S 7388: Provides that the New York labor law shall be construed liberally for the accomplishment of its remedial purposes.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7388 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE 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: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "remedial construction of New York labor law act". 3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. 1. The legislature hereby reaf- 4 firms its longstanding intent and directive that the labor law be 5 construed liberally in favor of workers to accomplish its broad remedial 6 purposes--including but not limited to securing workers' wage floors, 7 ensuring their rights to recover all earned wages and all concomitant 8 liquidated damages and other remedies, protecting workers from retali- 9 ation, securing equal pay for equal work, and defraying the harms of 10 unemployment. These remedial purposes not only protect workers, but also 11 protect law-abiding employers from unfair competition by lawbreaking 12 employers. 13 2. Courts interpreting the labor law are hereby directed with this act 14 to ensure all future interpretations of the labor law comport with its 15 broad remedial purposes. This includes, with respect to exceptions and 16 exemptions to the labor law's requirements of employers, construing all 17 such exceptions and exemptions narrowly in order to maximize deterrence 18 of unlawful conduct. 19 § 3. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 5 to read as 20 follows: 21 § 5. Construction. The provisions of this chapter shall be construed 22 liberally for the accomplishment of the remedial purposes thereof, 23 regardless of whether federal labor laws, including but not limited to 24 the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq. and other laws 25 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 1 have been so construed. Exceptions to and exemptions from the provisions 2 of this chapter shall be construed narrowly in order to maximize deter- 3 rence of unlawful conduct and accomplish this chapter's remedial 4 purpose. 5 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.