BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs has introduced a federal bill that seeks to supersede New York state Scaffold Law.
Under state law, property owners are liable when a construction employee is injured while working in an elevated setting such as on a ladder or scaffold. The law was passed in 1885, long before federal workplace safety standards became common in the 1970s. New York is the only jurisdiction in the country with such a law still in effect.
"The Scaffold Law is an outdated 19th century law that burdens our taxpayers and hurts our ability to provide critical infrastructure for New Yorkers across the state,” Jacobs said.
