Assembly Bill A6958

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6958
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 18, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. RAGA -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "sweatsh-
   op-free college apparel 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 "sweatshop-free college apparel act".
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  207-c  to
 read as follows:
   §  207-C. SWEAT-FREE CODE OF CONDUCT. 1. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES
 OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "INSTITUTION" SHALL MEAN  ANY  DEGREE-GRANTING
 ENTITY,  INCLUDING  COLLEGES,  UNIVERSITIES,  AND  OTHER  POST-SECONDARY
 EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES, AUTHORIZED TO OPERATE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK  BY
 THE  DEPARTMENT. SUCH INSTITUTIONS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO,
 INSTITUTIONS CHARTERED BY THE REGENTS, INCORPORATED BY A SPECIAL ACT  OF
 THE  LEGISLATURE,  OR  OTHERWISE PERMITTED TO MAINTAIN A CAMPUS OR OFFER
 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
   2. ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CODE OF  CONDUCT.  EACH  INSTITUTION
 SHALL  ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT A SWEAT-FREE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE PURCHASE
 AND LICENSING OF APPAREL BY SUCH INSTITUTIONS AS PART OF ITS OPERATIONAL
 POLICIES AND ENSURE COMPLIANCE, INCLUDING PROVISIONS FOR ENFORCEMENT AND
 REMEDIATION OF ANY VIOLATIONS OF SUCH CODE OF  CONDUCT.  THE  SWEAT-FREE
 CODE  OF CONDUCT SHALL MEET OR EXCEED THE LABOR STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY
 THE WORKERS RIGHT CONSORTIUM (WRC) MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT. EACH  INSTITU-
 TION  SHALL  ALSO AFFILIATE WITH THE WRC AND PARTICIPATE IN A DESIGNATED
 SUPPLIER PROGRAM TO EFFECTIVELY ENFORCE SUCH CODE OF CONDUCT PROVISIONS.
   3. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBMIT PRELIMINARY AND
 FINAL REPORTS TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE,  LISTING  INSTITUTION
 IN  COMPLIANCE WITH SUCH INSTITUTION'S SWEAT-FREE CODE OF CONDUCT, THOSE
 AFFILIATED WITH THE WRC, AND DETAILS  ON  NON-COMPLIANT  PURCHASING  AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04129-01-5
              

 A. 6958                             2
 
 LICENSING  AGREEMENTS WITH APPAREL MANUFACTURERS, INCLUDING SUCH LICENS-
 ING AGREEMENT'S EXPIRATION DATE. FURTHER, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF
 ANY NON-COMPLIANT INSTITUTION SHALL SUBMIT A DETAILED EXPLANATION ON WHY
 SUCH  INSTITUTION  IS  NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH SUCH INSTITUTION'S CODE OF
 CONDUCT OR HAS NOT ESTABLISHED A CODE OF CONDUCT AND A TIMELINE FOR FULL
 COMPLIANCE TO THE DEPARTMENT, TO BE INCLUDED IN THE REPORTS SUBMITTED TO
 THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE.
   § 3. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  215-e  to
 read as follows:
   §  215-E.  ANNUAL REPORTING FOR SWEAT-FREE CODE OF CONDUCT.  1. ANNUAL
 REPORTS TO THE DEPARTMENT.  EACH  INSTITUTION  SHALL  SUBMIT  AN  ANNUAL
 REPORT  TO  THE  DEPARTMENT DETAILING SUCH INSTITUTION'S COMPLIANCE WITH
 THE CODE OF CONDUCT SUCH INSTITUTION ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWO
 HUNDRED SEVEN-C OF THIS PART, INCLUDING VIOLATIONS,  CORRECTIVE  ACTIONS
 TAKEN  AND  EFFORTS  TO  ALIGN  APPAREL LICENSING PRACTICES WITH ETHICAL
 LABOR STANDARDS. INSTITUTIONS SHALL MAKE THESE ANNUAL COMPLIANCE REPORTS
 PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON SUCH INSTITUTION'S WEBSITE NO LATER THAN THE FIRST
 DAY OF AUGUST OF EACH YEAR FOR THE PRECEDING SCHOOL YEAR.
   2. ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE. THE  DEPARTMENT
 SHALL PREPARE AND SUBMIT AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGIS-
 LATURE, LISTING ALL INSTITUTIONS IN COMPLIANCE WITH A SWEAT-FREE CODE OF
 CONDUCT  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  TWO HUNDRED SEVEN-C OF THIS
 PART, INCLUDING INFORMATION ON NON-COMPLIANT  PURCHASING  AND  LICENSING
 AGREEMENTS WITH APPAREL MANUFACTURERS. SUCH REPORT SHALL BE MADE PUBLIC-
 LY  AVAILABLE  ON  THE  SAME  PAGE AS THE DEPARTMENTS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE
 EDUCATION DATA.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.