Assembly Bill A791

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    791
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. DE LOS SANTOS -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Labor
 
 AN ACT to amend the labor law, in  relation  to  allowing  employees  to
   receive paid sick leave to care for a sick pet

   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 "sick leave for pet care act".
   §  2.  Subparagraphs  (ii) and (iii) of paragraph a and paragraph b of
 subdivision 4 of section 196-b of the labor law, as added by  section  1
 of  part  J  of  chapter  56 of the laws of 2020, are amended to read as
 follows:
   (ii) for the diagnosis, care, or treatment of  a  mental  or  physical
 illness,  injury  or  health condition of, or need for medical diagnosis
 of, or preventive care for, such  employee  or  such  employee's  family
 member; [or]
   (iii)  for  an  absence  from work due to any of the following reasons
 when the employee or employee's family member has  been  the  victim  of
 domestic  violence  pursuant  to  subdivision thirty-four of section two
 hundred ninety-two of  the  executive  law,  a  family  offense,  sexual
 offense, stalking, or human trafficking:
   (a)  to  obtain services from a domestic violence shelter, rape crisis
 center, or other services program;
   (b) to participate in  safety  planning,  temporarily  or  permanently
 relocate,  or  take other actions to increase the safety of the employee
 or employee's family members;
   (c) to meet with an attorney or  other  social  services  provider  to
 obtain  information and advice on, and prepare for or participate in any
 criminal or civil proceeding;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00703-01-5
              

 A. 791                              2
 
   (d) to file a complaint or domestic incident report with law  enforce-
 ment;
   (e) to meet with a district attorney's office;
   (f) to enroll children in a new school; or
   (g) to take any other actions necessary to ensure the health or safety
 of  the employee or the employee's family member or to protect those who
 associate or work with the employee.
   For purposes of this [subdivision] SUBPARAGRAPH, the reasons  outlined
 above  in  [subparagraph] CLAUSES (a) through (g) must be related to the
 domestic violence, family offense, sexual offense,  stalking,  or  human
 trafficking.  Provided  further  that  a  person  who has committed such
 domestic violence, family offense, sexual offense,  stalking,  or  human
 trafficking  shall  not be eligible for leave under this subdivision for
 situations in which the person committed such  offense  and  was  not  a
 victim, notwithstanding any family relationship; OR
   (IV)  FOR  THE  DIAGNOSIS,  CARE,  OR TREATMENT OF A PHYSICAL ILLNESS,
 INJURY OR HEALTH CONDITION OF, OR NEED  FOR  MEDICAL  DIAGNOSIS  OF,  OR
 PREVENTIVE CARE FOR, SUCH EMPLOYEE'S COVERED ANIMAL.
   b. For purposes of this section, "family member" shall mean an employ-
 ee's  child,  spouse,  domestic  partner, parent, sibling, grandchild or
 grandparent; and the child or parent of an employee's spouse or domestic
 partner. "Parent" shall mean a biological,  foster,  step-  or  adoptive
 parent,  or  a  legal  guardian of an employee, or a person who stood in
 loco parentis when the employee was a minor child. "Child" shall mean  a
 biological,  adopted  or  foster  child,  a legal ward, or a child of an
 employee standing in loco  parentis.  "COVERED  ANIMAL"  SHALL  MEAN  AN
 EMPLOYEE'S  ANIMAL  THAT IS A SERVICE ANIMAL OR AN ANIMAL KEPT PRIMARILY
 FOR COMPANIONSHIP IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE LAWS.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.