S 6542: Relates to farm worker meal, lodging and utilities minimum wage credits being adjusted for cost of living increases.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6542 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 17, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. 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 requiring farm worker meal and lodging minimum wage credits are adjusted for cost of living increases 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 if any of the following items are provided to the employee: meals; 7 lodging; and utilities. The department shall publish updated allowance 8 amounts adjusted to reflect an increase in the rate of cost of living, 9 as determined by the cost of living adjustment calculator, on or before 10 December first, two thousand twenty-five, and every five years thereaft- 11 er, and such updated allowance amounts shall take effect on January 12 first next succeeding such publication. 13 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 14 have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00045-02-5