New York S 9821: Relates to compensation, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment for members of the district council 37 rent regulation services unit; repealer; appropriation

Bill Text

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S09821 Summary:

BILL NOS09821 

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SAME ASSAME AS A04278-B

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SPONSORSALAZAR

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COSPNSRBASKIN, BOTTCHER, BRISPORT, BROUK, CLEARE, COMRIE, COONEY, FAHY, FERNANDEZ, GIANARIS, GONZALEZ,
 GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY, JACKSON, KAVANAGH, KRUEGER, LIU, MAY, MAYER, MYRIE, PARKER, RAMOS,
 RIVERA, SANDERS, SCARCELLA-SPANTON, SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, SKOUFIS, WEBB

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MLTSPNSR

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Add Art 38 §§1150 - 1153, Lab L

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Enacts the "Empowering People in Rights Enforcement (EMPIRE) Worker Protection Act"; relates to the delegation of state enforcement authority to private actors; authorizes an affected employee, whistleblower, representative organization or an organizational deputy to initiate a public enforcement action on behalf of the commissioner for certain provisions of the labor law, or any regulation promulgated thereunder.

Go to top S09821 Actions:

BILL NOS09821 

&nbsp

04/07/2026REFERRED TO LABOR

Go to topS09821 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS09821 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS09821 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 9821

 IN SENATE

 April 7, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. SALAZAR, BRISPORT, BROUK, CLEARE, COMRIE, COONEY,
 FERNANDEZ, GIANARIS, GONZALEZ, GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY, JACKSON,
 KAVANAGH, KRUEGER, LIU, MAY, MAYER, MYRIE, RAMOS, RIVERA, SANDERS,
 SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and
 when printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor

 AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to enacting the "Empowering
 People in Rights Enforcement (EMPIRE) Worker Protection Act"

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

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "Empowering People in Rights Enforcement (EMPIRE) Worker Protection
 3 Act".
 4 § 2. Legislative findings. 1. The legislature finds and declares that
 5 violations of the labor law are often systemic, affecting many workers.
 6 2. The legislature further finds and declares that despite the labor
 7 law's strong protections for workers, limits on the availability of
 8 public enforcement resources have deleterious effects on the marketplace
 9 by allowing abuses targeting workers to persist unprosecuted. To ensure
 10 the robust enforcement of the labor law, while minimizing the outlay of
 11 scarce state funds, this act allows private individuals, labor organiza-
 12 tions, and labor organizations deputized by the state to bring public
 13 enforcement actions in certain contexts in which the state does not have
 14 the means to fully enforce labor law protections.
 15 3. The legislature further finds and declares that the purpose of the
 16 EMPIRE Worker Protection Act is to create a means of empowering citizens
 17 as private attorneys general to enforce the New York labor law.
 18 4. The legislature further finds and declares that the purpose of the
 19 EMPIRE Worker Protection Act is to incentivize private parties to
 20 recover civil penalties for the government that otherwise may not have
 21 been assessed and collected by overburdened state enforcement agencies.
 22 When the New York labor law is effectively enforced, it protects the
 23 interests of all New Yorkers and the state of New York. Such public
 24 enforcement actions are an efficient mechanism to limit systemic

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01897-14-6

 S. 9821 2

 1 violations, will enforce the rights of more workers, and can benefit the
 2 department of labor with enhanced resources.
 3 5. The legislature further finds and declares that the purpose of the
 4 EMPIRE Worker Protection Act is to benefit those employers who are oper-
 5 ating within the labor law, and who, as a result, face unfair competi-
 6 tion from individuals and entities shirking the labor law.
 7 6. The legislature further finds and declares that the purpose of the
 8 EMPIRE Worker Protection Act is to deter employers from stealing wages
 9 or committing other violations of the New York labor law and raise the
 10 cost of noncompliance with the New York labor law.
 11 7. The legislature further