Senate Bill S6603A

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Protects employee freedom of speech & conscience

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Labor Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2019-S6603 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A9024
Current Committee:
Senate Labor
Law Section:
Labor Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §201-d, Lab L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: S4873, A1540
2023-2024: S4982, A6604

2019-S6603 - Summary

Protects employee freedom of speech and conscience by prohibiting employers from coercing employees into attending or participating in meetings sponsored by the employer concerning the employer's views on political or religious matters.

2019-S6603 - Sponsor Memo

2019-S6603 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6603
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 18, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RAMOS  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to protecting employee  free-
   dom of speech and conscience
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Paragraphs c and d of subdivision 2 of section 201-d of the
 labor law, as added by chapter 776 of the laws of 1992, are  amended  to
 read as follows:
   c.  an  individual's legal recreational activities outside work hours,
 off of the employer's premises and without use of the employer's  equip-
 ment or other property; [or]
   d.  an  individual's  membership  in a union or any exercise of rights
 granted under Title 29, USCA, Chapter 7 or under article fourteen of the
 civil service law; OR
   E. AN INDIVIDUAL'S REFUSAL TO: (I) ATTEND AN EMPLOYER-SPONSORED  MEET-
 ING  WITH  THE  EMPLOYER  OR  ITS AGENT, REPRESENTATIVE OR DESIGNEE, THE
 PRIMARY PURPOSE OF  WHICH  IS  TO  COMMUNICATE  THE  EMPLOYER'S  OPINION
 CONCERNING  RELIGIOUS  OR POLITICAL MATTERS; OR (II) LISTEN TO SPEECH OR
 VIEW COMMUNICATIONS, THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF WHICH IS TO COMMUNICATE  THE
 EMPLOYER'S OPINION CONCERNING RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL MATTERS.
   §  2.  Section  201-d  of  the  labor law is amended by adding two new
 subdivisions 8 and 9 to read as follows:
   8. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL PROHIBIT:  (I)  AN  EMPLOYER  OR  ITS
 AGENT,  REPRESENTATIVE  OR  DESIGNEE FROM COMMUNICATING TO ITS EMPLOYEES
 ANY INFORMATION THAT THE EMPLOYER IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO COMMUNICATE, BUT
 ONLY TO THE EXTENT OF SUCH LEGAL REQUIREMENT; (II) AN  EMPLOYER  OR  ITS
 AGENT,  REPRESENTATIVE  OR  DESIGNEE FROM COMMUNICATING TO ITS EMPLOYEES
 ANY INFORMATION THAT IS NECESSARY FOR SUCH EMPLOYEES  TO  PERFORM  THEIR
 JOB  DUTIES;  (III)  AN  INSTITUTION  OF HIGHER EDUCATION, OR ANY AGENT,
 REPRESENTATIVE OR DESIGNEE OF SUCH INSTITUTION,  FROM  MEETING  WITH  OR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

co-Sponsors

2019-S6603A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A9024
Current Committee:
Senate Labor
Law Section:
Labor Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §201-d, Lab L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: S4873, A1540
2023-2024: S4982, A6604

2019-S6603A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Protects employee freedom of speech and conscience by prohibiting employers from coercing employees into attending or participating in meetings sponsored by the employer concerning the employer's views on political or religious matters.

2019-S6603A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S6603A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6603--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 18, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. RAMOS, BAILEY, BENJAMIN, BIAGGI, GOUNARDES, HOYLMAN,
   JACKSON, KENNEDY, KRUEGER, MAY, MAYER, MYRIE, RIVERA, SALAZAR, SAVINO,
   SEPULVEDA, SERRANO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed
   to  be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Rules -- recommitted to the
   Committee on Labor in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- commit-
   tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and  recom-
   mitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to protecting employee free-
   dom of speech and conscience
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Paragraph c of subdivision 1 of section 201-d of the labor
 law, as added by chapter 776 of the laws of 1992, is amended and two new
 paragraphs d and e are added to read as follows:
   c.  "Work  hours"  shall mean, for purposes of this section, all time,
 including paid and unpaid breaks and meal periods, that the employee  is
 suffered,  permitted or expected to be engaged in work, and all time the
 employee is actually engaged in  work.  This  definition  shall  not  be
 referred  to  in determining hours worked for which an employee is enti-
 tled to compensation under any law including article  nineteen  of  this
 chapter[.];
   D.  "POLITICAL  MATTERS"  SHALL MEAN MATTERS RELATING TO ELECTIONS FOR
 POLITICAL OFFICE, POLITICAL PARTIES,  LEGISLATION,  REGULATION  AND  THE
 DECISION  TO  JOIN  OR  SUPPORT ANY POLITICAL PARTY OR POLITICAL, CIVIC,
 COMMUNITY, FRATERNAL OR LABOR ORGANIZATION;
   E. "RELIGIOUS MATTERS" SHALL MEAN MATTERS RELATING TO RELIGIOUS AFFIL-
 IATION AND PRACTICE AND THE DECISION TO JOIN OR  SUPPORT  ANY  RELIGIOUS
 ORGANIZATION OR ASSOCIATION.
   § 2. Paragraphs c and d of subdivision 2 of section 201-d of the labor
 law, as added by chapter 776 of the laws of 1992, are amended to read as
 follows:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.