New York A 4278: Enacts the Empowering People in Rights Enforcement (EMPIRE) Worker Protection Act

Bill Text

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A04278 Summary:

BILL NOA04278B

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SAME ASSAME AS S09821

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SPONSORSimon (MS)

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COSPNSRAlvarez, Reyes, Shrestha, Kim, Dinowitz, Gallagher, Epstein, Rosenthal, Taylor, Cruz, Bores,
 Forrest, Carroll R, Cunningham, Burdick, Davila, Jacobson, Bronson, Tapia, Raga, Kelles, Lucas,
 Levenberg, Eachus, Glick, Weprin, Colton, Meeks, Lunsford, Ramos, Santabarbara, Gibbs, Conrad,
 Septimo, Rivera, Sayegh, Bichotte Hermelyn, Burke, Steck, Walker, Cook, DeStefano, Lavine, Rozic,
 Hevesi, Gonzalez-Rojas, Rajkumar, Mitaynes, Zinerman, Lee, Simone, Paulin, Otis, Shimsky, Clark,
 McMahon, Solages, Valdez, Stirpe, Carroll P, Wright, Seawright, Benedetto, Lasher, Schiavoni, De
 Los Santos, Anderson, Hooks, Moreno, Romero

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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 A04278 Actions:

BILL NOA04278B

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02/03/2025referred to labor

03/19/2025amend and recommit to labor

03/19/2025print number 4278a

12/31/2025amend and recommit to labor

12/31/2025print number 4278b

01/07/2026referred to labor

Go to topA04278 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA04278 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topA04278 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4278--B

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 February 3, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, ALVAREZ, REYES, SHRESTHA, MAMDANI, KIM,
 DINOWITZ, GALLAGHER, ROSENTHAL, TAYLOR, CRUZ, BORES, FORREST,
 R. CARROLL, CUNNINGHAM, BURDICK, DAVILA, JACOBSON, BRONSON, TAPIA,
 RAGA, KELLES, LUCAS, LEVENBERG, EACHUS, GLICK, WEPRIN, COLTON, MEEKS,
 LUNSFORD, RAMOS, SANTABARBARA, GIBBS, CONRAD, SEPTIMO, RIVERA, SAYEGH,
 BICHOTTE HERMELYN, BURKE, STECK, WALKER, COOK, DeSTEFANO, LAVINE,
 ROZIC, HEVESI, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, RAJKUMAR, MITAYNES, ZINERMAN, LEE,
 SIMONE, PAULIN, OTIS, SHIMSKY, CLARK, McMAHON, SOLAGES, VALDEZ,
 STIRPE, P. CARROLL, WRIGHT, SEAWRIGHT, BENEDETTO, LASHER, SCHIAVONI,
 DE LOS SANTOS, HOOKS -- read once and referred to the Committee on
 Labor -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
 amended and recommitted to said committee -- again reported from said
 committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommit-
 ted to said committee

 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

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01897-12-6

 A. 4278--B 2

 1 enforcement actions in certain contexts in which the state does not have
 2 the means to fully enforce labor law protections.
 3 3. The legislature further finds and declares that the purpose of the
 4 EMPIRE Worker Protection Act is to create a means of empowering citizens
 5 as private attorneys general to enforce the New York labor law.
 6 4. The legislature further finds and declares that the purpose of the
 7 EMPIR