Provides exceptions to the three-year prohibition of employment with the New York state gaming commission; excludes starters from the three-year prohibition; allows the commission to provide exceptions during the hiring process.
Summary
This bill amends the Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law to create exceptions to the existing three-year ban on employment with the New York State Gaming Commission for people who previously worked in the gaming industry. Under current law, a person generally cannot be appointed to or employed by the commission if they had a direct or indirect interest in, or employment by, a gaming-related business within the prior three years. The bill would exempt certain current or former employees whose prior roles were incidental to the business and who did not have a stake in gaming outcomes, were not shareholders, board members, or upper management, and whose positions were not tied to ownership or control of the gaming entity.
The bill specifically identifies disinterested roles in gaming functions, including starters, as examples of positions that may qualify for the exception. It also allows the commission’s hiring committee to approve other positions by policy or on an individual application basis. In addition, the bill preserves the requirement that a person hired by the commission must leave their outside gaming-industry job before starting at the commission, and it keeps post-employment conflict restrictions in place for commission members, officers, and employees. The commission may also waive the pre-employment restrictions by unanimous resolution at a public meeting for prospective employees whose duties are primarily on racetrack grounds, if good cause is shown and no other qualified candidates are available.
Impact
The bill would narrow the scope of the state’s revolving-door restrictions for the Gaming Commission by carving out limited exceptions to the three-year pre-employment prohibition. It would affect the Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law, section 107, by allowing certain lower-level or non-ownership gaming-industry workers to be considered for commission jobs sooner than under current law, while leaving broader ethics and post-employment restrictions intact. The measure could expand the pool of eligible applicants for commission positions, especially for racetrack-related roles and other specialized positions.
Sentiment
The available context suggests a generally practical and pro-hiring sentiment around the bill, with the caption emphasizing flexibility in recruitment and exceptions for specific workers such as starters. Because there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided material, there is no evidence of organized opposition or formal support statements. The bill appears aimed at addressing staffing and expertise needs rather than changing the commission’s ethics framework broadly.
Contention
The main point of contention is the balance between ethics safeguards and hiring flexibility. Supporters would likely favor the bill because it allows the commission to recruit experienced workers who do not have meaningful financial or managerial ties to gaming businesses, while critics may worry that even limited exceptions could weaken conflict-of-interest protections and create opportunities for undue influence. Another possible issue is the commission’s discretion to approve additional positions by policy or individual application, which could raise concerns about consistency and transparency in hiring decisions.
Same As
Provides exceptions to the three-year prohibition of employment with the New York state gaming commission; excludes starters from the three-year prohibition; allows the commission to provide exceptions during the hiring process.
Provides exceptions to the three-year prohibition of employment with the New York state gaming commission; excludes starters from the three-year prohibition; allows the commission to provide exceptions during the hiring process.
Labor; prohibiting certain hiring practices; permitting certain policies during the hiring process; providing exceptions to applicability of provisions. Effective date.
Enacts the "New York small business growth and support act"; authorizes certain tax exemptions for newly established small businesses during their first three years of operations.
Increases the amount of years of military service credit a member may purchase from three years to four years; provides that the provisions of such act shall not be subject to the requirement that the state shall make an equal payment to the retirement system.
Increases the amount of years of military service credit a member may purchase from three years to four years; provides that the provisions of such act shall not be subject to the requirement that the state shall make an equal payment to the retirement system.