S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8429
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 15, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Labor
 
 AN ACT to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to establish-
   ing a fraud assessment  commission  and  an  assessment  for  workers'
   compensation fraud investigations; and to amend the state finance law,
   in  relation  to establishing the workers' compensation fraud investi-
   gation fund
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative  intent.  The  legislature  hereby finds that
 construction employers shave a significant amount off their labor  costs
 through  workers'  compensation  premium  fraud.  They do that by taking
 advantage of workers' compensation insurer practices that enable fraud.
   Employer workers' compensation premium fraud is  costing  insurers  $5
 billion  a year and it's costing law-abiding employers and their employ-
 ees jobs. The Century Foundation hired economists to study and  write  a
 report  on fraud in the U.S. construction industry that has detailed the
 impacts of these practices extensively; 10 to 19 percent of construction
 workers who should be treated as employees are not. That's  1.1  to  2.1
 million  workers,  ultimately resulting in $10 billion or more in unpaid
 federal and state taxes.
   The legislature finds that New York  state  must  generate  additional
 resources  to  ensure  that  the  workers'  compensation fraud inspector
 general and local prosecutors have the resources available  to  investi-
 gate  and prosecute workers' compensation fraud cases and cases relating
 to the willful failure to secure the payment of  workers'  compensation.
 This  will  help  combat  broader  rampant  wage  theft  throughout  the
 construction industry.
   § 2. The workers' compensation  law  is  amended  by  adding  two  new
 sections 151-a and 151-b to read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11529-01-5
 A. 8429                             2
              

 
   §  151-A.  FRAUD  ASSESSMENT COMMISSION. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED A
 FRAUD  ASSESSMENT  COMMISSION,  WHICH  SHALL  CONSIST  OF  NINE  MEMBERS
 APPOINTED  BY  THE  GOVERNOR  AS FOLLOWS: THREE MEMBERS FROM A BONA FIDE
 LABOR ORGANIZATION, TWO MEMBERS FROM SELF-INSURED EMPLOYERS, TWO MEMBERS
 FROM  INSURED  EMPLOYERS,  AND  TWO  MEMBERS  FROM INSURERS. THE TERM OF
 OFFICE SHALL BE FOUR YEARS, AND A MEMBER SHALL  HOLD  OFFICE  UNTIL  THE
 APPOINTMENT  OF  A  SUCCESSOR.  THE  CHAIR  OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION
 BOARD, THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOR, AND THE  WORKERS'  COMPENSATION  FRAUD
 INSPECTOR GENERAL SHALL BE EX OFFICIO VOTING MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
   § 151-B. ASSESSMENT FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS. TO
 FUND  THE  INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION FRAUD,
 WILLFUL FAILURE TO SECURE PAYMENT OF  WORKERS'  COMPENSATION  PUNISHABLE
 UNDER  SECTION  FIFTY-TWO  OF THIS CHAPTER, AND FAILURE TO KEEP TRUE AND
 ACCURATE RECORDS AS REQUIRED UNDER SECTION  ONE  HUNDRED  THIRTY-ONE  OF
 THIS CHAPTER, THE CHAIR OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION BOARD, IN CONSULTA-
 TION  WITH  THE  WORKERS'  COMPENSATION  FRAUD INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THE
 FRAUD ASSESSMENT COMMISSION SHALL ESTABLISH, BY THE FIRST DAY OF  NOVEM-
 BER,  TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-FIVE, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, AN ASSESSMENT
 FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS WHICH SHALL BE  BORNE  BY
 AFFECTED EMPLOYERS SECURING COMPENSATION FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES PURSUANT TO
 SECTION  FIFTY OF THIS CHAPTER. THE ASSESSMENT FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION
 FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS SHALL BE IN  ADDITION  TO  ASSESSMENTS  FOR  ANNUAL
 EXPENSES  ESTABLISHED  IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE OF THIS ARTICLE.
 ALL ASSESSMENTS COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE CREDITED  TO
 THE  WORKERS'  COMPENSATION FRAUD INVESTIGATION FUND UNDER SECTION NINE-
 TY-NINE-SS OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW AND SHALL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE  USES
 AND PURPOSES OF SUCH FUND.
   § 3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ss to
 read as follows:
   §  99-SS.  WORKERS' COMPENSATION FRAUD INVESTIGATION FUND. 1. THERE IS
 HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE  CHAIR  OF  THE  WORKERS'
 COMPENSATION  BOARD,  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF LABOR, AND THE COMPTROLLER A
 SPECIAL FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE "WORKERS'  COMPENSATION  FRAUD  INVESTI-
 GATION FUND".
   2.  SUCH  FUND SHALL CONSIST OF MONIES RECEIVED FROM THE IMPOSITION OF
 THE ASSESSMENT FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION FRAUD  INVESTIGATIONS  PURSUANT
 TO SECTION ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE-B OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW, AND
 ALL OTHER MONIES APPROPRIATED, CREDITED, OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM ANY
 OTHER FUND OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW.
   3.  MONIES  IN THE FUND, PURSUANT TO APPROPRIATION BY THE LEGISLATURE,
 ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF AVAILABILITY BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET,
 AND A DETERMINATION BY THE CHAIR OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION  BOARD  IN
 CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  WORKERS'  COMPENSATION FRAUD INSPECTOR GENERAL,
 WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE FRAUD ASSESSMENT COMMISSION AS TO THE
 MOST EFFECTIVE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  MONIES,  MAY  BE  MADE  AVAILABLE  FOR
 PURPOSES  OF  THE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION
 FRAUD CASES, CASES RELATING TO THE WILLFUL FAILURE TO SECURE THE PAYMENT
 OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION, AND CASES RELATING TO THE FAILURE TO KEEP TRUE
 AND ACCURATE RECORDS.
   4. AT LEAST FIFTY PERCENT OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION FRAUD  INVESTI-
 GATION FUND ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED TO
 DISTRICT  ATTORNEYS FOR PURPOSES OF THE INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF
 WORKERS' COMPENSATION FRAUD CASES, CASES RELATING TO THE WILLFUL FAILURE
 TO SECURE THE PAYMENT OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION, AND  CASES  RELATING  TO
 THE FAILURE TO KEEP TRUE AND ACCURATE RECORDS. IF A DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS
 DETERMINED  BY THE CHAIR OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION BOARD OR THE WORK-
 A. 8429                             3
 
 ERS' COMPENSATION FRAUD INSPECTOR GENERAL TO BE UNWILLING OR  UNABLE  TO
 INVESTIGATE  AND  PROSECUTE  WORKERS'  COMPENSATION FRAUD CLAIMS, CLAIMS
 RELATING TO THE WILLFUL  FAILURE  TO  SECURE  THE  PAYMENT  OF  WORKERS'
 COMPENSATION,  OR  CLAIMS RELATING TO THE FAILURE TO KEEP TRUE AND ACCU-
 RATE RECORDS, THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOR SHALL  DISCONTINUE  DISTRIBUTION
 OF  FUNDS  ALLOCATED  FOR  SUCH  COUNTY  AND MAY REDISTRIBUTE SUCH FUNDS
 ACCORDING TO THIS SECTION.
   5. MONIES SHALL BE PAYABLE FROM THE FUND ON THE AUDIT AND  WARRANT  OF
 THE  COMPTROLLER  ON VOUCHERS APPROVED AND CERTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER
 OF LABOR.
   6. MONIES IN THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION FRAUD INVESTIGATION FUND  SHALL
 BE  KEPT  SEPARATE  AND SHALL NOT BE COMMINGLED WITH ANY OTHER MONIES IN
 THE CUSTODY OF THE CHAIR OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION BOARD, THE COMMIS-
 SIONER OF LABOR AND/OR THE COMPTROLLER.
   7. TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOR  SHALL  ENSURE
 THAT  ALL MONIES RECEIVED DURING A FISCAL YEAR ARE EXPENDED PRIOR TO THE
 END OF SUCH FISCAL YEAR.
   8. BY THE THIRTIETH DAY OF JUNE, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE, AND ANNUAL-
 LY THEREAFTER, THE CHAIR OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION BOARD, IN  CONSUL-
 TATION  WITH  THE  WORKERS'  COMPENSATION FRAUD INSPECTOR GENERAL OR THE
 FRAUD ASSESSMENT COMMISSION, SHALL DEVELOP AND  RELEASE  A  REQUEST  FOR
 PROPOSALS  AND  APPLICATION  PROCESS  FOR  THE  FUNDS  OUTLINED  IN THIS
 SECTION.
   9. THE FRAUD ASSESSMENT COMMISSION SHALL PROVIDE QUARTERLY REPORTS  TO
 THE  SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE
 CHAIR OF THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY WAYS
 AND MEANS COMMITTEE, ON THE RECEIPTS AND DISTRIBUTIONS OF  THE  WORKERS'
 COMPENSATION  INVESTIGATION  FUND,  INCLUDING  AN  ITEMIZATION  OF  SUCH
 RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS, THE HISTORICAL AND  PROJECTED  EXPENDITURES,
 AND THE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.