BILL NUMBER: S4478
SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the labor law and the education law, in relation to
creating a workplace rights document to be provided to minors seeking
employment
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would require the Department of Labor to provide a document on
workplace rights to any minor seeking working papers.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Requires that the Department of Labor provides a "Workplace
Rights Document" to any minor seeking working papers in order to be
employed in the state.
This document shall explain basic labor rights extended to workers.
These include: Child labor, wage and hour protections, worker safety,
workers' compensation, paid sick leave, prohibitions against retali-
ation, and the right to organize a union in the workplace. This docu-
ment shall be made available in the ten most commonly spoken languages
or any language otherwise requested by a minor seeking working papers.
The document shall be in a physical form but shall be made available
electronically on the department's website. The department shall be
responsible for making such documents available to all school officials
who issue working papers.
Section 2: This act shall take effect 60 days after it becomes law.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
For New York youth to be fully prepared to enter the .workforce, they
must have a strong understanding of their rights as workers and their
explicit rights as employed minors.
This legislation would equip working students with the knowledge of
basic labor rights extended to workers. These include child labor laws,
wage and hour protections, worker safety, workers' compensation, paid
sick leave, prohibitions against retaliation, and. the right to organ-
ize a union in the workplace.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: S8949A - Referred to Labor
 
FISCAL IMPACT:
To Be Determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 60 days after it becomes law.

Statutes affected:
S4478: 3215-a education law