The New York Fashion Workers Act - Protections In Action

New York has always been known as a fashion capital, pioneering creativity, innovation, and glamour in the industry. Now, its workers will have greater protections. Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the New York Fashion Workers Act into law, which will go into effect on June 19th of 2025. Under this act, greater regulations are placed on the work of models, their services, and their management companies, as well as standardized definitions and rights of these job occupations.

A pie chart of the vote distribution on the NY Senate floor.

Under this act, all model management companies must register with the state, as well as renew their registration every two years. Additionally, that these companies now owe what is called a fiduciary duty to their models, or a duty to represent their best interests and act under the greatest good faith possible for them under the law, alongside other legal obligations such as written disclosures and consent obtainments, and due diligence for their safety. Think of traditional legal obligations between an important employee and their company; contracts, everything in writing, pay structure - models are now given these same rights and legal securities, while companies are now obligated to provide them and do their best to maintain them.

A copy of the intro of the sponsor memo.

There are even regulations in the act for clients, or third parties who hire the modeling agency for their models in their own company or cause’s work. These clients owe duties such as liability insurance and prevention of overworking, like proper meal breaks and protection from hazardous conditions. If any of these rules are violated, companies face thousands of dollars in fines. Models even have the right to file a complaint with the comissioner up to six years, and should they be found liable in court, offending companies could even face punitive damages, or extra damages as punishment, up to 300%

As I read this, I couldn’t help but feel that this is a major step towards securing stability for workers in the industry, specifically models and creatives who work in visual media forms alike. By offering proper categorization under New York code and organization, it gives models a guideline, and more importantly, a written resource of their rights in their profession. This is an enormous help, as it makes their work safer. Especially considering the scandals and stories in the past of models being coerced and pressured by their companies to do what they may not have wanted, all as a “cost of the job” or advancement, this will enhance the sustainability of models who actually want to be in the industry, as well as force any companies with questionable internal practices to correct course or face legal action.

Additionally, this helps formalize many potential employment and financial benefits for models, as some companies use workarounds in employment contracting for their own tax purposes such as using 1099s, or to get away with more labor for the cost. This act will be of great help when it is instituted, and help the industry become a safer, more responsible place.