Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson (D-Rochester/Chili/Henrietta) announced that legislation he authored to prohibit contractors who violate wage and labor laws from securing public works contracts was signed into law (Ch. 461 of 2017).

“Unscrupulous contractors who 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.”

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. Bronson’s 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, Assemblymember Bronson has been an outspoken advocate for workers’ rights and continues to stand up for fair wages and vital protections.