Labor committee reports 12 bills on workers' compensation, workplace safety and related labor issues to calendar and finance

The Senate Standing Committee on Labor reported a package of 12 labor-related bills to the Senate calendar and finance committees during its sixth and final meeting of the 2025 legislative session. Committee members moved each bill by voice vote; the committee reported some bills to the Senate calendar and sent others to the finance committee for further review.

The measures span workers' compensation changes, unemployment benefit eligibility, workplace-violence prevention requirements, elevator licensing requirements and definitions for mental-health practitioners with diagnostic authority. Several bills addressing workers' compensation were among the items the committee advanced.

Key actions reported by the committee included:

- Senate Bill 3948 (Ramos): A proposal to amend the workers' compensation law to allow certain payments to be reclassified to permanent total disability or total industrial disability on grounds of extreme hardship. Outcome: reported to finance.

- Senate Bill 4509 (Ramos): A proposal to allow carriers or employers a credit against permanent partial disability benefits for temporary partial disability payments made in excess of a stated threshold. Outcome: reported to the calendar.

- Senate Bill 4912 (Sean Ryan): The Construction Reporting Pay Act, amending the labor law to require construction reporting pay provisions. Outcome: reported to the calendar.

- Senate Bill 5623 (Chris Ryan): A measure to amend the labor law so that unemployment benefits can be based on employment with certain educational institutions. Outcome: reported to the calendar.

- Senate Bill 6078 (Parker): A bill amending workers' compensation law to permit certain claims for death benefits based on death due to COVID-19 (noted in the record in memory of Joseph Fletcher). Outcome: reported to finance.

- Senate Bill 6376 (Scarcellus Banton): Prohibits insurance carriers and employers from withholding certain benefits from injured workers based on attachment to the labor market. Outcome: reported to the calendar.

- Senate Bill 6912 (Chris Ryan): Defines mental-health practitioners with diagnostic authority in the labor law. Outcome: reported to the calendar.

- Senate Bill 7193 (Garcellus Fantin): Amends chapter 730 of the rules of 2019 relating to the authority of the New York Black Bar Operators Injury Compensation Fund. Outcome: reported to the calendar.

- Senate Bill 7658 (Ramos): Requires employers to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence. Outcome: reported to finance.

- Senate Bill 7944 (Ramos): Clarifies elevator licensing provisions, examinations and experience requirements in the labor law. Outcome: reported to the calendar.

- Senate Bill 8034 (Ramos): Addresses disputes between employers and recognized employee organizations. Outcome: reported to the calendar.

- Senate Bill 8131 (Ramos): Amends the workers' compensation law regarding payment of certain awards for disabilities. Outcome: reported to the calendar.

Committee members handled most items by brief motion and voice vote; the transcript records “aye”/“opposed” voice responses rather than roll-call tallies. Where the record indicates, bills were forwarded to the Senate finance committee for further review, while others were placed on the Senate calendar for later floor action.

The meeting record includes a brief, on-the-record reference to constituent circumstances tied to the COVID-19 death-benefits bill (SB 6078); a committee member described meeting Veronica Fletcher and noted that many potential COVID-related death claims were never brought. The committee did not resolve substantive amendments on the floor; the items were advanced for consideration by the calendar or finance committees as indicated.

The committee adjourned after completing the listed agenda items.