Allyn & Fortuna LLPPaula Lopez, February 22, 2024 After vetoing a prior version of bill intended to protect freelancers in New York, on November 22, 2023, Governor Hochul signed into law Senate Bill 5026/Assembly Bill 6040 known as the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (the “Act”). The Act takes effect on May 20, 2024. The Act mirrors New York City’s 2017 Freelance Isn’t Free Act (N.Y.C. Administrative Code §§ 20-927 et seq.), which was the first law passed in the country for the protection of freelance workers. The Act aims to protect…
Diana Uhimov, May 15, 2017 On May 15, 2017, New York City’s “Freelance Isn’t Free Act” (FIFA), N.Y.C. Administrative Code §§ 20-927 et seq., went into effect, impacting companies that hire independent contractors in New York City (NYC). This is the country’s first law shielding freelancers from nonpayment and it is likely that similar laws will be passed in other states given trends in the workforce toward the “gig economy”. FIFA aims to protect freelancers from non-payment and employer retaliation for exercising their new rights. FIFA defines a…
Paula Lopez, November 22, 2016. On November 16, 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act,” which amends Title 10 of the N.Y.C. Administrative Code to provide certain protection to freelance workers. In passing this law, New York City is the first city in the country to enact legislation that affords protections to freelance workers. Proponents of the law note that independent contractors and freelance workers make up the fastest growing sector of the workforce and should have protections that ensure full and…