighters, and other emergency personnel diagnosed with PTSD by making their injury compensable if it cannot be shown, by a preponderance of evidence, that the PTSD was caused by factors unrelated to their occupation.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands worker benefits by making PTSD compensable for emergency personnel without requiring proof of non-occupational cause, strengthening workplace injury protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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in committee · New York · Senate May 28, 2026

S 8131: Relates to payment of certain awards for disability

Includes the unaccrued portion of a non-schedule award in the amounts to be payable to and for the benefit of certain persons where a claimant was entitled to death benefits at the time of death.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill ensures full payment of unaccrued death benefits for workers' families, expanding entitlements under workers' compensation (a labor/employment benefit).90% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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