Senate Bill S4070A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Enacts the "trapped at work act"

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current 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

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Bill Amendments

2025-S4070 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A584
Current Committee:
Senate Labor
Law Section:
Labor Law
Laws Affected:
Add Art 37 §§1050 - 1055, Lab L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S6794, A6819

2025-S4070 - Summary

Enacts the "trapped at work act"; prohibits the use of employment promissory notes.

2025-S4070 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4070 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4070
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 31, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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  "trapped  at
   work act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "trapped at work act".
   §  2.  The  labor law is amended by adding a new article 37 to read as
 follows:
                                 ARTICLE 37
                            TRAPPED AT WORK ACT
 SECTION 1050. STATEMENT OF PUBLIC POLICY.
         1051. DEFINITIONS.
         1052. SCOPE.
         1053. PROHIBITING THE USE OF  EMPLOYMENT  PROMISSORY  NOTES  AND
                 OTHER SIMILAR PROVISIONS.
         1054. ENFORCEMENT.
         1055. RULES.
         1056. SAVINGS CLAUSE.
   §  1050. STATEMENT OF PUBLIC POLICY. WORKERS' ABILITY TO FREELY CHANGE
 JOBS IS CRITICAL TO THEIR ECONOMIC LIBERTY AS  WELL  AS  TO  CREATING  A
 THRIVING  AND INNOVATIVE ECONOMY IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. ADDITIONALLY,
 A TENET OF WORKER PROTECTIONS AND EMPOWERMENT IS THAT THE  COST  OF  ANY
 TRAINING REQUIRED BY AN EMPLOYER TO PERFORM A JOB SHOULD BE BORNE BY THE
 EMPLOYER,  WHO  ULTIMATELY  STANDS  TO  FINANCIALLY BENEFIT FROM A WELL-
 TRAINED WORKFORCE. EMPLOYMENT PROVISIONS THAT HAVE THE EFFECT OF INDEBT-
 ING WORKERS TO THEIR FORMER EMPLOYERS UPON SEPARATION FOR  THE  COST  OF
 TRAINING HAVE THE EFFECTS OF REDUCING THOSE WORKERS' PROFESSIONAL MOBIL-
 ITY,  CREATING  OBSTACLES  TOWARD  FINANCIAL  SECURITY, AND CHILLING THE
 STATE ECONOMY. IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF INDIVIDUAL WORKERS  AND  OF  THE

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01084-02-5
              

2025-S4070A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A584
Current Committee:
Senate Labor
Law Section:
Labor Law
Laws Affected:
Add Art 37 §§1050 - 1055, Lab L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S6794, A6819

2025-S4070A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "trapped at work act"; prohibits the use of employment promissory notes.

2025-S4070A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S4070A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  4070--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 31, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Labor  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the labor law, in relation to enacting the "trapped at
   work act"

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "trapped at work act".
   § 2. The labor law is amended by adding a new article 37  to  read  as
 follows:
                                 ARTICLE 37
                            TRAPPED AT WORK ACT
 SECTION 1050. DEFINITIONS.
         1051. SCOPE.
         1052. PROHIBITING  THE  USE  OF  EMPLOYMENT PROMISSORY NOTES AND
                 OTHER SIMILAR PROVISIONS.
         1053. ENFORCEMENT.
         1054. RULES.
         1055. SAVINGS CLAUSE.
   § 1050. DEFINITIONS. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE:
   1. "EMPLOYER" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL,  PARTNERSHIP,  ASSOCIATION,  CORPO-
 RATION,  LIMITED  LIABILITY  COMPANY,  TRUST,  GOVERNMENT  OR GOVERNMENT
 SUBDIVISION, OR ANY ORGANIZED GROUP THAT HIRES OR CONTRACTS WITH A WORK-
 ER TO WORK FOR THE EMPLOYER. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, THIS TERM
 SHALL ALSO INCLUDE ANY SUBSIDIARY OF AN  EMPLOYER  AND  ANY  INDIVIDUAL,
 PARTNERSHIP, ASSOCIATION, CORPORATION, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, TRUST,
 GOVERNMENT  OR GOVERNMENT SUBDIVISION, OR ANY ORGANIZED GROUP ASSOCIATED
 WITH AN EMPLOYER THAT PROVIDES TRAINING TO WORKERS.
   2. "WORKER" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS PERMITTED TO  WORK  FOR  OR  ON
 BEHALF OF AN EMPLOYER. THE TERM "WORKER" INCLUDES AN EMPLOYEE, INDEPEND-
 ENT  CONTRACTOR,  EXTERN, INTERN, VOLUNTEER, APPRENTICE, SOLE PROPRIETOR
 WHO PROVIDES A SERVICE OR SERVICES TO AN EMPLOYER  OR  TO  A  CLIENT  OR
 
              

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