S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                 10224--A
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 9, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE  ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Nolan) --
   read once and referred to the  Committee  on  Labor  --  reported  and
   referred  to  the Committee on Ways and Means -- committee discharged,
   bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended  and  recommitted  to  said
   committee
 
 AN  ACT  in  relation  to  creating  a temporary commission to conduct a
   comprehensive study on the current utilization of paid  family  leave,
   make  recommendations  on how to increase access and the visibility of
   the program; and providing for the  repeal  of  such  provisions  upon
   expiration thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. A temporary state commission is hereby created to conduct a
 comprehensive study, and prepare a report on the current utilization  of
 paid family leave under article 9 of the workers' compensation law.
   §  2.    (a)  The  commission  shall consist of nine members, six such
 members each to serve for a term of one year  and  to  be  appointed  as
 follows: two shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate
 and  one by the minority leader of the senate; two shall be appointed by
 the speaker of the assembly and one by the minority leader of the assem-
 bly.  The  commissioner  of  labor,  the  superintendent  of   financial
 services,  and  the  chair of the workers' compensation board shall also
 serve on the commission. The chair of the  workers'  compensation  board
 shall  serve as the chair of the commission. Vacancies in the membership
 of the commission and among its officers shall be filled in  the  manner
 provided for original appointments.
   (b)  The  members  of the commission shall receive no compensation for
 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
   § 3. The study shall examine the current utilization  of  paid  family
 leave  under  article  9 of the workers' compensation law, including but
 not limited to:
   (a) demographic information of persons receiving such benefits includ-
 ing but not limited to:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD15731-03-2
 A. 10224--A                         2
 
   (i) gender;
   (ii) race;
   (iii) age;
   (iv) geographic region of the state of New York; and
   (v) industry or type of employment;
   (b) the average amount of benefits received and length of leave taken;
   (c) the type of leave taken;
   (d) employers' experiences on the use of paid family leave, including:
   (i) ease of use; and
   (ii) responsiveness of the department to questions; and
   (e)  unintended  barriers that employees face in utilizing paid family
 leave including  but  not  limited  to:
   (i) understanding of benefits;
   (ii) knowledge of eligibility; and
   (iii) knowledge of the existence of paid family leave.
   § 4. Not later than one year after the effective date of this act, the
 commission shall prepare and submit to the governor, the temporary pres-
 ident of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly  a  report  of  the
 study's  findings, together with specific recommendations for increasing
 the access of demographic groups underutilizing paid family leave  bene-
 fits, and removing or lessening unintended barriers to use of paid fami-
 ly leave identified in the study.
   §  5.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed two years after it shall have become a law.