Page 17 - The Digital Carpenter, Vol. 1 Issue 2

NEW YORK STATE RECIPROCAL DEBARMENT LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR CUOMO
On December 18, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
signed into law new reciprocal debarment legislation A8514/S6790 to amend labor and general municipal law, relating to reciprocity of debarments imposed under the federal Davis-Bacon Act. The bill states that any contractor debarred by the U.S. Department of Labor for violations of the Davis-Bacon Act cannot work on New York State public works projects. The statute will take e ect in March 2018.
“This is an important new State law that ensures that contractors barred on the federal level from public works projects won’t have the ability to win new projects in the State of New York,” said John Ballantyne, NRCC’s Executive Secretary-Treasurer. “We’re pleased to support a law that ensures that hardworking men and women carpenters receive good pay and bene ts from reputable, law-abiding companies in the State.”
The legislation was drafted by Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D-138th District). Bronson’s Legislative District includes parts of the City of Rochester and the towns of Chili and Henrietta.
“Unscrupulous contractors that violate workers’ rights don’t deserve to be rewarded with contracts paid for by hardworking taxpayers,” said Bronson. “This law is a step in the right direction to help ensure that workers are protected from dishonest employers and our
communities’ projects are completed by upstanding businesses that pay and treat their employees properly.”
Bronson continued: “Federal law, under the Davis- Bacon Act, dictates that contractors are prohibited from obtaining federal contracts if they’ve been debarred by the U.S. Department of Labor for wage payment violations. My legislation corrects a loophole in New York State law that allowed federally debarred contractors to still obtain state public works contracts. As a member of the Assembly Committee on Labor, I will continue to be an outspoken advocate for workers’ rights and continue to stand up for fair wages and vital protections.”
ASSEMBLY MEMBER HARRY BRONSON (4TH FROM LEFT) VISITING ROCHESTER TRAINING CENTER WAS THE PRIMARY SPONSOR OF DEBARMENT LEGISLATION.
A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
"Unscrupulous contractors that violate workers' rights don't deserve to be rewarded with contracts paid for by hardworking taxpayers. This law is a step in the right direction to help ensure that workers are protected from dishonest employers and our communities' projects are completed by upstanding businesses that pay and treat their employees properly.”
—Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D-138th District)
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