S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
2115
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 18, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. FELDER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Cities 1
AN ACT to enact the "save our stores 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 "save our stores act".
§ 2. 1. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the
contrary, in a city with a population of one million or more, any fine
or monetary civil penalty assessed against a not-for-profit organiza-
tion, school, place of worship or small business by a state or local
agency for a violation of state or local law, rule, regulation or execu-
tive order during the COVID-19 covered period shall be deemed void and
waived unless such fines or penalties are assessed for a violation
provided in paragraph (b) of this subdivision.
(b) No waiver of fines or penalties shall be given if a state or local
agency determines that the violation may result in a natural resource
damage claim or serious actual harm, is a violation of human or civil
rights law, results in loss of employee wages or benefits, interferes
with any remedy, review, or resolution related to harassment or discrim-
ination claims, was or is a willful violation, involves tax fraud,
violates requirements related to federal funding to the state, relates
to state funding or procurement, or is a penal law violation.
2. For the purposes of this act, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:
(a) "COVID-19 covered period" means the duration of the state disaster
emergency declared on March 7, 2020 pursuant to executive order number
two hundred two of two thousand twenty; and
(b) "Small business" means any business which is resident in this
state, independently owned and operated, and employs one hundred or less
individuals.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.