Bill > A00166

This bill introduces comprehensive reforms to strengthen employee protections and wage recovery mechanisms in New York State, focusing on creating new lien rights and personal liability provisions for employers. The bill establishes a new type of lien called an "employee's lien" that allows workers to place liens on both real and personal property to secure unpaid wages, with filing procedures similar to existing mechanic's liens. It expands the definition of wage claims to include various labor law violations and allows employees to file liens up to three years after the end of their employment. The bill also modifies corporate and limited liability company laws to make the ten largest shareholders or members personally liable for unpaid wages, removing previous notice requirements that made it difficult for workers to recover unpaid compensation. Additionally, the bill provides employees and their representatives with rights to inspect company records and creates new grounds for attaching assets in wage theft cases, such as allowing courts to more easily issue attachment orders for wage claims. The provisions are designed to give workers more tools to recover unpaid wages and hold employers accountable, with the law applying to wage claims that arose even before its effective date.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A166