News
October 13, 2017Scaffold Law Fix: Albany or DC
It seems as if the Chamber has been in an endless battle with Albany (think Groundhog Day) to reform a New York State only law that costs taxpayers millions and kills job growth. Common sense would tell you that the Governor and the Legislature would jump at an opportunity to reform a law that hits New Yorkers’ wallets to the tune of $800 million and drives up the cost of doing business in our state by $1.49 billion annually. Well, you would be wrong; common sense seems to be lacking in Albany because year after year, the Governor and the Legislature allow the Scaffold Law to remain on the books. This law places absolute liability on property owners and contractors when an employee suffers a elevation-related injury, even when the employee does something that contributes to their injury (e.g.: shows up to the jobsite impaired and falls off a ladder). This is clearly unfair to businesses and taxpayers and the Chamber has been fighting tirelessly for reform.
Luckily there is a sliver of hope that New York will join every other state in the nation and end this nonsense. The Capital Region’s very own Assemblyman John McDonald has introduced a bill that would once and for all bring about reform to this outdated law. While we are grateful for the support of Assemblyman McDonald, we cannot rely on Albany to come up with a timely fix. That is why the Chamber has joined with other chambers and organizations to push Congress to pass Congressman John Faso’s bill, HR 3808. The Scaffold Law stands as a clear symbol of New York’s combative liability environment, and although HR 3808 only covers projects that receive funding from the federal government, Congressman Faso’s proposal is an important step in the right direction and hopefully it will force Albany to finally act to reform this costly law. Because of you, our voice is strong both in Albany and Washington.
