Bill Text: NY S08275 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Suspends the forfeiture of unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 state of emergency.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-06-13 - SIGNED CHAP.97 [S08275 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S08275-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Suspends the forfeiture of unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 state of emergency.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-06-13 - SIGNED CHAP.97 [S08275 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S08275-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8275 IN SENATE May 1, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. MARTINEZ -- 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 suspending the forfeiture of unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 state of emergency The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 594 of the labor law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 1-a to read as follows: 3 (1-a) The commissioner shall temporarily suspend the reduction of 4 benefits through forfeiture under this section during the period of the 5 COVID-19 emergency declaration. A claimant who has filed a previous 6 claim which the department determined contained a willful false state- 7 ment or representation resulting in the imposition of forfeit days 8 against them shall be eligible to receive benefits under this title 9 during the COVID-19 emergency, if otherwise entitled to such benefits; 10 provided however that such claimant shall be required to pay the refund 11 and penalties required under this section at the end of the emergency 12 period and any forfeiture shall be reinstated. The two year period 13 provided in subdivision three of this section shall be tolled during the 14 time that the forfeiture of benefits is suspended under this subdivi- 15 sion. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term "COVID-19 emergency 16 declaration" shall mean the state disaster emergency declared for the 17 entire state by executive order number two hundred two and any further 18 amendments or modifications, and as may be further extended pursuant to 19 section twenty-eight of the executive law. 20 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately, provided, however, that 21 this act shall be subject to the expiration of the state disaster emer- 22 gency declared for the entire state by executive order number 202 and 23 any further amendments or modifications, and as may be further extended 24 pursuant to section 28 of the executive law, and shall be deemed to 25 expire and be repealed therewith; provided, further, that the commis- 26 sioner of labor shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission 27 upon the occurrence of the expiration of the state disaster emergency 28 declared by executive order number 202 and any further amendments or EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD16222-01-0S. 8275 2 1 modifications, and as may be further extended pursuant to section 28 of 2 the executive law, in order that the commission may maintain an accurate 3 and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws of the 4 state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of 5 section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public offi- 6 cers law.