Relates to the definition of an artist and theatrical employment agencies.

---

S5576-2011 Actions

• Jun 21, 2012: SUBSTITUTED BY A8614B
• Jun 18, 2012: AMENDED ON THIRD READING 5576B
• Jun 4, 2012: AMENDED ON THIRD READING 5576A
• Jan 23, 2012: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
• Jan 19, 2012: 2ND REPORT CAL.
• Jan 18, 2012: 1ST REPORT CAL.72
• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION
• Jan 4, 2012: returned to senate
• Jan 4, 2012: died in assembly
• Jun 20, 2011: referred to labor
• Jun 20, 2011: DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
• Jun 20, 2011: PASSED SENATE
• Jun 20, 2011: ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1395
• Jun 3, 2011: REFERRED TO RULES

S5576-2011 Meetings

Consumer Protection: Jan 18, 2012, Rules: Jun 24, 2011

S5576-2011 Calendars

Floor Calendar: Jan 19, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jan 23, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jan 24, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jan 30, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jan 31, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Feb 6, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Feb 7, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Feb 13, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Feb 14, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Feb 15, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Feb 29, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 1, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 5, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 6, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 7, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 12, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 13, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 14, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 15, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 19, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 20, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 21, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 22, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 26, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 27, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 28, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 29, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Mar 30, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Apr 17, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Apr 18, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Apr 19, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Apr 25, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Apr 26, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Apr 30, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 1, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 2, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 7, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 8, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 9, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 14, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 15, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 16, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 21, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 22, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 23, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 30, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 31, 2012 , Floor Calendar: Jun 4, 2012

S5576-2011 Votes

S5576-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S5576

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the general business law and the arts and cultural affairs law,
in relation to theatrical employment agencies

PURPOSE OF THE BILL:
To clarify and create consistency in the
regulation of theatrical employment agencies.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Sections 1 and 4 of the bill would
amend the General Business Law and the Arts and Cultural Law,
respectively, to add a definition of "artist" and to make
corresponding amendments to definitions of "theatrical employment
agency" and "theatrical engagement."

Section 2 would amend the general business law to authorize theatrical
employment agencies to provide, with any written contracts, notices
stating that statutory provisions related to fees and fee refunds
apply.

Section 3 would amend the general business law to provide that, as is
the case for other types of employment agencies and consistent with
widespread practice, a theatrical employment agency may charge a fee
absent a written contract if the agency is responsible for referring
the job applicant to an employer or an employer to a job applicant
which results in employment for such applicant. The bill would
clarify a fee is permitted where such theatrical employment agency
represents an artist in a negotiation or renegotiation of an original
or pre-existing contract. The bill would exempt theatrical employment
agencies from the inapplicable requirement of offering installment
plans.

JUSTIFICATION:

Specifically, the bill would amend the definition of theatrical
engagements which are currently limited to actors and performers and
as Class C employment. Thus, all other theatrical-related engagements
for writers; directors, and cinematographers, among others, are
classified as Class B employment - along with clerical workers. Class
B statutory requirements are based on monthly salaries for job
applicants and have little applicability to theatrical engagements.
The bill would modernize
these definitions so employment related to theatrical engagements
- including for writers, directors and cinematographers - are
appropriately classified as Class C and are not subject to the
incompatible requirements for Class B employment.

The bill would also authorize theatrical employment agencies to
provide a notice of applicable provisions relating to fee ceilings
and return of fees in written contracts relating to theatrical
engagements. The current statutory provisions relate principally to
fees and fee refunds concerning domestics, laborers, industrial


workers and mechanics and not artists - and are confusing in the
context of theatrical engagements for artists.

Current law provides that contracts for domestics, household
employees, unskilled or untrained manual workers, laborers, including
agricultural workers, non-professional trained or skilled industrial
workers, and mechanics need not be in writing in order for an
employment agency a fee. The bill would include theatrical employment
agencies to the current exception provided the theatrical agency has
referred the artist to an employer or vice versa and has resulted in
employment and circumstances where the theatrical employment agency
is engaged by artist in the negotiating or renegotiating an original
or pre-existing contract subject an statutory fee ceilings.

The bill would exempt theatrical employment agencies from the
requirement of installment plans for the payment of theatrical agency
fees.
Installment plans make no sense in the entertainment industry, since
artists are typically engaged on a per production basis. Accordingly,
establishing a framework for an artist to make installment payments
does not work. Of course, theatrical employment agencies would
continue to receive nothing unless and until the artist has
compensation and then only on the amount the artist is paid and
subject to the statutory fee ceiling.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

S5576-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    5576

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                June 3, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  GOLDEN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

  AN ACT to amend the general business  law  and  the  arts  and  cultural
    affairs law, in relation to theatrical employment agencies

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. Subdivisions 8 and 9 of section 171 of the general business
  law, as amended by chapter 617 of the laws of 1988, are  amended  and  a
  new subdivision 8-a is added to read as follows:

    8.  "Theatrical  employment  agency"  means  any person (as defined in
  subdivision seven of this section) who procures or attempts  to  procure
  employment  or  engagements  for [circus, vaudeville, the variety field,
  the legitimate theater, motion pictures, radio,  television,  phonograph
  recordings,  transcriptions,  opera,  concert, ballet, modeling or other
  entertainments or exhibitions or performances] AN ARTIST, but such  term
  does not include the business of managing [such] entertainments, exhibi-
  tions  or  performances,  or the artists or attractions constituting the
  same, where such business only  incidentally  involves  the  seeking  of
  employment therefor.
    8-A.  "ARTIST"  SHALL  MEAN ACTORS AND ACTRESSES RENDERING SERVICES ON
  THE LEGITIMATE STAGE AND IN THE PRODUCTION  OF  MOTION  PICTURES,  RADIO
  ARTISTS, MUSICAL ARTISTS, MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS, DIRECTORS OF LEGITIMATE
  STAGE, MOTION PICTURE AND RADIO PRODUCTIONS, MUSICAL DIRECTORS, WRITERS,
  CINEMATOGRAPHERS,  COMPOSERS,  LYRICISTS,  ARRANGERS,  MODELS, AND OTHER
  ARTISTS AND PERSONS RENDERING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IN  MOTION  PICTURE,
  THEATRICAL, RADIO, TELEVISION AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES.
    9.  "Theatrical  engagement"  means any engagement or employment of [a
  person as an actor, performer or entertainer in employment described  in
  subdivision eight of this section] AN ARTIST.
    S  2.  Subdivision  1  of  section 181 of the general business law, as
  added by chapter 632 of the laws of 1975, is amended to read as follows:


   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD11532-01-1

 S. 5576                             2

    1. A true copy of every contract executed between such agency and such
  applicant, which shall have printed on it or attached to it a  statement
  setting  forth  in a clear and concise manner the provisions of sections
  one hundred eighty-five, and one hundred  eighty-six  of  this  article;
  PROVIDED  HOWEVER,  THAT  CONTRACTS  FOR  CLASS C EMPLOYMENT MAY INSTEAD
  PROVIDE NOTICE OF THE APPLICABILITY OF SECTIONS ONE HUNDRED  EIGHTY-FIVE
  AND ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-SIX OF THIS ARTICLE.
    S  3. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 185 of the general business law,
  as amended by chapter 617 of the laws of 1988, are amended  to  read  as
  follows:

    1. Circumstances permitting fee. An employment agency shall not charge
  or  accept  a  fee  or other consideration unless in accordance with the
  terms of a written contract with a job applicant, except: (A) for  class
  "A"  [and], "A-1" AND "C" employment[, and except] after such agency has
  been responsible for referring such job applicant to an employer or such
  employer to a job applicant and where  as  a  result  thereof  such  job
  applicant  has  been  employed  by such employer; OR, (B) IN THE CASE OF
  CLASS "C" EMPLOYMENT AFTER AN AGENCY REPRESENTS AN ARTIST IN THE NEGOTI-
  ATION  OR  RENEGOTIATION  OF  AN  ORIGINAL  OR  PRE-EXISTING  EMPLOYMENT
  CONTRACT.  The  maximum fees provided for herein for all types of place-
  ments or employment may be charged to the job applicant  and  a  similar
  fee  may  be charged to the employer provided, however, that with regard
  to placements in class "B" employment, a fee of up to one  and  one-half
  times the fee charged to the job applicant may be charged to the employ-
  er. By agreement with an employment agency, the employer may voluntarily
  assume payment of the job applicant's fee. The fees charged to employers
  by  any  licensed  person  conducting an employment agency for rendering
  services in connection with, or for providing employment in classes "A",
  "A-1" and "B", as  hereinafter  defined  in  subdivision  four  of  this
  section  where the applicant is not charged a fee shall be determined by
  agreement between the employer and the employment agency. No  fee  shall
  be  charged or accepted for the registration of applicants for employees
  or employment.
    2. Size of fee; payment schedule. The gross fee  charged  to  the  job
  applicant  and  the  gross  fee  charged  to the employer each shall not
  exceed the amounts  enumerated  in  the  schedules  set  forth  in  this
  section,  for any single employment or engagement, except as hereinabove
  provided; and such fees shall be subject to the  provisions  of  section
  one  hundred  eighty-six  of  this article. Except as otherwise provided
  herein, AND EXCEPT FOR CLASS "C" EMPLOYMENT, an employment agency  shall
  not  require  an  applicant  while  employed  in  the continental United
  States, and paid weekly to pay any fee at a rate  greater  than  in  ten
  equal  weekly  [instalments] INSTALLMENTS each of which shall be payable
  at the end of each of the first ten weeks of employment, or if paid less
  frequently, in five equal installments, each of which shall  be  payable
  at  the  end  of the first five pay periods following his employment, or
  within a period of ten weeks, whichever period is longer. An  employer's
  fee  shall  be  due and payable at the time the applicant begins employ-
  ment, unless otherwise determined by agreement between the employer  and
  the agency.
    S  4.  Subdivisions  3 and 4 of section 37.01 of the arts and cultural
  affairs law are amended and a new subdivision 5  is  added  to  read  as
  follows:

    3.  "Theatrical  employment  agency"  means  any person (as defined in
  subdivision one hereof) who procures or attempts to  procure  employment
  or  engagements  for [circus, vaudeville, the variety field, the legiti-

 S. 5576                             3

  mate theater, motion pictures, radio, television, phonograph recordings,
  transcriptions, opera, concert, ballet, modeling or other entertainments
  or exhibitions or performances]  AN  ARTIST,  but  such  term  does  not
  include  the  business of managing [such] entertainments, exhibitions or
  performances, or the artists or attractions constituting the same, where
  such business only  incidentally  involves  the  seeking  of  employment
  therefor.
    4.  "Theatrical  engagement"  means any engagement or employment of [a
  person as an actor, performer or entertainer] AN  ARTIST  in  employment
  described in subdivision three of this section.
    5.  "ARTIST" SHALL MEAN ACTORS AND ACTRESSES RENDERING SERVICES ON THE
  LEGITIMATE STAGE  AND  IN  THE  PRODUCTION  OF  MOTION  PICTURES,  RADIO
  ARTISTS, MUSICAL ARTISTS, MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS, DIRECTORS OF LEGITIMATE
  STAGE, MOTION PICTURE AND RADIO PRODUCTIONS, MUSICAL DIRECTORS, WRITERS,
  CINEMATOGRAPHERS,  COMPOSERS,  LYRICISTS,  ARRANGERS,  MODELS, AND OTHER
  ARTISTS AND PERSONS RENDERING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IN  MOTION  PICTURE,
  THEATRICAL, RADIO, TELEVISION AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES.
    S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.