New year, new laws in New York:
What they are and how they affect you

The arrival of a new year brings with it new laws taking effect in New York. Here are the highlights of what’s new in New York for 2016:

Minimum wage hikes
New York’s minimum wage for all workers increases from $8.75 an hour to $9 an hour, effective today, Dec. 31. The increase was approved in 2013 as part of the state budget.

Fast-food workers see a minimum wage hike today to $9.75 outside of New York City and $10.50 in the five boroughs. The fast food minimum wage rise to $15 an hour by mid-2021.

The minimum hourly rate for restaurant servers and other tipped workers will also increase to $7.50 today.

Business tax credit increase
Accompanying the minimum wage increase is an increase in the minimum wage reimbursement tax credit offered to employers to help offset some of their increased wage costs. The credit, available to businesses that employ students 16 to 20 years of age at the minimum wage rate, rises from $1.31 to $1.35 to help offset some of the increased wage costs for businesses.

Income tax cut for businesses
The state’s business income tax rate will be lowered from 7.1 to 6.5 percent effective Jan. 1. The change, approved in 2014, will save businesses an estimated $125 million, according to the State Senate website. The reduction puts New York’s corporate tax rates at the lowest level since 1968.

Small business exemption increases
On Jan. 1, New York State’s small business exemption increases to 5 percent for sole proprietors and farmers with at least one employee and a federal adjusted gross income that does not exceed $250,000. Exemption increases have been phased in since legislation was passed in 2013 and will ultimately save small businesses a total of $61 million.

Help for veterans:
A new law that takes effect Jan. 2 that helps reduce the local property tax burden for veterans by authorizing an increase in limits to the real property tax exemption.

Riverhead and Southold already offer veterans the maximum exemption allowed by law. The new law will allow the two towns the option to increase the exemption by nearly 40 percent.

Both towns currently exempt from taxation up to $54,000 of assessed value of a veteran’s qualifying residential property. Eligible combat veterans currently get an additional exemption of up to $36,000 and the maximum exemption for disabled veterans is currently $180,000.

Those limits are increased to $75,000, $50,000 and $250,000 respectively under the new law, which was sponsored by State Sen. Ken LaValle and Assemblyman Fred Thiele (cosponsored by Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo).

Before the new exemptions can take effect locally, the towns must amend their codes to increase the existing limits.

Breastfeeding rights
A new law goes into effect on Jan. 1 that adds a provision to the Breastfeeding Mothers’ Bill of Rights that allows women, for up to three years following childbirth, to take reasonable, unpaid breaks at work in order to pump breast milk.

Telehealth services expand
Three new laws take effect Jan. 1 that will expand telehealth services – the delivery of health-related services using digital information and communication technologies.

One law requires Medicaid coverage for services delivered by a N.Y. provider via telehealth when the patient is located at an approved site and directs private insurers to cover telehealth services as long as these services and providers of the services are otherwise covered under the patient’s contract.

Two other laws put dentists and physical and occupational therapists within the covered telehealth services under Medicaid.

Access to missing child case information
A new law effective Jan. 19 will expedite access to critical information in missing child cases. It specifies that Child Protective Services records can be released to expedite an investigation when law enforcement is investigating a missing child and there is reason to believe that a parent, guardian, or other person legally responsible for the child is the subject of a report of child abuse or maltreatment. If CPS denies the request, law enforcement agencies can request an administrative review by the state Office of Children and Family Services, which would then have the ability to overturn a decision by the county CPS.

Women’s equality

On Jan. 19, seven of the eight bills that comprise the Women’s Equality Agenda will take effect. The measures include:

– Tougher penalties against those who are found guilty of human trafficking women, men and children;

– Prohibit employers from paying workers performing the same work disparate amounts based on gender. In New York, on average, a woman working full-time is paid $42,213 per year, while a man working full-time is paid $50,388 per year.

– Prohibit employers from denying work or promotions based on family status, such as employees with children or women who are pregnant. Existing laws only prohibit discrimination based on family status in credit and housing decisions.

– Requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with pregnancy-related medical conditions.

– Prohibit housing discrimination against domestic violence victims and makes violation a misdemeanor.

– Protect employees from sexual harassment by applying existing protections to businesses of all sizes. Under current state law, people working at businesses with fewer than four employees cannot file a harassment complaint with the state because small businesses are exempt. More than 60 percent of the state’s private employers have fewer than four employees.

– Allow victims of employment or credit discrimination based on gender to recover attorney’s fees in civil actions.

The remaining bill that completed the Women’s Equality Agenda package will take effect on April 1, 2016. It creates a pilot program to enable domestic violence victims to seek temporary orders of protection through electronic means without having to appear in court in person.