Enacts the remedial construction of New York labor law act, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7388
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RAMOS  -- 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  "remedial
   construction of New York labor law act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "remedial construction of New York labor law act".
   §  2. Legislative findings and intent. 1. The legislature hereby reaf-
 firms its longstanding intent  and  directive  that  the  labor  law  be
 construed liberally in favor of workers to accomplish its broad remedial
 purposes--including  but  not  limited to securing workers' wage floors,
 ensuring their rights to recover all earned wages  and  all  concomitant
 liquidated  damages  and other remedies, protecting workers from retali-
 ation, securing equal pay for equal work, and  defraying  the  harms  of
 unemployment. These remedial purposes not only protect workers, but also
 protect  law-abiding  employers  from  unfair competition by lawbreaking
 employers.
   2. Courts interpreting the labor law are hereby directed with this act
 to ensure all future interpretations of the labor law comport  with  its
 broad  remedial  purposes. This includes, with respect to exceptions and
 exemptions to the labor law's requirements of employers, construing  all
 such  exceptions and exemptions narrowly in order to maximize deterrence
 of unlawful conduct.
   § 3. The labor law is amended by adding a new section  5  to  read  as
 follows:
   §  5.  CONSTRUCTION. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE CONSTRUED
 LIBERALLY FOR THE  ACCOMPLISHMENT  OF  THE  REMEDIAL  PURPOSES  THEREOF,
 REGARDLESS  OF  WHETHER FEDERAL LABOR LAWS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
 THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT, 29 U.S.C. § 201 ET  SEQ.  AND  OTHER  LAWS
 WITH  PROVISIONS  WORDED  COMPARABLY  TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10772-01-5
 S. 7388                             2
 
 HAVE BEEN SO CONSTRUED. EXCEPTIONS TO AND EXEMPTIONS FROM THE PROVISIONS
 OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE CONSTRUED NARROWLY IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE  DETER-
 RENCE  OF  UNLAWFUL  CONDUCT  AND  ACCOMPLISH  THIS  CHAPTER'S  REMEDIAL
 PURPOSE.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.