NY A00378

Establishes a Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council with 15 voting members (6 nail salon workers, 6 employers, 3 public representatives) plus 6 non-voting delegate members to investigate wages and working conditions in the nail salon industry.

Council members shall be nominated by appointed representatives for workers and employers; worker members must include 4 from New York City, 1 from Westchester/Nassau/Suffolk counties, and 1 from other areas; employer members face restrictions if they have unsatisfied judgments or injunctions for labor law violations.

Council shall hold at least 4 public hearings with at least 2 in New York City and provide interpretation services in 14 languages (Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, English, Haitian-Creole, Italian, Korean, Nepali, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Tibetan, Khmer, Vietnamese) and members receive $120 per diem for attendance.

Council shall submit recommendations to the Labor Commissioner within 180 days on minimum wages, work schedules, sick leave, health protections, and other standards; Commissioner reviews recommendations and publishes accepted proposals as regulations in the New York State Register for 30-day public comment period.

Establishes independent Minimum Pricing Committee to develop fair minimum pricing model for nail services; prohibits retaliation against workers who complain to or participate in the council and provides remedies including reinstatement, triple lost wages, and attorney fees.