S2078

The New York State Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would allow courts to revoke business licenses from employers convicted of wage theft and related Labor Law violations, sending a strong message against repeat offenders who deliberately shortchange workers. Senate Print 2078, sponsored by Sen. Mayer, passed 52-6 on a roll call vote. The bill targets employers convicted in criminal court of failing to pay minimum wage, overtime, or wages owed to employees under Labor Law sections 198A and 662, or wage theft under Penal Law section 155.05. Sen. Mayer cited a specific case in her county where a contractor was arrested four times for wage theft, changing his business name between arrests to evade accountability. She described workers owed thousands of dollars—one employee owed $8,400 over three years, another owed $19,000 in bounced paychecks—and said the bill protects vulnerable low-wage workers while holding bad actors accountable. Sen. Martins supported the measure and called for even stronger penalties, including personal liability for business owners who steal from employees. Sen. Murray voted against the bill, expressing concern that confusion over frequency-of-pay requirements could lead to license revocation for honest mistakes. He cited an example of two sisters who owned a Dairy Queen caught up in wage theft charges that didn't apply, and called for clearer guidance from the Labor Commissioner before implementation. Voting against the bill were Senators Borrello, Gallivan, Murray, Oberacker, Stec, and Weik.

The New York State Senate passed Senate Print 2078, sponsored by Senator Mayer, an act to amend the Labor Law, on a roll call vote of 54-5. The bill, which was Calendar Number 1110, takes effect immediately. Senators Borrello, Gallivan, Oberacker, Stec and Walczyk voted in opposition. No floor debate was recorded on the measure.