A 1697: Relates to farm worker meal, lodging and utilities minimum wage credits being adjusted for cost of living increases.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1697 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Labor AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to farm worker meal and lodg- ing minimum wage credits The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 673 of the labor law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 3 to read as follows: 3 3. Meals, lodging and utilities allowances. Notwithstanding any other 4 provision of law or regulation to the contrary, the following items and 5 their respective values may be considered part of the minimum wage rate, 6 and shall be annually adjusted to reflect an increase in the rate of 7 cost of living, as determined by the cost of living adjustment calcula- 8 tor, if any of the following items are provided to the employee: 9 a. Meals. Employees may be charged $2.97 per meal on or after January 10 first, two thousand twenty-five. No allowance for meals shall be 11 considered as part of the minimum wage if a migrant seasonal employee 12 earns less than $441.01 in a two-week period on or after January first, 13 two thousand twenty-five, other than by reason of voluntary absence. 14 b. Lodging and utilities. (1) Migrant seasonal employees. No allowance 15 for lodging or utilities shall be considered as part of the minimum wage 16 for a migrant seasonal employee. (2) All other employees. All other 17 employees not provided for in subparagraph one of this paragraph may be 18 charged $33.12 per week on and after January first, two thousand twen- 19 ty-five per employee for single occupancy or $22.12 per week on and 20 after January first, two thousand twenty-five per employee for multiple 21 occupancy. When a house or apartment and utilities are furnished by an 22 employer to an employee, a fair and reasonable amount may be allowed for 23 such facilities, which amount shall not exceed the lesser of either the 24 reasonable value of comparable facilities in the locality, or $8.74 a 25 day on and after January first, two thousand twenty-five for an individ- EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00045-01-5 
 A. 1697 2 1 ual employee, and $13.99 a day on and after January first, two thousand 2 twenty-five when the employee's family resides with the employee. 3 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 4 have become a law.