Today Assembly Labor Chair Harry Bronson (AD-138) stood with advocates from Planned Parenthood of CWNY, New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), AFLCIO, National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), NEW Pride Agenda, and MOCHA Center to urge Governor Hochul to sign into law a package of bills he sponsored in the Assembly that will protect New Yorkers from federal attempts to limit health care access and worker protections.

The three measures counteract some of the Trump administration’s most extreme agendas by enacting provisions in New York State law to ensure bodily autonomy, reproductive health care, workers rights, and labor law. If enacted, the legislation will make permanent safeguards for New Yorkers seeking or providing gender affirming or reproductive healthcare care and certify interpretation of certain NYS labor laws in accordance with their intended purpose. All three bills passed both the Assembly and the Senate in the 2025 Legislative Session.

The federal protection legislation package includes:

• Shield Law 2.0 (S4914B/A5480C)
• NLRB Trigger Bill (S8034-A/A08590-A)
• Remedial Construction of New York Labor Law Act (A7863/S7388)

The need for these laws is clear as the federal government, abetted by an extremist Supreme Court, systematically seeks to undue safeguards for Americans and remove rights New Yorkers have voted overwhelmingly in favor of. The purpose of Assemblymember Bronson’s federal protection bills is to close vulnerable loopholes in New York law that Washington has sought to exploit, such as attempting to force private hospitals and clinics to turn over sensitive patient and provider information or eliminating the right to collectively bargain with private employers.

“The Trump Administration is attempting to take us back in time by removing rights that New Yorkers overwhelmingly support. Last year voters clarified this when they passed the Equal Rights Amendment, codifying protections for gender affirming care and reproductive choice into our State constitution,” said Assemblymember Harry Bronson. “As Assembly Labor Chair and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, my priority is ensuring that New Yorker’s health, safety, and personal choice are protected by state law. New Yorkers have made it clear that despite what’s happening at the federal level, we are moving towards a more equitable and just future, anchored by a strong middle class, where individual liberties and freedoms are respected. I stand with a strong coalition of allies from organized labor, legal and healthcare to urge the Governor to act fast to ensure our rights remain protected.”

Shield Law 2.0: Receiving and providing abortion or gender-affirming health care is legal and protected in New York. Shield Law 2.0 will strengthen existing laws that protect individuals who provide or receive reproductive health care and gender-affirming care from criminal or civil liability or professional sanctions outside of New York State. With the House introducing a bill to make abortion totally illegal, and attacks against trans and gender nonconforming people ramping up nation-wide, advocates cite the urgent need for New York to pass measures that protect people living openly and safely as their authentic selves and obtaining the healthcare they need to do so.

NLRB Trigger Bill: The Trump Administration is undermining worker rights at all levels in favor of billionaires and wealthy corporations. Including removing a critical board member from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which serves to evaluate and mitigate labor violations. Under current law, the National Labor Relations Act preempts any attempt to take up these cases at the state level. The NLRB Trigger Bill, which is supported by AFLCIO and other labor unions, gives New York the power to step in and protect workers if the NLRB fails to fulfill its duty. It also adds procedures to establish clear guidelines ensuring due process and fair resolution in the event of disputes. If signed into law, S8034-A/A08590-A, would amend current NYS law to require the New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to promptly certify bargaining representatives and units previously certified by other state or federal agencies, and uphold any terms and conditions previously agreed upon between employers and bargaining representatives. This legislation would clarify the jurisdiction of PERB regarding its responsibility to administer the New York State Employment Relations Act (SERA) on private sector labor matters.

Remedial Construction of New York Labor Law Act: Similar to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, New York State Labor law was set up to protect workers against retaliation, wage theft and abuse, harms of unemployment, and other misclassifications and should be interpreted, legally, in line with those purposes. In recent years, with the Trump Administration’s success in stacking the courts with right-to-work extremists, federal courts have moved towards restrictive, anti-worker readings that have made it harder for workers to win wage theft and overtime cases. This trend is also growing among other federal laws designed to protect workers. With the understanding that the Trump administration will, once again, issue regulations and guidance that narrow the scope of the Fair Labor Standards Act, this law will clarify the intentions for New York State Labor Law to favor worker protections, regardless of the federal provisions, and set a precedent that New York courts must interpret the law as it stands and as it’s written to ensure workers are protected.

“In recent years, a coordinated and heavily funded assault on core labor rights has steadily undermined the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) capacity to operate with fairness and impartiality. That ongoing effort has now intensified into a direct attempt to dismantle and deliberately obstruct the NLRB’s work, all with the goal of weakening protections for workers.

These fundamental rights are enshrined in our Federal and State constitution, and we must make sure that they are protected. I am proud to stand with Assemblyman Bronson as he ensures that the State of New York can step in to protect workers and ensure all voices are heard in a fair and reliable process that protects their rights.” said Dan Maloney, President - Rochester Labor Council and Rochester & Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation.

“Hostile states and the federal government are escalating legal attacks on the trans and gender nonconforming community, including recent DOJ subpoenas targeting more than 20 hospitals that provide gender-affirming care,” said Brittan Hardgers, Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement at NEW Pride Agenda. “Shield Law 2.0 is essential to closing dangerous loopholes, protecting providers, and reinforcing New York’s role as a true safe haven. We’re deeply grateful to Assemblymember Bronson for championing this bill and to the advocates who fought for its passage. Now, we urge Governor Hochul to sign it into law immediately and protect trans people, patients, and providers from active legal threats.”

“Interpretation of New York’s worker protection laws should not sway with the political winds in Washington, D.C. This bill requires that the Labor Law’s strong remedial protections for workers be interpreted accordingly. It clarifies for the courts once and for all that the Labor Law must be construed liberally in favor of workers for the accomplishment of the remedial purposes of the Labor Law, regardless of how federal laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, are construed,” said Harvey Sanders, NELA/NY

“We dream of a world where every LGBTQ+ person is safe, affirmed, and free. That includes our trans community, which is disproportionally impacted by stigma and violence,” said Terence Pleasant, Director of the Mocha Center and Community Engagement.

"Shield 2.0 is a vital step in protecting both abortion and gender-affirming care, essential health care that is under unprecedented attack. This legislation helps close dangerous loopholes and strengthens New York’s role as an access state – further protecting patients and providers. Our reproductive freedom is on the line, and we will not back down until everyone has access to the full spectrum of reproductive and sexual health care they need – no matter what,” said Michelle Casey, President & CEO - Planned Parenthood of Central and Western NY

“New York should not be complicit in the shameless effort to shut down access to critical care, especially at a time when the Trump administration and hostile states are targeting abortion and gender-affirming care providers,” said Shay Herbert, organizer with the New York Civil Liberties Union. “By passing Shield Law 2.0, our legislature took an important step to protect providers who continue to offer care despite the threats, as well as their patients, those seeking care, and those supporting them. We urge Governor Hochul to sign this critical legislation now and reaffirm New York’s place as a champion of abortion access and gender affirming care.”