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Assembly Bill A8986

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Establishes the "no severance ultimatums act"

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

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Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2023-A8986 - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Labor
Law Section:
Labor Law
Laws Affected:
Add §215-d, Lab L
Versions Introduced in 2025-2026 Legislative Session:
A6480

2023-A8986 - Summary

Establishes the "no severance ultimatums act", which prevents employers from giving coercive ultimatums to employees or former employees relating to such employee's severance from employment.

2023-A8986 - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8986
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 31, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Labor
 
 AN ACT to amend the labor law,  in  relation  to  establishing  the  "no
   severance ultimatums 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 "no severance ultimatums act".
   § 2. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 215-d to read as
 follows:
   § 215-D. PROHIBITION AGAINST SEVERANCE ULTIMATUMS. 1. DEFINITIONS. FOR
 THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOW-
 ING MEANINGS:
   (A) "EMPLOYEE" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS SET FORTH IN SECTION ONE
 HUNDRED NINETY OF THIS CHAPTER.
   (B) "EMPLOYER" SHALL:
   (I)  HAVE  THE SAME MEANING AS SET FORTH IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED NINETY
 OF THIS CHAPTER; AND
   (II) INCLUDE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES.
   2. SEVERANCE ULTIMATUMS PROHIBITED. ANY EMPLOYER OFFERING AN  EMPLOYEE
 OR  FORMER  EMPLOYEE  AN  AGREEMENT RELATED TO SUCH EMPLOYEE'S SEVERANCE
 FROM EMPLOYMENT SHALL NOTIFY SUCH EMPLOYEE THAT:
   (A) SUCH EMPLOYEE HAS THE RIGHT TO CONSULT AN ATTORNEY REGARDING  SUCH
 AGREEMENT,  AND  PROVIDE  SUCH EMPLOYEE WITH A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME
 NOT LESS THAN TWENTY-ONE BUSINESS DAYS IN WHICH TO DO SO;
   (B) SUCH EMPLOYEE MAY REVOKE SUCH AGREEMENT WITHIN SEVEN DAYS  OF  THE
 EXECUTION  OF  SUCH AGREEMENT, AND THE AGREEMENT SHALL NOT BECOME EFFEC-
 TIVE OR ENFORCEABLE UNTIL SUCH REVOCATION PERIOD HAS EXPIRED; AND
   (C) SUCH EMPLOYEE MAY SIGN SUCH AGREEMENT PRIOR TO  THE  END  OF  SUCH
 REVOCATION  PERIOD,  AS LONG AS SUCH EMPLOYEE'S DECISION TO SHORTEN SUCH
 REVOCATION PERIOD IS KNOWING, VOLUNTARY, AND NOT INDUCED BY THE EMPLOYER
 THROUGH FRAUD, MISREPRESENTATION, OR A THREAT TO WITHDRAW OR ALTER  SUCH
 REVOCATION  PERIOD PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF SUCH REVOCATION PERIOD, OR
 BY PROVIDING DIFFERENT TERMS TO SUCH EMPLOYEE  IF  SUCH  EMPLOYEE  SIGNS
 SUCH AGREEMENT PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF SUCH REVOCATION PERIOD.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

co-Sponsors

2023-A8986A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Labor
Law Section:
Labor Law
Laws Affected:
Add §215-d, Lab L
Versions Introduced in 2025-2026 Legislative Session:
A6480

2023-A8986A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the "no severance ultimatums act", which prevents employers from giving coercive ultimatums to employees or former employees relating to such employee's severance from employment.

2023-A8986A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8986--A
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 31, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON, SHIMSKY, ARDILA, GLICK -- read once and
   referred to the Committee  on  Labor  --  committee  discharged,  bill
   amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
   tee
 
 AN ACT to amend the labor law,  in  relation  to  establishing  the  "no
   severance ultimatums 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 "no severance ultimatums act".
   § 2. The labor law is amended by adding a new section 215-d to read as
 follows:
   §  215-D.  PROHIBITION AGAINST COERCIVE SEVERANCE ULTIMATUMS. 1. DEFI-
 NITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,  THE  FOLLOWING  TERMS  SHALL
 HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "EMPLOYEE" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS SET FORTH IN SECTION ONE
 HUNDRED NINETY OF THIS CHAPTER.
   (B) "EMPLOYER" SHALL:
   (I)  HAVE  THE SAME MEANING AS SET FORTH IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED NINETY
 OF THIS CHAPTER; AND
   (II) INCLUDE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES.
   2. SEVERANCE ULTIMATUMS. ANY EMPLOYER OFFERING AN EMPLOYEE  OR  FORMER
 EMPLOYEE  AN AGREEMENT RELATED TO SUCH EMPLOYEE'S SEVERANCE FROM EMPLOY-
 MENT SHALL NOTIFY SUCH EMPLOYEE THAT:
   (A) SUCH EMPLOYEE HAS THE RIGHT TO CONSULT AN ATTORNEY REGARDING  SUCH
 AGREEMENT,  AND SUCH EMPLOYEE SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH A REASONABLE PERIOD
 OF TIME NOT LESS THAN TWENTY-ONE BUSINESS DAYS IN WHICH TO CONSIDER  THE
 AGREEMENT;
   (B)  SUCH  EMPLOYEE MAY REVOKE SUCH AGREEMENT WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF THE
 EXECUTION OF SUCH AGREEMENT, AND THE AGREEMENT SHALL NOT  BECOME  EFFEC-
 TIVE OR ENFORCEABLE UNTIL SUCH REVOCATION PERIOD HAS EXPIRED; AND
   (C)  SUCH  EMPLOYEE  MAY  SIGN SUCH AGREEMENT PRIOR TO THE END OF SUCH
 REVOCATION PERIOD, AS LONG AS SUCH EMPLOYEE'S DECISION TO  SHORTEN  SUCH
 REVOCATION PERIOD IS KNOWING, VOLUNTARY, AND NOT INDUCED BY THE EMPLOYER
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

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