S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8999
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 10, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. TITONE -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Consumer Affairs and Protection
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  general  business law and the arts and cultural
   affairs law, in relation to certain contracts
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Section  181 of the general business law, as amended by a
 chapter of the laws of 2017, amending the general business law  and  the
 arts and cultural affairs law relating to certain contracts, as proposed
 in  legislative  bills numbers S.6369-A and A.8257-A, is amended to read
 as follows:
   § 181. Contracts, statements of terms and conditions, and receipts. It
 shall be the duty of every employment agency to give to  each  applicant
 for employment:
   1. A true copy of every contract executed between such agency and such
 applicant,  which shall have printed on it or attached to it a statement
 setting forth in a clear and concise manner the provisions  of  sections
 one hundred eighty-five, and one hundred eighty-six of this article.
   2. (A) For class "C" theatrical employment:
   [(a)]  (1)  Such  contract  in  blank  shall  be first approved by the
 commissioner and  his  or  her  determination  shall  be  reviewable  by
 certiorari.  Each contract shall include the gross commission or fees to
 be paid by the artist to the  theatrical  employment  agency  consistent
 with section one hundred eighty-five of this article [attached, hereto].
 Each  such  contract  shall also include the name, address, phone number
 and license number of the theatrical employment agency  in  addition  to
 the  name  of  the artist, the type of services covered by the contract,
 and all terms and conditions associated with the payment of such commis-
 sion or fees. The theatrical employment agency shall keep on file a copy
 of each contract entered into with an artist and provide a copy of  each
 contract to the artist.
   [(b)]  (2) Separate from the contract, the agency shall provide to the
 artist, at the time of each audition or interview for  specific  employ-
 ment,  information  as to the name and address of the person to whom the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11746-06-8

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 artist is to apply for such employment, the service to be performed, the
 anticipated rate of compensation, where such compensation is known prior
 to the audition or interview, and any other material  terms  and  condi-
 tions of such employment that are known by the agency prior to the audi-
 tion or interview. Such information may be provided by electronic commu-
 nication.
   [3.]  (B)  For  all  other  employment,  including class "A" and "A-1"
 employment, each contract shall include, but  not  be  limited  to,  the
 following:  information as to the name and address of the person to whom
 the  applicant  is  to apply for such employment, the name, the address,
 the mailing address, and the  telephone  number  of  the  employer;  the
 address or addresses of employment, the kind of service to be performed;
 the  anticipated rate of wages or compensation; the anticipated hours of
 work per day and number of days to be worked per week; the agency's  fee
 for  the  applicant based on such anticipated wages or compensation; any
 provision to the employee, and  costs  associated  with  that  provision
 including  housing,  health  insurance, healthcare, sick leave, holidays
 and retirement benefits; whether such employment is permanent or  tempo-
 rary,  the anticipated period of employment, the name and address of the
 person authorizing the hiring of such applicant; and the cost of  trans-
 portation  if  the  services  are  required outside of the city, town or
 village where such agency is located. If  the  job  is  a  conditionally
 fee-paid  job, the conditions under which the applicant will be required
 to pay a fee shall be clearly set forth in a separate agreement in  ten-
 point type signed by the job applicant.
   [4.]  3.  (a)  This paragraph shall apply to all classes of employment
 except for class "C" theatrical employment. The employment agency  shall
 provide  to  each  applicant,  a  separate  document  accompanying  each
 contract summarizing the terms and  conditions  of  the  contract.  This
 document  shall be entitled "terms and conditions" and shall include the
 language that the document is not a contract and that such  document  is
 not legally binding. The terms and conditions shall be provided in plain
 and  commonly  understood  terms  and  language  which shall aid the job
 applicant in understanding the transaction and such document shall limit
 the use of technical terms whenever possible.
   (b) The terms and conditions shall conform  to  any  templates  estab-
 lished  by the commissioner and be made available to employment agencies
 in such manner as determined by the  commissioner.  In  developing  such
 templates,  the  commissioner  shall afford the public an opportunity to
 submit comments on such templates.
   (c) The commissioner may promulgate rules and regulations necessary to
 carry out the provisions of this section.
   (d) An employment agency shall not be penalized for  errors  or  omis-
 sions  in  the  non-English  portions  of  any templates provided by the
 commissioner.
   [5.] 4. A receipt for any  fee,  deposit,  consideration,  or  payment
 which such agency receives from such applicant, which shall have printed
 or  written on it the name of the applicant, the name and address of the
 employment agency, the date and amount of such fee,  deposit,  consider-
 ation  or payment or portion thereof for which the receipt is given, the
 purpose for which it was paid, and the signature of the person receiving
 such payment. If the applicant for employment has  been  recruited  from
 outside the state for domestic or household employment the receipt shall
 have  printed  on  it,  or attached to it, a copy of section one hundred
 eighty-four of this article. Except as  provided  below  for  class  "C"
 theatrical employment, the receipt shall also include, immediately above

 A. 8999                             3
 
 the  place  for  signature of the person receiving payment, set off in a
 box and printed in bold capital letters, the following statement:    "An
 employment  agency  may  not charge you, the job applicant, a fee before
 referring  you to a job that you accept. If you pay a fee before accept-
 ing a job or pay a fee that otherwise violates the law, you may demand a
 refund, which shall be repaid within seven days". For class "C"  employ-
 ment  such  receipt shall state: "A theatrical employment agency may not
 charge you, the artist, a fee before referring you to  a  job  that  you
 accept. A theatrical employment agency may charge you, the artist, a fee
 after an agency represents you in the negotiation or renegotiation of an
 original  or  pre-existing  employment  contract.  If you pay a fee that
 otherwise violates the law, you may demand  a  refund,  which  shall  be
 repaid within seven days".
   [6.] 5. The completed original or duplicate-original copy of each such
 contract,  statement  of  terms  and conditions, receipts, and any other
 documents given to the applicant shall be retained by  every  employment
 agency  for  three  years  following  the  date on which the contract is
 executed or the payment  is  made,  and  shall  be  made  available  for
 inspection  by  the  commissioner or his or her duly authorized agent or
 inspector, upon his or her request. Notwithstanding the other provisions
 of such contracts, the monetary consideration to be paid by  the  appli-
 cant  shall  not exceed the fee ceiling provided in subdivision eight of
 section one hundred eighty-five of this article.
   § 2. Section 37.03 of the arts and cultural affairs law, as amended by
 a chapter of the laws of 2017, amending the general business law and the
 arts and cultural affairs law relating to certain contracts, as proposed
 in legislative bills numbers S.6369-A and A.8257-A, is amended  to  read
 as follows:
   § 37.03. Theatrical employment; contracts.  Contracts between a theat-
 rical employment agency and an artist shall include the gross commission
 or  fees  to  be  paid by the artist to the theatrical employment agency
 consistent with section one hundred eighty-five of the general  business
 law  [attached,  hereto].   Such contracts shall contain no other condi-
 tions and provisions except such as are equitable  between  the  parties
 thereto  and  do not constitute an unreasonable restriction of business.
 In addition, such contracts in blank shall  be  first  approved  by  the
 commissioner  of  labor,  EXCEPT  THAT  IN  THE  CITY  OF NEW YORK, SUCH
 CONTRACTS IN BLANK SHALL  BE  FIRST  APPROVED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
 CONSUMER  AFFAIRS  OF SUCH CITY, PURSUANT TO SECTION ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-
 NINE OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS LAW, and his or her determination shall  be
 reviewable  by  certiorari.  Each  such  contract shall also include the
 name, address, phone number and license number of the theatrical employ-
 ment agency in addition to the name of the artist, the type of  services
 covered  by  the  contract, and all terms and conditions associated with
 the payment of such commission or fees. The theatrical employment agency
 shall keep on file a copy of each contract entered into with  an  artist
 and  provide  a copy of each contract to the artist. Separately from the
 contract, the agency shall provide to the artist, at the  time  of  each
 audition  or  interview  for  specific employment, information as to the
 name and address of the person to whom the artist is to apply  for  such
 employment, the service to be performed, the anticipated rate of compen-
 sation, where such compensation is known prior to the audition or inter-
 view,  and  any  other  material terms and conditions of such employment
 that are known by the agency prior to the audition  or  interview.  Such
 information may be provided by electronic communication.

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   §  3.    This  act  shall take effect on the same date and in the same
 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2017, amending the  general  business
 law and the arts and cultural affairs law relating to certain contracts,
 as  proposed  in  legislative bills numbers S.6369-A and A.8257-A, takes
 effect.