Bill > S09821

This bill, known as the "Empowering People in Rights Enforcement (EMPIRE) Worker Protection Act," allows individuals, whistleblowers, and labor organizations (referred to as "relators") to initiate legal actions on behalf of the state's labor commissioner to enforce certain labor laws. This is intended to supplement the state's enforcement capabilities, particularly when resources are limited, by empowering private citizens to act as "private attorneys general" to recover civil penalties for violations that affect employees. The act defines key terms like "affected employee" and "whistleblower," outlines procedures for bringing these "public enforcement actions," and specifies how recovered penalties will be distributed between the relator and the state, with a portion dedicated to further labor law enforcement and education. It also includes provisions to protect individuals who bring these actions from retaliation and clarifies that these rights cannot be waived by private agreements unless they are part of a collectively bargained agreement that provides a forum for enforcement.

Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9821