Senate Bill S2777A

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Establishes a nuclear whistleblower access and assistance program to promote public health and safety

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Energy And Telecommunications Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2015-S2777 - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:
Public Authorities Law
Laws Affected:
Add §1873-a, amd §1005, Pub Auth L; amd §65, Pub Serv L; amd §740, Lab L; amd §75-b, Civ Serv L; amd §63, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2011-2012: S1593
2013-2014: S3267
2017-2018: S5604
2019-2020: S3286
2021-2022: S1276

2015-S2777 - Summary

Directs the NYS energy research and development authority and public and private operators of each nuclear-powered electric generating facility to establish a nuclear whistleblower access and assistance program; makes related provisions as to elements of the program and provides that employees of such plants shall not be subject to retaliation; requires authority to investigate reported safety concerns; provides that whistleblowers shall have standing to litigate and may do so without exhaustion of administration remedies

2015-S2777 - Sponsor Memo

2015-S2777 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  2777

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 29, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on  Energy  and  Telecommuni-
  cations

AN  ACT to amend the public authorities law, the public service law, the
  labor law, the civil service law and the executive law, in relation to
  establishing a nuclear whistleblower access and assistance program

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The legislature finds that safe operation of the publicly
and privately owned nuclear-powered electric generating facilities with-
in the state is a matter of paramount public  concern.  The  legislature
further  finds  that  an essential component of any safety strategy is a
program which assures that employees who have  first-hand  knowledge  of
potential  safety problems can freely communicate their concerns without
fear of retaliation.  Although laws and regulations exist  at  both  the
state and federal level to protect whistleblowers, the legislature finds
that the purpose served by such laws will be furthered if an affirmative
program  exists  which encourages employees to come forward with safety-
related concerns. The legislature finds that the state, as the owner  of
the  power  plants  operated  by the power authority of the state of New
York, has an interest and obligation to ensure that such facilities  are
being managed in a way that provides the highest possible level of safe-
ty.    The  legislature  also  finds  that  the state has an interest in
protecting and an obligation to protect its citizens from  the  possible
hazards  of  privately owned nuclear-powered electric generating facili-
ties.
  S 2. The public authorities law is amended by  adding  a  new  section
1873-a to read as follows:
  S  1873-A.  NUCLEAR  WHISTLEBLOWER  ACCESS AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.  1.
"EMPLOYEES AT A  NUCLEAR-POWERED  ELECTRIC  GENERATING  FACILITY"  MEANS
THOSE  PERSONS  EMPLOYED AT PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY OWNED NUCLEAR-POWERED
ELECTRIC GENERATING FACILITIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:  FULL-TIME
AND  PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, THOSE EMPLOYEES ON PROBATION, AND
TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES.

              

co-Sponsors

2015-S2777A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Energy And Telecommunications
Law Section:
Public Authorities Law
Laws Affected:
Add §1873-a, amd §1005, Pub Auth L; amd §65, Pub Serv L; amd §740, Lab L; amd §75-b, Civ Serv L; amd §63, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2011-2012: S1593
2013-2014: S3267
2017-2018: S5604
2019-2020: S3286
2021-2022: S1276

2015-S2777A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the NYS energy research and development authority and public and private operators of each nuclear-powered electric generating facility to establish a nuclear whistleblower access and assistance program; makes related provisions as to elements of the program and provides that employees of such plants shall not be subject to retaliation; requires authority to investigate reported safety concerns; provides that whistleblowers shall have standing to litigate and may do so without exhaustion of administration remedies

2015-S2777A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S2777A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 2777--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 29, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens.  KRUEGER, HAMILTON, PERKINS, SERRANO -- read twice
  and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
  on Energy and Telecommunications -- recommitted to  the  Committee  on
  Energy and Telecommunications in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8
  --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
  and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, the public service law,  the
  labor law, the civil service law and the executive law, in relation to
  establishing a nuclear whistleblower access and assistance program

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The legislature finds that safe operation of  the  publicly
and privately owned nuclear-powered electric generating facilities with-
in  the  state  is a matter of paramount public concern. The legislature
further finds that an essential component of any safety  strategy  is  a
program  which  assures  that employees who have first-hand knowledge of
potential safety problems can freely communicate their concerns  without
fear  of  retaliation.   Although laws and regulations exist at both the
state and federal level to protect whistleblowers, the legislature finds
that the purpose served by such laws will be furthered if an affirmative
program exists which encourages employees to come forward  with  safety-
related  concerns. The legislature finds that the state, as the owner of
the power plants operated by the power authority of  the  state  of  New
York,  has an interest and obligation to ensure that such facilities are
being managed in a way that provides the highest possible level of safe-
ty.   The legislature also finds that  the  state  has  an  interest  in
protecting  and  an obligation to protect its citizens from the possible
hazards of privately owned nuclear-powered electric  generating  facili-
ties.
  S  2.  The  public  authorities law is amended by adding a new section
1873-a to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD03617-02-6
              

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.