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Carlos Law
September 1, 2022
Carlos’ Law Sets Minimum $500K Penalty for Construction Deaths
The bill would require criminal penalties of at least $300,000 for a misdemeanor and $500,000 for a felony conviction for a worker’s death or injury. The bill is now in the hands of Governor Kathy Hochul, who has not yet signaled her intentions. She has until the end of the year to decide whether to sign it, along with the other pending legislation on her desk.
Times Union
August 24, 2022
Scaffolding law is hurting New York’s recovery
There is no greater priority than the safety and well-being of all workers before or after being injured on a construction site. The irony of all this is that New York has one of the safest construction rates in the country – despite having lower insurance costs in other areas. Is it any wonder why construction activity is low in New York and almost every other area?
New Jersey News
August 23, 2022
What does the future hold for scaffolding law in New York?
Judge Defiore’s retirement from the Court of Appeals could bring changes to the court’s ever-evolving interpretation of New York’s staging law, Labor Law 240(1). In the 150 years since its creation and the thousands of rulings, staging law has generally been construed in favor of the plaintiff. More recently, the court has moved away from this punitive interpretation to confirm the plaintiff’s affirmative duty before delivering a brief judgment.
Windobi
#CarlosLaw
August 12, 2022
New York Must Change Carlos’ Law Before Governor Signs It
In New York, insurance costs are $41 per square foot compared to $3 in Connecticut and $4 in New Jersey. Is it any wonder why companies are moving there, or why there is always such a housing shortage and affordability crisis in New York?
Daily Commercial News by ConstructConnect
#CarlosLaw
August 9, 2022
New York’s Carlos’ Bill proposes steep fines that could cripple small contractors: BTEA
One of the BTEA’s fears is that the Carlos Bill could be on a par with New York Labor Law 240, The Scaffold Law, which states a contractor has “absolute liability” for any injury or fatality on a jobsite, regardless of the conditions.
NEW YORK NOW
May 6, 2022
Environmental Bond Act, Scaffold Law Reform in New York
Season 2022 Episode 18 |
Voters will decide in November if New York should borrow $4.2 billion in bonds over three decades to combat climate change and address environmental damage. New York passed a law in 1885 to protect workers in the construction trades. But, since then, some say the law's been interpreted in ways that have led to abuse. Learn more about the law and why the state should change it.
Buffalo News
April 22, 2022
Letter: Consider Scaffold Law in Bills stadium cost
The new Bills stadium deal marks an excellent time to review the reasons that New York State is such an expensive place to build. The new stadium deal announced earlier this week comes with a price tag of $850 million. The steep cost has many asking questions about the value of the deal. What is known, however, is the cost of the stadium is increased by New York’s outdated Scaffold Law.
Crain's New York Business | Op-ed
March 18, 2022
Here’s how to kick-start construction and get New Yorkers back to work
By Louis Coletti - Eliminate the exorbitant and unnecessary insurance mandates of the state’s scaffold law, responsible for insurance premiums 300% higher than anywhere else in the country. The law, repealed in every other state except New York, imposes automatic, 100% liability on contractors for any worker injury, irrespective of any contributing factor, and it is a primary driver of the high cost of construction.
Crain's New York Business
December 5, 2021
Crain's Extra: The Week Ahead
Dec. 10 - The City Council holds a hearing about regulatory burdens on small businesses. No further info about the agenda was available at deadline, so here’s a suggestion: Something needs to be done about the Scaffold Law, which holds builders 100% liable for gravity-related accidents even if others are also responsible. Should either Gov. Kathy Hochul or Mayor-elect Eric Adams or both want to show the business community there’s a new sheriff in town, amending the law would do it.
Daily News
July 16, 2021
Readers sound off on NYC’s progressive voters, post-lockdown concert and curbing street violence
Codified boondoggle
Albany: I applaud The News’ call for Gov. Cuomo to ensure that the Gateway tunnel project is “fast and economical” (”Hole in the tunnel,” editorial, July 12). Unfortunately, New York’s unique legal environment makes construction projects across the state anything but. To update our infrastructure without wasting taxpayer money, New York must reform its outdated Scaffold Law. It saddles construction projects with excessive costs by imposing absolute liability on property owners and contractors for height-related worksite injuries, even if the injured worker is at fault. As a result, the cost of the Gateway project is estimated to be inflated by as much as $300 million, according to Common Good. For this reason, contractors have urged Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to override the Scaffold Law for the Gateway project. These extra costs could be spent on any of the numerous other infrastructure upgrades that New York so desperately needs. Taxpayer dollars are precious.
Tom Stebbins, Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York
Construction Dive
June 2, 2021
Report: COVID-19 cost NYC construction industry $9.8 billion
BTEA also called attention to the general liability insurance cost under the city’s Scaffold Law, which imposes absolute liability on gravity-related injuries, even those to or caused by an impaired worker. Coletti described the Scaffold Law as “absurd.” He isn’t alone in that sentiment.
Crain's New York | Op-Ed
June 1, 2021
New York's Scaffold Law is holding back affordable housing
Analysis shows that the Scaffold Law drives up construction costs as much as 7% on a given project; without it, New York could have created and preserved an additional 12,600 affordable homes in the past five years alone.
REBNY
October 25, 2017
New York’s Scaffold Law holds property owners, employers and contractors strictly liable for all gravity-related construction accidents. Enacted in 1885, it is among the oldest laws in the state and an ever-present reminder of the need for New York to modernize its laws to reflect new realities.
REBNY
October 25, 2017
New York’s Scaffold Law holds property owners, employers and contractors strictly liable for all gravity-related construction accidents. Enacted in 1885, it is among the oldest laws in the state and an ever-present reminder of the need for New York to modernize its laws to reflect new realities.
New York Building Congress
November 1, 2014
Debate Continues Over New York State Labor Law 240:
The Scaffold Law.
The Lines Are Drawn Again.
The battle to reform or repeal Labor Law 240, commonly referred to as the Scaffold Law, has been raging for years. But now, both sides are stepping up advocacy and lobbying efforts, thinking this may be the time for action in Albany.
New York Building Congress
November 1, 2014
Debate Continues Over New York State Labor Law 240:
The Scaffold Law.
The Lines Are Drawn Again.
The battle to reform or repeal Labor Law 240, commonly referred to as the Scaffold Law, has been raging for years. But now, both sides are stepping up advocacy and lobbying efforts, thinking this may be the time for action in Albany.