Bill Text: NY S02422 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Directs the commissioner of labor, in consultation with the superintendent of financial services, to study the feasibility of developing and implementing an insurance plan funded through payroll deductions to provide benefits to unemployed persons upon the expiration of unemployment benefits; requires report to the governor and the legislature after one year.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-01-17 - REFERRED TO LABOR [S02422 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S02422-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         2422
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   January 17, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  ADAMS  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor
       AN ACT to direct the commissioner of labor,  in  consultation  with  the
         superintendent  of  financial  services,  to  study the feasibility of
         developing and implementing an insurance plan to provide  benefits  to
         unemployed  persons  upon the expiration of unemployment benefits; and
         providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1. Legislative intent. The legislature finds that the contin-
    2  uous downsizing of employees by  the  public  and  private  sectors  has
    3  created  great concerns relative to long term stability in employment. A
    4  recent study indicates that projected job employment for  persons  under
    5  age forty will average four and one-half years per employment placement.
    6  This employment instability is further aggravated by actual and project-
    7  ed exportation of domestic jobs.
    8    The  legislature further finds that state government officials regard-
    9  less of political party affiliation have all expressed concern  relative
   10  to  payment  of  persons  on the public assistance rolls, and have urged
   11  various "workfare not welfare" programs. It is clear  that  this  recent
   12  employment   enigma   can  only  further  exacerbate  this  unemployment
   13  discussion.
   14    Accordingly it is prudent that the state  develop  an  insurance  plan
   15  that  provides for persons who may encounter such an employment predica-
   16  ment.   Such a plan would lessen  the  burden  of  public  support,  and
   17  provide  for  the  stable  financial management of dislocated employees.
   18  Such insurance plan would provide benefits upon the expiration of  unem-
   19  ployment  benefits if the unemployment condition prevails. Contributions
   20  to the insurance program would derive from deductions through employees'
   21  salaries. Such deductions would be no more than ten  percent  of  annual
   22  salary. Unspent accounts would be refunded after an employee attains the
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD06049-01-3
       S. 2422                             2
    1  age  of fifty-five. The intent of this legislation is to provide employ-
    2  ees with insurance against job insecurity.
    3    S  2.  The commissioner of labor, in consultation with the superinten-
    4  dent of financial services, shall study the  feasibility  of  developing
    5  and  implementing  an  insurance  plan to provide benefits to unemployed
    6  persons upon the expiration of unemployment benefits. Such  study  shall
    7  include:
    8    1.  the  manner in which insurance premiums shall be paid to such plan
    9  including payroll deductions from employee salaries;
   10    2. the amount of such payroll deductions not exceeding ten percent  of
   11  such employee salaries;
   12    3.  a mechanism to refund to employees premiums paid by employees that
   13  were not paid on such employees' behalf; and
   14    4. any other information that the commissioner of labor deems relevant
   15  and necessary.
   16    S 3. A report of the findings of such study,  recommendations  of  the
   17  commissioner  of  labor and any proposed legislation necessary to imple-
   18  ment such findings shall be filed with the governor, the temporary pres-
   19  ident of the senate and the speaker of  the  assembly  within  one  year
   20  after the effective date of this act.
   21    S  4.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
   22  deemed repealed one year after such date.