Bill Expanding Whistle Blower Protections Advances

A bill (SB 7060) introduced on March 10, 2010, and approved by New York’s Senate Labor Committee on April 12, 2010, seeks to make several changes to New York Labor Law Section 740, which currently prohibits retaliation against an employee who opposes practices in “violation of law, rule or regulation which violation creates and presents a substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety, or which constitutes health care fraud.” The proposed amendments include:

• Expanding the types of laws, rules, or regulations covered by the statute to include those pertaining to “Insurance Fraud” and “Financial Fraud”;
• Amending the definition of “law, rule, or regulation” to include judicial and administrative decisions, rulings, or orders;
• Extending the statute of limitations from one year to two years; and
• Expanding the remedies to include civil penalties up to $10,000.