New York Assembly Bill A09288

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 12/10/25
• Refer: 12/10/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Provides for sick leave requirements for state employees who are eligible for certain group insurance policies.

Summary

This bill amends the Civil Service Law to establish specific sick leave rules for certain New York State employees who are eligible for group insurance under section 159. It adds a new provision requiring covered employees to accrue sick leave at the rate of one day per biweekly payroll period, up to a maximum bank of 225 days. The bill also allows these employees to use sick leave at half-pay after exhausting their accrued leave. The bill further limits the total amount of half-pay sick leave that may be granted to an eligible employee to one payroll period for every six months of completed state service. The measure applies to state employees eligible for the referenced group insurance policies and would take effect on January 1 following enactment.

Impact

The bill would amend section 159 of the Civil Service Law and create a new statutory sick leave entitlement for a defined class of state employees. It would increase and standardize sick leave accrual and establish a half-pay sick leave benefit after exhaustion of accrued leave, affecting state personnel administration, payroll practices, and leave accounting for eligible employees. The bill does not appear to alter eligibility for the insurance policies themselves, but ties the new leave rules to employees covered under that insurance framework.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be a pro-employee labor and benefits bill, with an emphasis on improving leave protections for state workers. There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal opposition or support can be identified from the legislative record here. The overall framing suggests a straightforward benefits expansion rather than a controversial policy change.

Contention

The main policy issue is the cost and administrative impact of expanding sick leave accruals and adding a half-pay leave benefit for eligible state employees. Potential points of contention would likely involve the fiscal effect on the state, whether the benefit should apply broadly or only to employees eligible for the specified group insurance, and whether the 225-day cap and half-pay limits are appropriate. No specific legislators, unions, agencies, or other stakeholders are identified in the provided materials as taking a position.