Relates to enacting the worker healthcare protection act, for New Yorkers who lose health care coverage from an employer or a joint labor management trust as a result of an active strike, lockout, or other labor dispute.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5889
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 24, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FORREST -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to enacting the work-
er health care protection act
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "worker
2 health care protection act".
3 § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 268-i to
4 read as follows:
5 § 268-i. Worker health care protection act. 1. On or before January
6 first, two thousand twenty-seven, the marketplace shall establish a
7 worker health plan access program to assist New Yorkers who lose health
8 care coverage provided by an employer or a joint labor management trust
9 as a result of an active strike, lockout, or other labor dispute.
10 2. Subject to the availability of funding, the marketplace shall
11 provide enrollment assistance to help maintain coverage for individuals
12 and their dependents who:
13 (a) provide a self-attestation regarding loss of minimum essential
14 health care coverage from an employer or joint labor management trust
15 fund as a result of an active strike, lockout, or other labor dispute;
16 and
17 (b) are eligible for coverage offered through the marketplace.
18 3. The marketplace may request from an applicable employer, labor
19 organization, or other appropriate representative information to deter-
20 mine the status of a strike, lockout, or labor dispute, its impact to
21 coverage, and any other information determined by the marketplace as
22 necessary to conduct outreach and determine eligibility for federal and
23 state subsidies offered through the marketplace. An applicable employer,
24 labor organization, or other appropriate representative shall provide to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07333-01-5
A. 5889 2
1 the marketplace any such information requested by the marketplace pursu-
2 ant to this subdivision.
3 4. The marketplace shall establish a process for providing outreach
4 and enrollment assistance, and may establish additional procedural
5 requirements to administer the program established pursuant to subdivi-
6 sion one of this section.
7 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
