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A07864 Summary:

BILL NOA07864A
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORDinowitz
 
COSPNSRTitus, Steck
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add §191-d, Lab L
 
Prohibits non-compete agreements and certain restrictive covenants which unreasonably and unfairly bar or inhibit post-employment competition and protects certain workers from inappropriate and unnecessary restrictions on future employment.
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A07864 Actions:

BILL NOA07864A
 
05/17/2017referred to labor
05/23/2017reported referred to codes
06/06/2017reported referred to rules
06/12/2017reported
06/12/2017rules report cal.174
06/12/2017ordered to third reading rules cal.174
06/14/2017amended on third reading 7864a
01/03/2018ordered to third reading cal.557
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A07864 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A7864A
 
SPONSOR: Dinowitz
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the labor law, in relation to prohib- iting non-compete agreements and certain restrictive covenants   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: The bill would clarify and update New York labor law regarding the permissible use of non-compete agreements in employment contracts.   SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section 1, which adds a new section 191-d to the labor law, is divided as follows: Subsection 1: Defines "non-compete agreement" and "covered-employee." Subsection 2: Provides that no employer or its agent, or the officer or agent of any corporation, partnership, or limited liability company, shall seek, require, demand or accept a non-compete agreement from a covered employee. Subsection 3: Outlines standards and requirements for non-compete agree- ments with regard to employees or potential employees who are subject to such agreements. Subsection 4: Provides that if an employee subject to a non-compete agreement is discharged without cause, the non-compete agreement is no longer enforceable as to that employee. Subsection 5: Provides that an employee, including a covered employee, may bring a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction against any employer or persons alleged to have violated this section. The employee shall bring such action within two years of the later of: (i) when the prohibited non-compete agreement was signed; (ii) when the employee learns of the prohibited non-compete agreement; (iii) when the employment relationship is terminated; or (iv) when the employer takes any steps to enforce the non-compete agreement. The court shall have jurisdiction to void a non-compete agreement and to order all appropriate relief. Liquidated damages shall be calculated as an amount not more than ten thousand dollars. The court shall award liquidated damages to every affected employee in addition to other permitted remedies. The court shall also award the consideration payment required under this section if the employer did not provide such payment when due. Subsection 6: Provides that the provisions of Section 1 do not apply to employees covered under section 202-k of the labor law. Section 2 contains a severability clause. Section 3 sets the effective date (180 days after it shall have become a law).   JUSTIFICATION: The purpose of this bill is to promote economic growth by prohibiting non-compete agreements and restrictive covenants that unreasonably and unfairly bar or inhibit post-employment competition, and to protect workers from inappropriate and unnecessary restrictions on future employment. The bill will also help to ensure that businesses can hire the best worker for the job. Non-compete agreements present particular challenges for low-wage and rank-and-file workers, who are increasingly subject to these restrictions. Such workers, and/or their potential employers, may be deterred by non-compete agreements from seeking new employment, but may never have the opportunity to meaningfully negotiate such agreements and may lack the means to challenge a non-compete agreement in court. A March 2016 report published by the U.S. Treasury Department found that non-compete agreements cause various harms to "worker welfare, job mobility, business dynamics, and economic growth more generally." A May 2016 report published by the Obama White House concluded that non-com- pete agreements also depress wages and inhibit innovation.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: None.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None to the State.   EFFECTIVE DATE: 180 days after it shall have become
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A07864 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         7864--A
                                                                   R. R. 174
 
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      May 17, 2017
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  DINOWITZ, TITUS, STECK -- (at request of the
          Department of Law) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
          -- reported and referred to the Committee on  Codes  --  reported  and
          referred  to the Committee on Rules -- amended on the special order of
          third reading, ordered reprinted as amended, retaining  its  place  on
          the special order of third reading
 
        AN  ACT  to  amend the labor law, in relation to prohibiting non-compete
          agreements and certain restrictive covenants
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1.  The labor law is amended by adding a new section 191-d to
     2  read as follows:
     3    § 191-d. Non-compete agreements. 1. For the purposes of this  section,
     4  the term:
     5    a.  "Non-compete agreement" means an agreement, or clause contained in
     6  an employment contract, between an employer and an employee that prohib-
     7  its or restricts such employee  from  obtaining  employment,  after  the
     8  conclusion  of  employment  with the employer included as a party to the
     9  agreement:
    10    (i) for a specified period of time;
    11    (ii) in any specified geographical area; and/or
    12    (iii) with any particular other employer or in any  particular  indus-
    13  try.
    14    b.  "Covered employee" means any employee whose earnings are less than
    15  seventy-five thousand dollars annually. This threshold shall be annually
    16  increased, where warranted by application of the below-described  formu-
    17  la,  pursuant  to  a  percentage  to  be  determined by reference to the
    18  consumer price index, published by the United  States  Bureau  of  Labor
    19  Statistics,  for  the  applicable  calendar  year. Said percentage shall
    20  equal fifty percent of the annual  inflation,  as  determined  from  the
    21  increase  in  the  consumer price index in the one-year period ending on
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09251-09-7

        A. 7864--A                          2
 
     1  March thirty-first prior to the cost-of-living adjustment  effective  on
     2  the ensuing September first. Said percentage shall then be rounded up to
     3  the  next  higher  one-tenth  of  one percent and shall not exceed three
     4  percent.  If the percentage increase would be less than one percent, the
     5  threshold shall not increase.
     6    2. No employer or its agent, or the officer or  agent  of  any  corpo-
     7  ration,  partnership, or limited liability company, shall seek, require,
     8  demand or accept a non-compete agreement from a covered employee.
     9    3. For all employees other than covered employees, no employer or  his
    10  or  her  agent, or the officer or agent of any corporation, partnership,
    11  or limited liability company, shall seek, require, demand  or  accept  a
    12  non-compete agreement from any employee unless the non-compete agreement
    13  meets the following requirements:
    14    a. It shall be in writing and signed by the employer and employee.
    15    b.  It shall be provided to a prospective employee by the earlier of a
    16  formal offer of employment or thirty days before the non-compete  agree-
    17  ment goes into effect.
    18    c.  If  a  current employee is not subject to a non-compete agreement,
    19  any new non-compete agreement must be  provided  at  least  thirty  days
    20  before the agreement becomes effective.
    21    4.  If  an  employee  subject to a non-compete agreement is discharged
    22  without cause, the non-compete agreement is no longer enforceable as  to
    23  that employee.
    24    5.  a.  An  employee,  including a covered employee, may bring a civil
    25  action in a court of competent  jurisdiction  against  any  employer  or
    26  persons  alleged  to have violated this section. An employee shall bring
    27  such action within two years of the later of: (i)  when  the  prohibited
    28  non-compete  agreement  was signed; (ii) when the employee learns of the
    29  prohibited non-compete agreement; (iii) when the employment relationship
    30  is terminated; or (iv) when the employer takes any step to  enforce  the
    31  non-compete  agreement.  The  court  shall have jurisdiction to void any
    32  such non-compete agreement and to order all appropriate relief,  includ-
    33  ing enjoining the conduct of any person or employer; ordering payment of
    34  liquidated  damages; and awarding lost compensation, damages, reasonable
    35  attorneys' fees and costs.
    36    b. For the purposes of this subdivision, liquidated damages  shall  be
    37  calculated  as  an  amount not more than ten thousand dollars. The court
    38  shall award liquidated damages to every  employee  affected  under  this
    39  section, in addition to any other remedies permitted by this section.
    40    c.  The court shall also award a consideration payment if the employer
    41  did not provide such payment when due.
    42    6.   The provisions of this  section  shall  not  apply  to  employees
    43  covered under section two hundred two-k of this chapter.
    44    § 2. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
    45  sion,  section  or  part  of  this act shall be adjudged by any court of
    46  competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment  shall  not  affect,
    47  impair,  or  invalidate  the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in
    48  its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph,  subdivision,  section
    49  or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
    50  ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
    51  the  legislature  that  this  act  would  have been enacted even if such
    52  invalid provisions had not been included herein.
    53    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    54  it shall have become a law.
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