Bill > S06620

This bill establishes a 13-member Correctional Employee Protective Labor Practices Board to comprehensively review and make recommendations about working conditions and safety in New York state correctional facilities. The board will include representatives from labor unions, correctional employee associations, state legislative leaders, and government agencies, with members appointed to ensure diverse professional and lived experiences. The board is tasked with conducting public hearings (including Spanish language interpretation), touring correctional facilities, interviewing correctional employees and incarcerated individuals, and reviewing department regulations, staffing levels, overtime practices, and facility closures. They will also examine best practices from other states and countries. The board must submit a detailed report with recommendations to the governor and legislature by September 30, 2026, which requires approval from a majority of board members. Following the report, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision must issue new regulations aligned with the board's recommendations by March 31, 2027. Importantly, the bill stipulates that the board's recommendations cannot diminish existing rights or protections for correctional employees. Board members will not receive a salary but will be reimbursed for travel expenses, and the board will have broad investigative powers, including the ability to issue subpoenas and take depositions.

Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6620