S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5913
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 24, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. FORREST -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Labor
 
 AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to clarifying the meaning  of
   actively seeking work for purposes of unemployment benefits
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 591 of the labor law,  as  amended
 by chapter 26 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  Availability,  capability,  and  work search. No benefits shall be
 payable to any claimant who is not capable of work or who is not  ready,
 willing  and  able  to work in [his or her] THEIR usual employment or in
 any other for which [he or she is] THEY ARE reasonably fitted by  train-
 ing  and experience and who is not actively seeking work. In order to be
 actively seeking work a claimant  must  be  engaged  in  systematic  and
 sustained  efforts to find work. The commissioner shall promulgate regu-
 lations defining systematic and  sustained  efforts  to  find  work  and
 setting standards for the proof of work search efforts. Such regulations
 shall take into account the need for claimants to provide child care for
 their  child  or children. A CLAIMANT SHALL BE CONSIDERED TO BE ACTIVELY
 SEEKING WORK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION  IF  THE  INDIVIDUAL  IS  A
 MEMBER  OF  A  LABOR  ORGANIZATION,  AS  DEFINED  IN SUBDIVISION FIVE OF
 SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED ONE OF THIS CHAPTER, MAINTAINS CONTACT  WITH  THAT
 UNION,  AND  USES  AND COMPLIES WITH THE PLACEMENT SERVICES OF THE UNION
 HIRING HALL IN SEEKING WORK. AS USED IN  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  UNLESS  THE
 CONTEXT  OTHERWISE  INDICATES,  "UNION  HIRING  HALL"  MEANS  A  SERVICE
 PROVIDED BY A LABOR UNION OR AN ENTITY ASSOCIATED  WITH  A  LABOR  UNION
 THAT  PLACES  EMPLOYEES  WITH  AN EMPLOYER UNDER A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
 AGREEMENT OR OTHERWISE PLACES EMPLOYEES WITH EMPLOYERS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the same date as the  reversion  of
 subdivision  2 of section 591 of the labor law as provided in section 10
 of chapter 413 of the laws of 2003, as amended.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07378-01-5