NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1286
SPONSOR: Rajkumar TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to permitting persons who
have filed for asylum to work in New York state
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill provides that anyone who has applied for asylum is eligible to
work in New York state.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds a new section 22 to the labor law directing the labor
commissioner to promulgate rules and regulations for asylum applicants
to be eligible to work in New York state.
Section 2 is the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
JUSTIFICATION:
From April 2022 to September 2023, New York City has welcomed over
110,000 asylum seekers, who have a legal right to remain in the country.
Under a consent decree in the case of Callahan v. Carey, New York City
is legally obligated to provide these people shelter. As of September
2023, New York City is providing shelter to over 59,000 asylum seekers,
at a cost projected to be $12 billion by June 2025.
Under current law, asylum seekers cannot receive work authorization for
at least 180 days after beginning an asylum application. The inability
to work has forced asylum seekers to rely on New York City for shelter
and necessities. Many work without authorization, leaving them suscepti-
ble to exploitation.
At the same time, there are 460,000 job openings in New York State, and
over 120,000 fewer people in the labor force than pre-pandemic. Busi-
nesses throughout the state report an eagerness to hire asylum seekers.
This bill will allow asylum seekers to be self-sufficient, bring talent
to the labor market, and relieve the financial burden facing New York
City.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
'23-'24 A08037 referred to labor
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1286
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RAJKUMAR -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to permitting persons who
have filed for asylum to work in New York state
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 22 to read
2 as follows:
3 § 22. Employment of asylum seekers. The commissioner is authorized and
4 directed to promulgate rules and regulations to permit a person who has
5 applied for asylum pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
6 U.S.C. 1158) to be eligible to work in New York state.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04116-01-5
