Save tax dollars by preempting New York’s outdated Scaffold Law in highway bill

Americans expect their tax dollars to be used wisely, whether it’s investing in basic infrastructure, schools, or public services. However, a single law in New York is inflating the cost of federally funded projects and wasting billions of dollars contributed by taxpayers from every state.

This is not just a regional problem. It’s a national issue that affects every American who pays federal taxes.

The Scaffold Law, a 19th-century statute that exists only in New York, imposes absolute liability on contractors and property owners for gravity-related construction injuries, regardless of the worker’s fault. All 49 other states use comparative liability, a common-sense standard that assigns responsibility based on actual fault. The law dates to 1885, long before modern safety regulations and standards were put in place. Today, it’s abused by bad actors who stage accidents and manufacture claims, propping up a cottage industry of medical and legal providers who profit from high