NY State Senate Bill 2019-S8449

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance 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

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 03, 2020	referred to finance

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10357
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: State Finance Law
Laws Affected:: Add §99-ii, St Fin L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S6007
2023-2024: S4623
2025-2026: S6648

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the COVID-19 essential workers appreciation act which requires businesses who have increased their profits due to the outbreak of COVID-19 to deposit five percent of gross profits into a fund to be used by the COVID-19 essential workers appreciation task force to make awards to essential employees and families of essential employees who have died as a result of contracting COVID-19.

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8449

SPONSOR: SANDERS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to enacting the
COVID-19 essential workers appreciation act

 
PURPOSE:

To create a fund for essential workers, especially those working in and
around retail outlets, to monetarily reward them for their efforts.
during the Coronavirus crisis. Eligible family members of any employee
of an essential business who died as a result of the contracting COVID19
will also be qualified to receive funding.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Creates the COVID-19 Essential Workers Appreciation Fund. The fund will
be funded by a percentage of the profits made by companies who do busi-
ness in New York that saw a major increase in profit (compared to the

same time frame in 2019) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A seven member task force will be created, composed of appointees of the
Governor, Legislature and outside organizations. The task force will be
responsible for developing eligibility requirements and awards. The
eligible employees of essential business include but aren't limited to
grocery stores, liquor stores, convenience stores, delis and grocery
delivery personnel. Family members of any employee of an essential busi-
ness who died as a result of contracting COVID-19 are also eligible.

 
EXISTING LAW:

None.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting PAUSE order in New York has
temporarily changed the way most New Yorkers live. With the exception of
essential businesses and employees, all New Yorkers have been asked to
stay at home to prevent the additional spread of the virus, which can be
deadly.

Due to the closure of the rest of society, some businesses are making
record breaking profits (some as much as 30% over the same time last
year). At the same time, their generally lower paid workforce is putting
their health and wellbeing at risk without appropriate compensation.
Large companies that are making record breaking profits should be
required to share some of those profits with the workers who are taking
a risk by coming to work every day. Essential employees of grocery
stores, liquor stores, convenience stores, delis, grocery delivery
personnel and all other essential workers, deserve our thanks and appre-
ciation. The companies that employ these essential workers should share
some of the profits they've gained with the employees that are making it
possible for them to stay open.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8449
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               June 3, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the state finance  law,  in  relation  to  enacting  the
   COVID-19 essential workers appreciation act
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "COVID-19 essential workers appreciation act".
   § 2. COVID-19 essential workers appreciation awards. (a) Notwithstand-
 ing  any  provision  of law to the contrary, all businesses with profits
 over $500,000 dollars that do business in  the  state  that  during  the
 state  disaster  emergency declared pursuant to executive order 202 have
 seen an increase in profits by 20% over the same  time  period  in  2019
 shall  deposit  5%  of  such  business'  gross profits into the COVID-19
 essential workers appreciation  fund  established  pursuant  to  section
 99-ii of the state finance law.
   (b)  There is hereby established the COVID-19 essential workers appre-
 ciation task force.  Such task force shall be comprised of 7 members  to
 be appointed as follows:
   (i) 2 members appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
   (ii) 2 members appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
   (iii) 1 member appointed by the governor;
   (iv) 1 member appointed by the governor who is the representative of a
 small business organization; and
   (v)  1 member appointed by the governor who is the representative of a
 retail union.
   (c) The COVID-19 essential workers appreciation task force established
 pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section  shall  develop  eligibility
 requirements and make awards utilizing the monies in the COVID-19 essen-
 tial workers appreciation fund. Such awards shall be made to:
   (i)  eligible  employees  of  essential  businesses, including but not
 limited to, grocery stores, liquor stores, convenience stores, delis and
 grocery delivery personnel; and

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

                                                            LBD16237-01-0

 S. 8449                             2
 
   (ii) eligible family members of any employee of an essential  business
 who  died  as  a  result  of  contracting novel coronavirus disease 2019
 (COVID-19).
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ii to
 read as follows:
   §  99-II.  COVID-19  ESSENTIAL  WORKERS APPRECIATION FUND. 1. THERE IS
 HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE
 COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE A FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE  COVID-19
 ESSENTIAL WORKERS APPRECIATION FUND.
   2.  SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL MONIES DEPOSITED PURSUANT TO SUBDI-
 VISION (A) OF SECTION TWO OF A CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND TWEN-
 TY THAT ADDED THIS SECTION, AND ALL OTHER MONEYS CREDITED OR TRANSFERRED
 THERETO FROM ANY OTHER FUND OR SOURCE.
   3. MONIES OF THE FUND, SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE AS AWARDS  PURSUANT  TO
 THE  PROVISIONS  OF  SUBDIVISION  (C) OF SECTION TWO OF A CHAPTER OF THE
 LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND TWENTY THAT ADDED THIS SECTION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S8449

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

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2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Details

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

James Sanders Jr.

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Actions

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Details

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S8449 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments