New York S 7990: Establishes the office of special investigation for work-related fatalities

Bill Text

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S07990 Summary:

BILL NOS07990 

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SAME ASSAME AS A10285

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SPONSORMAYER

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §70-d, Exec L; amd §671, County L

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Establishes the office of special investigation for work-related fatalities; provides direction for coroners and medical examiners when dealing with such fatalities.

Go to top S07990 Actions:

BILL NOS07990 

&nbsp

05/15/2025REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

01/07/2026REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

03/24/2026REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO LABOR

05/13/2026REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE

Go to topS07990 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS07990 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS07990 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 7990

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 May 15, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. MAYER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
 ment Operations

 AN ACT to amend the executive law and the county law, in relation to
 establishing the office of special investigation for work-related
 fatalities

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

 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 70-d
 2 to read as follows:
 3 § 70-d. Office of special investigation for work-related fatalities.
 4 1. There is hereby established within the office of the attorney gener-
 5 al an office of special investigation for work-related fatalities. The
 6 attorney general shall have investigatory authority and criminal juris-
 7 diction to investigate and, if warranted, prosecute any alleged criminal
 8 offense committed in connection with the death of a worker arising from
 9 or occurring during the course of employment, regardless of the worker's
 10 occupation, employer, or industry.
 11 2. For the purposes of this section:
 12 (a) "Employee" shall include, but not be limited to, direct employees,
 13 contracted employees, subcontracted employees, independent contractors,
 14 temporary or contingency workers, apprentices, interns, volunteers, or
 15 any other persons who perform duties at the direction and discretion of
 16 an employer or who provides services pursuant to a contract in the work-
 17 place.
 18 (b) "Employer" shall include a direct employer, contractor, or subcon-
 19 tractor. In the absence of a formal hiring agreement, the person who
 20 directs or provides compensation to the worker shall be considered the
 21 employer unless such person is also directed and compensated by another.
 22 In such cases, the persons successively above the worker in the employ-
 23 ment chain shall be considered the employer. In the instance of the

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD13071-01-5

 S. 7990 2

 1 death of an intern or volunteer, the entity directing such intern or
 2 volunteer in their duties as such shall be considered the employer.
 3 (c) "Workplace" shall include, but not be limited to, any location
 4 where a worker performs any work-related duty in the course of their
 5 employment, or any other site where the worker may be as a result of the
 6 employer's direction.
 7 (d) "Work-related fatality" shall mean the death of any employee that
 8 occurs during the course and scope of employment and results from acts
 9 or omissions occurring at a workplace, including but not limited to
 10 machinery accidents, falls, structural failures, workplace violence, or
 11 employer negligence. A "work-related fatality" does not include deaths
 12 due solely to natural causes, unless such causes were precipitated or
 13 accelerated by conditions of employment or the work environment.
 14 3. (a) The attorney general shall investigate any incident within the
 15 state that has been referred to the office pursuant to section six
 16 hundred seventy-one of the county law, where an employee may have died
 17 during the performance of work-related duties, or as a result of condi-
 18 tions or actions occurring in the workplace, including but not limited
 19 to: unsafe working conditions; employer negligenc