Assembly Bill A849D

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Relates to violations of nondisclosure agreements in certain settlement agreements

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly 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

2019-A849 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S5469
Current Committee:
Assembly Judiciary
Law Section:
General Obligations Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §5-336, Gen Ob L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: S4407
2017-2018: A11353, S550
2021-2022: A5580, S738
2023-2024: A581, S4516

2019-A849 - Summary

Prohibits settlement agreements in any claim involving sexual harassment or any other form of discrimination prohibited by law from containing any condition that requires the complainant to pay the defendant liquidated damages in the event that the plaintiff violates any nondisclosure agreement included in such settlement agreement.

2019-A849 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    849
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 11, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SIMOTAS, QUART, PAULIN, SEAWRIGHT, M. G. MILLER,
   LENTOL, GOTTFRIED, CRUZ, THIELE, STIRPE, SIMON, ZEBROWSKI, CYMBROWITZ,
   STERN, GLICK, FERNANDEZ, MAGNARELLI, MOSLEY -- read once and  referred
   to the Committee on Judiciary
 
 AN  ACT to amend the general obligations law, in relation to independent
   consideration required for certain provisions in settlement agreements
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  general  obligations  law is amended by adding a new
 section 5-1117 to read as follows:
   § 5-1117. INDEPENDENT CONSIDERATION  REQUIRED  FOR  SETTLEMENT  AGREE-
 MENTS.  INDEPENDENT  CONSIDERATION  SHALL BE REQUIRED FOR EACH CONFIDEN-
 TIALITY PROVISION INCLUDED IN A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. FOR  THE  PURPOSES
 OF  THIS  SECTION,  "INDEPENDENT  CONSIDERATION" SHALL MEAN SOMETHING OF
 VALUE, EITHER A PROMISE, AN ACT OR AN OBJECT THAT IS OFFERED IN EXCHANGE
 FOR EACH CONFIDENTIALITY PROVISION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01543-01-9



              

co-Sponsors

2019-A849A - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S5469
Current Committee:
Assembly Judiciary
Law Section:
General Obligations Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §5-336, Gen Ob L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: S4407
2017-2018: A11353, S550
2021-2022: A5580, S738
2023-2024: A581, S4516

2019-A849A - Summary

Prohibits settlement agreements in any claim involving sexual harassment or any other form of discrimination prohibited by law from containing any condition that requires the complainant to pay the defendant liquidated damages in the event that the plaintiff violates any nondisclosure agreement included in such settlement agreement.

2019-A849A - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  849--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 11, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SIMOTAS, QUART, PAULIN, SEAWRIGHT, M. G. MILLER,
   LENTOL, GOTTFRIED, CRUZ, THIELE, STIRPE, SIMON, ZEBROWSKI, CYMBROWITZ,
   STERN, GLICK, FERNANDEZ, MAGNARELLI, MOSLEY -- read once and  referred
   to  the  Committee on Judiciary -- committee discharged, bill amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the general obligations law, in relation to  independent
   consideration required for certain provisions in settlement agreements
   and  violations  of  nondisclosure  agreements  in  certain settlement
   agreements
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  general  obligations  law is amended by adding a new
 section 5-1117 to read as follows:
   § 5-1117. INDEPENDENT CONSIDERATION  REQUIRED  FOR  SETTLEMENT  AGREE-
 MENTS.  INDEPENDENT  CONSIDERATION  SHALL BE REQUIRED FOR EACH CONFIDEN-
 TIALITY PROVISION INCLUDED IN A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. FOR  THE  PURPOSES
 OF  THIS  SECTION,  "INDEPENDENT  CONSIDERATION" SHALL MEAN SOMETHING OF
 VALUE, EITHER A PROMISE, AN ACT OR AN OBJECT THAT IS OFFERED IN EXCHANGE
 FOR EACH CONFIDENTIALITY PROVISION.
   § 2. Section 5-336 of the general obligations law, as added by section
 1 of subpart D of part KK of chapter 57 of the laws of 2018, is  amended
 to read as follows:
   §  5-336.  Nondisclosure agreements. (A) Notwithstanding any other law
 to the contrary, no employer, its officers or employees shall  have  the
 authority to include or agree to include in any settlement, agreement or
 other resolution of any claim, the factual foundation for which involves
 sexual  harassment, any term or condition that would prevent the disclo-
 sure of the underlying facts and circumstances to the  claim  or  action
 unless the condition of confidentiality is the complainant's preference.
 Any  such  term  or  condition  must be provided to all parties, and the
 complainant shall have twenty-one days to consider such term  or  condi-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

co-Sponsors

2019-A849B - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S5469
Current Committee:
Assembly Judiciary
Law Section:
General Obligations Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §5-336, Gen Ob L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: S4407
2017-2018: A11353, S550
2021-2022: A5580, S738
2023-2024: A581, S4516

2019-A849B - Summary

Prohibits settlement agreements in any claim involving sexual harassment or any other form of discrimination prohibited by law from containing any condition that requires the complainant to pay the defendant liquidated damages in the event that the plaintiff violates any nondisclosure agreement included in such settlement agreement.

2019-A849B - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  849--B
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 11, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SIMOTAS, QUART, PAULIN, SEAWRIGHT, M. G. MILLER,
   LENTOL, GOTTFRIED, CRUZ, THIELE, STIRPE, SIMON, ZEBROWSKI, CYMBROWITZ,
   STERN, GLICK, FERNANDEZ, MAGNARELLI, MOSLEY,  LUPARDO,  BLAKE,  GALEF,
   EPSTEIN,  MONTESANO,  CRESPO,  NIOU  --  read once and referred to the
   Committee on Judiciary -- committee discharged, bill amended,  ordered
   reprinted  as  amended  and  recommitted  to  said  committee -- again
   reported from said committee with  amendments,  ordered  reprinted  as
   amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT to amend the general obligations law, in relation to independent
   consideration required for certain provisions in settlement agreements
   and violations  of  nondisclosure  agreements  in  certain  settlement
   agreements
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general obligations law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 5-1117 to read as follows:
   §  5-1117.  INDEPENDENT  CONSIDERATION  REQUIRED FOR SETTLEMENT AGREE-
 MENTS. INDEPENDENT CONSIDERATION SHALL BE REQUIRED  FOR  EACH  CONFIDEN-
 TIALITY  PROVISION  INCLUDED IN A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. FOR THE PURPOSES
 OF THIS SECTION, "INDEPENDENT CONSIDERATION"  SHALL  MEAN  SOMETHING  OF
 VALUE, EITHER A PROMISE, AN ACT OR AN OBJECT THAT IS OFFERED IN EXCHANGE
 FOR EACH CONFIDENTIALITY PROVISION.
   § 2. Section 5-336 of the general obligations law, as added by section
 1  of subpart D of part KK of chapter 57 of the laws of 2018, is amended
 to read as follows:
   § 5-336. Nondisclosure agreements. (A) Notwithstanding any  other  law
 to  the  contrary, no employer, its officers or employees shall have the
 authority to include or agree to include in any settlement, agreement or
 other resolution of any claim, the factual foundation for which involves
 sexual harassment, any term or condition that would prevent the  disclo-
 sure  of  the  underlying facts and circumstances to the claim or action
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

co-Sponsors

2019-A849C - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S5469
Current Committee:
Assembly Judiciary
Law Section:
General Obligations Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §5-336, Gen Ob L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: S4407
2017-2018: A11353, S550
2021-2022: A5580, S738
2023-2024: A581, S4516

2019-A849C - Summary

Prohibits settlement agreements in any claim involving sexual harassment or any other form of discrimination prohibited by law from containing any condition that requires the complainant to pay the defendant liquidated damages in the event that the plaintiff violates any nondisclosure agreement included in such settlement agreement.

2019-A849C - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  849--C
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 11, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SIMOTAS, QUART, PAULIN, SEAWRIGHT, M. G. MILLER,
   LENTOL, GOTTFRIED, CRUZ, THIELE, STIRPE, SIMON, ZEBROWSKI, CYMBROWITZ,
   STERN, GLICK, FERNANDEZ, MAGNARELLI, MOSLEY,  LUPARDO,  BLAKE,  GALEF,
   EPSTEIN, MONTESANO, CRESPO, NIOU, NOLAN, L. ROSENTHAL, JACOBSON, ROZIC
   --  read  once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary -- committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee -- again reported from said  committee  with  amend-
   ments,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
   -- recommitted to the Committee on Judiciary in accordance with Assem-
   bly Rule 3, sec. 2 --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT to amend the general obligations law, in relation to independent
   consideration required for certain provisions in settlement agreements
   and violations  of  nondisclosure  agreements  in  certain  settlement
   agreements
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general obligations law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 5-1117 to read as follows:
   §  5-1117.  INDEPENDENT  CONSIDERATION  REQUIRED FOR SETTLEMENT AGREE-
 MENTS. INDEPENDENT CONSIDERATION SHALL BE REQUIRED  FOR  EACH  CONFIDEN-
 TIALITY  PROVISION  INCLUDED IN A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. FOR THE PURPOSES
 OF THIS SECTION, "INDEPENDENT CONSIDERATION"  SHALL  MEAN  SOMETHING  OF
 VALUE, EITHER A PROMISE, AN ACT OR AN OBJECT THAT IS OFFERED IN EXCHANGE
 FOR EACH CONFIDENTIALITY PROVISION.
   § 2. Section 5-336 of the general obligations law, as amended by chap-
 ter 160 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   §  5-336.  Nondisclosure  agreements. 1. (a) Notwithstanding any other
 law to the contrary, no employer, its officers or employees  shall  have
 the  authority  to include or agree to include in any settlement, agree-
 ment or other resolution of any claim, the factual foundation for  which
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

co-Sponsors

2019-A849D (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S5469
Current Committee:
Assembly Judiciary
Law Section:
General Obligations Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §5-336, Gen Ob L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: S4407
2017-2018: A11353, S550
2021-2022: A5580, S738
2023-2024: A581, S4516

2019-A849D (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits settlement agreements in any claim involving sexual harassment or any other form of discrimination prohibited by law from containing any condition that requires the complainant to pay the defendant liquidated damages in the event that the plaintiff violates any nondisclosure agreement included in such settlement agreement.

2019-A849D (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  849--D
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 11, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SIMOTAS, QUART, PAULIN, SEAWRIGHT, M. G. MILLER,
   LENTOL, GOTTFRIED, CRUZ, THIELE, STIRPE, SIMON, ZEBROWSKI, CYMBROWITZ,
   STERN, GLICK, FERNANDEZ, MAGNARELLI, MOSLEY,  LUPARDO,  BLAKE,  GALEF,
   EPSTEIN, MONTESANO, NIOU, NOLAN, L. ROSENTHAL, JACOBSON, ROZIC -- read
   once   and  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Judiciary  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee -- again reported from said  committee  with  amend-
   ments,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
   -- recommitted to the Committee on Judiciary in accordance with Assem-
   bly Rule 3, sec. 2 --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
   reprinted  as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted
   to the Committee on Judiciary in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec.
   2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended
   and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the general obligations law, in relation to violations
   of nondisclosure agreements in certain settlement agreements
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 5-336 of the general obligations law, as amended by
 chapter 160 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   §  5-336.  Nondisclosure  agreements. 1. (a) Notwithstanding any other
 law to the contrary, no employer, its officers or employees  shall  have
 the  authority  to include or agree to include in any settlement, agree-
 ment or other resolution of any claim, the factual foundation for  which
 involves  discrimination,  HARASSMENT,  OR  RETALIATION, in violation of
 laws prohibiting discrimination, INCLUDING DISCRIMINATORY HARASSMENT  OR
 RETALIATION, including but not limited to, article fifteen of the execu-
 tive law, any term or condition that would prevent the disclosure of the
 underlying  facts  and  circumstances  to the claim or action unless the
 condition of confidentiality is the complainant's preference.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01543-11-0
              

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.