New York Senate Bill S05211

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/19/25
• Refer: 2/19/25
• Report Pass: 4/2/25
• Refer: 1/7/26
• Report Pass: 1/28/26

Caption

Enacts the "New York state teleworking expansion act"; provides that each state agency shall establish a policy and program to allow employees to perform all or a portion of their duties through teleworking to the maximum extent possible without diminished employee performance.

Summary

S05211 would enact the “New York state teleworking expansion act” and require each state agency to create a policy and program allowing employees to telework to the maximum extent possible, so long as employee performance is not diminished. The bill defines telework broadly as performing regular work duties from a location other than the agency’s principal office, with the effect of reducing or eliminating the commute. It also requires each state agency to designate a telework coordinator to oversee implementation. The measure applies to a wide range of state entities, including departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, public authorities, public benefit corporations, councils, offices, and other governmental entities performing governmental or proprietary functions. For employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement, however, an agency may not adopt a telework policy under this section unless it is mutually agreed to with the relevant employee organization under the state’s labor relations framework. The bill would take effect 90 days after becoming law.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would amend the New York Civil Service Law by adding a new section requiring statewide telework policies across state agencies. It would not mandate that every employee work remotely, but it would create a legal obligation for agencies to establish teleworking programs and administrative oversight, while preserving collective bargaining rights for unionized employees. The bill would affect state agencies, public authorities, and other state-related entities, and could expand remote work opportunities for public employees while formalizing agency-level telework administration.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill. It passed the Senate Civil Service and Pensions Committee unanimously in April 2025 and again unanimously in January 2026, and it also received strong support in the Senate Finance Committee with 21 yeas and 1 nay in May 2025. The lack of committee transcript discussion limits insight into detailed debate, but the vote pattern indicates broad support with only limited opposition.

Contention

The main point of contention appears to be the scope and mandatory nature of the telework requirement for state agencies, particularly whether agencies should be required to expand telework to the maximum extent possible. Another likely issue is labor relations: the bill expressly preserves collective bargaining requirements for employees covered by union contracts, meaning telework policies for those workers must be mutually agreed upon with the recognized employee organization. The single negative vote in Finance suggests some concern, but the record provided does not identify the specific objection or the member who opposed it.