Bill > S07990

This bill establishes a new Office of Special Investigation for Work-Related Fatalities within the New York Attorney General's office, designed to comprehensively investigate and potentially prosecute deaths that occur during employment. The office will have broad investigative authority covering all types of workers, including direct employees, contractors, volunteers, and interns, and will apply to workplace fatalities caused by various circumstances such as machinery accidents, falls, structural failures, workplace violence, or employer negligence. Coroners and medical examiners will be required to notify this office within 48 hours if a death appears work-related, providing a detailed incident report including the deceased's information, death circumstances, employer details, and any initial investigative findings. Local law enforcement, district attorneys, and labor departments must also report potential work-related fatalities to this office. The Attorney General can independently initiate investigations, request assistance from other agencies, and if reasonable cause of a criminal offense is found, can prosecute employers in appropriate jurisdictions. This bill aims to create a more systematic and thorough approach to investigating and potentially holding employers accountable for workplace deaths, expanding the traditional mechanisms for workplace safety oversight.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7990