Assemblyman Fred Thiele today announced he helped pass several pieces of legislation to help workers and small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The legislation will allow workers to collect unemployment insurance (UI) while working part time, prevent businesses from being charged higher rates for UI and put a stay on evictions and foreclosures for small businesses.

• A.2001-A (Zebrowski) would prevent small businesses that were forced to let workers go as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic from being penalized with higher UI rates when they reopen. The experience rating is used to assess unemployment charges on employers that reflect their past unemployment claims. Small businesses often have lower UI experience ratings since they usually have a small number of past claims and a low number of employees. This legislation will exclude these businesses from additional UI charges if they were forced to close or reduce their staff after March 12, 2020.
• A.2355-A (Stirpe) would allow workers who find part-time work to maintain eligibility for UI. New York State’s current UI program imposes a 25 percent reduction to a claimant’s full benefit for any work performed in a single day. This fails to provide an adequate level of income security for workers who have experienced reductions in usual hours and creates a disincentive for people to return to part-time work. In addition to helping New Yorkers, the bill will also improve local economies – for every dollar of UI allocated, between $1.61 and $2.00 is generated in the economy.
• A.3207 (Bronson), also known as ‘The COVID-19 Emergency Protect Our Small Business Act of 2021’ would put a moratorium on evictions for small businesses of fewer than 50 employees until May 1, 2021, and create a standardized hardship declaration form to be used by tenants and landlords in order to take advantage of the protections. It would also put a stay on foreclosures for small businesses of 50 or fewer employees that have 10 or fewer properties that they are renting. Additionally, the legislation would provide tax lien protections and negative credit reporting protections to small business property owners.

Assemblyman Thiele co-sponsored each of the above pieces of legislation, which have now passed through both the Assembly and the State Senate. They will be sent to the Governor for final consideration.

Assemblyman Thiele stated, “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Here on the East End and across New York State, businesses are reeling from the financial devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We must do everything in our power to help small businesses remain viable and essential components of our economy. I was proud to support these measures to provide necessary relief and protections to small business owners and will continue to fight on behalf of East End small businesses toward that end.”