NEW YORK — When on Monday the midnight bell tolls, a number of new laws will go into effect in New York State. 

The minimum wage is going up. The minimum age for ATV drivers is going up but for lifeguards the minimum age is ticking down. Schools will observe a new holiday and stock every middle and high school bathroom with free menstrual products. Doulas will be getting respect.

For new laws coming to Pennsylvania, see “New PA budget boosts rural counties” in last week’s River Reporter and online. 

Minimum wage is going up

The minimum wage in New York State outside New York City, Long Island, and Westchester will increase from $14.20 to $15 starting on January 1. 

For tipped service employees in this area, the minimum wage is increasing from $11.85 to $12.50, with a $2.35 credit allowance. (New York allows employers to satisfy the minimum wage requirement through a credit for tips received from customers.) Tipped food service employees in this area will see their minimum wage rise from $9.45 to $10, with a $5 tip credit. New York City, Long Island, and Westchester will see an increase in the minimum wage from $15 to $16, with higher numbers for tipped workers as well. Governor Kathy Hochul urged minimum wage earners who do not see the increase reflected in their paychecks to file a complaint on on the Department of Labor’s website (https://dol.ny.gov/filing-labor-standards-complaint-fare-grant) or by calling 833-910-4378.

New York's paid family leave law, which has now been extended to siblings, has grown in the four years since the law was established. Leaves taken by …

Paid family leave extended to siblings

In 2018, New York launched a paid family leave program so that workers could have time to bond with a newborn or a newly adopted or fostered child, or to care for a seriously ill family member. This benefit covers spouses, domestic partners, children, or parents, has now been extended to siblings. Biological siblings, adopted siblings, stepsiblings and half-siblings qualify, even they siblings do not live in New York or even the United States. The program allows workers to take up to 12 weeks off at 67 percent of their pay, up to a cap. The time may be taken all at once or in full-day increments.

Freelancers protected against deadbeats

Upstate freelancers will get the protections New York City freelancers already enjoy. The “Freelance Isn’t Free” Act provides all freelancers in the state with recourse when their clients do not pay them. “This law will protect freelancers by establishing a right to a written contract with certain terms, timely and full payment, and protection from retaliation and discrimination for exercising these rights,” said a statement from the governor’s office. “The Attorney General can bring actions to obtain remedies, including damages and civil penalties, on behalf of impacted freelance workers.”

Lunar New Year becomes new school holiday

The Lunar New Year will become a public school holiday across New York. Governor Hochul said, “We are taking an important step in recognizing the importance of New York’s AAPI community and the rich diversity that makes New York so great. It is not just a day off from school – it is an opportunity for our children to learn about and celebrate their own or different cultures and traditions.” In 2024 the Lunar New Year begins on February 10, ushering in the Year of the Dragon. Since it falls on a Saturday, school schedules are not expected to change. In 2025, however, The Year of the Snake begins on a Wednesday (January 29). Also through new legislation, New York City schools will also be closed for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

Doulas to be covered by Medicaid

The New York State Department of Health will create a directory of doulas on its website and cover doula services through Medicaid. Legislation signed into law in November establishes criteria for inclusion in the directory. It defines a doula as “a trained person who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a pregnant person and the family of such pregnant person before, during or a reasonable time after childbirth.” The services may be provided at home or in hospitals and other birthing centers.The law aims to address “poor maternal and infant health outcomes and disparities,” and “the rising costs of reproductive care.”

Schools must provide free menstrual products

Middle and high schools, both public and private, will be required to provide free menstrual products in school bathrooms starting July 1. Lawmakers said it was time to banish the stigma surrounding menstruation. “By eliminating harmful and taboo references to feminine hygiene products in state law and expanding access to menstrual products in private schools, we are once again charting a path forward for other states across the country in addressing and protecting women’s health,” said NYS Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal. A similar law will be going into effect in New Jersey in the new year.

Drug-testing supplies to be more easily available

Fentanyl testing strips greatly decrease the chance of accidental overdoses but are difficult to get across much of the state. Matthew’s Law will allow pharmacists and other health care professionals to distribute these and other life-saving drug-testing supplies. “For too long, pharmacies and other local health care providers have struggled to provide the resources proven to prevent overdose deaths,” Hochul said. She said the state’s historic investment in testing expansion will “ensure that every New Yorker has access to life-saving testing kits.”

ATV drivers must be at least 14

The legal age for operating an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) in New York is going up, from 10 to 14.

“ATVs are very dangerous and it’s unbelievable that until now children as young as ten years old, fourth graders, have been allowed to operate them legally in New York State,” said Assemblymember Amy Paulin. “ATVs weigh hundreds of pounds and reach speeds of 70 miles per hour or more. Machines of their weight and speed are just not suitable for young children to operate, and we have seen many preventable tragedies as a result.”

In addition, children under 16  operating an ATV will need to be supervised by a person at least 18 years old.

Age of lifeguards lowered to 15

To address the lifeguard shortage in New York, 15-year-olds will be permitted to serve as lifeguards at summer camps when under the supervision of qualified staff members. State Senator James Skoufis of Orange County said the new law will “expand the pool of eligible water safety pros, help more teens secure meaningful summer work, and keep New York’s campers happily swimming.”

Eligibility for victim compensation is expanded

Eligibility for victim compensation funds has been expanded. The requirement that victims provide documentation from law enforcement has been dropped, and the window of time in which a victim can file a claim has been extended.