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Lien Bill

a statue in front of a building

Update as of June 2023

History:

The NYC Hospitality Alliance successfully advocated to stop the enactment of the Lien Bill, which if enacted would have eliminated due process by allowing employees of a small business to place a lien on the private property of the owners, investors and even managers of the business based solely on the accusation of wage violations. In January 2020, the then Governor vetoed the Lien Bill due to legitimate concerns. In June of 2022, the State Assembly passed Wage Lien Bill (SWEAT Bill), however as a result of our advocacy, we were able to stop the Senate from passing this legislation yet again. We will continue to advocate to stop the enactment of the Lien Bill and other anti-small business legislation.

We do recognize the serious problem that is wage theft and remain committed to working with the Governor, State Legislature, and advocates to address the issue. However, this particular legislation we believe is misguided and poses serious concerns for the restaurant and nightlife industry.