S05990, the “Benefit Transparency Act,” would expand New York’s existing pay transparency law to require employers and employment agencies to disclose not only salary or wage ranges, but also other forms of compensation and benefits when advertising jobs, promotions, or transfer opportunities that are performed at least partly in New York. Covered postings would need to include information about bonuses, stock, options, equity or ownership interests, and a general description of expected benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, paid disability insurance, and paid family leave. The bill also requires job descriptions to be included, and it extends disclosure obligations to certain roles that are not publicly advertised by requiring employers to provide compensation and benefits information to prospective candidates upon request during the hiring process.
The bill further adds new obligations for employers after an offer is made. Within five business days of an employment offer, employers would have to provide detailed information about benefit plans the offeree may be eligible for, including insurance plan identity, employee premium costs, deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, benefit caps, preventive care, prenatal and reproductive health coverage, drug coverage, medical tests and procedures, provider network access, and out-of-network coverage. It also requires employers to keep written records for three years if they offer a salary outside the posted range, and it creates a right for current employees to request their compensation range and comparable positions’ compensation information no more than annually.
In terms of state law impact, the bill amends Labor Law section 194-b and would broaden the scope of New York’s pay disclosure requirements to include non-monetary compensation and benefits, not just salary ranges. It applies to employers with four or more employees, as well as employment agencies and recruiters, and it provides enforcement through complaints to the commissioner and civil penalties under existing labor law provisions. The bill also prohibits retaliation against applicants or employees who exercise these rights, directs the commissioner to issue regulations, and requires the department to conduct public outreach. It expressly states that it does not preempt local laws, so stronger local disclosure rules could continue to operate.
The available context shows no recorded committee transcript or vote history, so there is no documented debate or roll-call sentiment to assess. Based on the bill’s structure and purpose, its overall policy direction is pro-transparency and pro-worker, aiming to give applicants and employees more complete information about total compensation before accepting or changing jobs. The bill appears designed to reduce hidden compensation practices and make benefit comparisons easier for workers.
Because there are no transcripts or votes, there are also no specific recorded points of contention in the provided materials. Potential areas of dispute suggested by the text itself include the administrative burden on employers, the breadth of required disclosures for benefits and non-monetary compensation, the recordkeeping requirement for out-of-range offers, and the practical difficulty of standardizing benefit information across different plans and unions. The bill’s inclusion of detailed health coverage information and annual employee-request rights may also be seen as expanding compliance obligations beyond traditional salary posting rules.
This bill would amend New York Labor Law section 194-b to expand mandatory compensation disclosure requirements for job, promotion, and transfer postings. It would require disclosure of salary or wage ranges plus additional compensation, benefits, job descriptions, and post-offer benefit-plan details, while adding anti-retaliation protections, recordkeeping duties, enforcement through complaints and civil penalties, and rulemaking and outreach obligations for the Department of Labor. It applies to employers with four or more employees and to employment agencies and recruiters, and it does not preempt local laws.
No committee transcript or vote history was provided, so there is no direct record of legislative debate or formal support/opposition in the materials. The bill’s text reflects a generally pro-transparency, pro-worker approach, suggesting favorable sentiment toward expanding pay and benefits disclosure. The measure appears intended to improve informed decision-making for applicants and employees and to discourage opaque compensation practices.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided context. Based on the bill text, likely areas of concern include the compliance burden on employers and recruiters, the scope of required disclosure for bonuses, equity, and benefits, the need to maintain records when offers exceed posted ranges, and the complexity of providing detailed health plan information within five business days of an offer. Employers may also object to the annual employee-request disclosure requirement and the possibility of overlapping local and state disclosure rules.