SHARE:  

Dear Friends, 


 I hope your summer is off to a good start! I’ve had a busy session in Albany, and am staying busy with much activity here in the district and with new events to highlight. I hope you read and take note, and of course, let me know what you think about the issues raised, and the issues you care about. 


I am proud that 22 of the bills that I sponsored passed both the Senate and Assembly this session. These now await the Governor’s signing. Importantly, last week the Governor signed one of my most significant bills (protecting New York licensed healthcare practitioners who use telehealth to provide care and prescribe medication abortion to women outside NYS). More about that is below. 


It’s my honor and my privilege to serve you, my constituents. Do not hesitate to reach out with problems, concerns or your opinions.


As always, if there is anything my office can assist you with, please email me at smayer@nysenate.gov or call (914) 934-5250.

 

Warm regards,

Shelley B. Mayer

State Senator

37th District

Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  Youtube  

Albany Update

Signing Press Conference With Governor Kathy Hochul


Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the bill I sponsored in the Senate, together with Assemblymember Karines Reyes, at a signing ceremony at the New York Academy of Medicine.  This bill (S.1066B/A.1709B) provides explicit protections for doctors, medical providers, and facilitators serving patients outside New York State who seek reproductive health services, including medication abortion,  via telehealth. This legislation will strengthen New York’s role as a nationwide leader in reproductive rights, creating new avenues for those who live in states with severe abortion restrictions. Click here to watch my remarks at the press conference.


We were joined by the many organizations that supported the bill, including physicians, advocates, student doctors, and others. I am thankful to the wide coalition of support that provided the impetus to push this legislation forward. 

A few days before the bill passed the Assembly, I was also honored to be invited to  the White House Legislative Convening on Reproductive Rights to discuss the bill, and hear from other state legislators about their efforts to confront the impact of the Dobbs decision.

Other Mayer-Sponsored Bills that Passed Both the Senate and the Assembly, and Await the Governor’s Signature

  • Pre-Registering to Vote: S1733A/A5180A, ensures that Boards of Education, BOCES, charter schools, and non-public schools provide their students with an opportunity to pre-register or register to vote. 


  • Student Government in Secondary School: S1732/A6091, requires that all high school students have access to student government opportunities while in high school. A long history of studies have shown that involvement in student government while in high school leads to higher rates of civic participation. 


  • Ensuring AEDs are Available: S7424/A366A, will require camps and youth sports programs to adopt a plan to provide automated external defibrillator (AED) equipment at camps and youth sports games and practices. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death of young people, and SCA has a 90 percent fatality rate. The issue was brought to our attention by Rye Brook residents Dana Colasante and Alice Schoen, whose family members experienced sudden cardiac arrest at youth sports events. Dana’s husband and Alice’s son were both saved because AED equipment was present and used immediately. After the life-saving work on Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills seen by millions of viewers, there has been heightened interest in ensuring AEDs are present wherever the risk is greatest. 


  • Protecting Children from Harmful Diet Pills and Weight-Loss Supplements: S5823C/A5610, bans the sale of over-the-counter diet pills and supplements for weight loss to children under 18. Dietary supplements are dangerously under-regulated and the marketing of such pills is harmful to young people, many of whom are struggling to meet unrealistic societal expectations, which can lead to eating disorders.


  • Stabilizing our Shorelines: S5186/A5221, requires the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to encourage the use of nature-based solutions as the preferred approach for stabilizing tidal shorelines, also known as “living shorelines.” This will protect against flooding, improve water quality, and strengthen our resilience to flooding and climate change related hazards. This bill was based on proposals from Save the Sound, which strongly supported our effort. 


  • Emergency Housing Protection: S2294A/A2134, gives emergency first responders access to lists of residents in multiple dwellings when there is an emergency such as a fire or flood. This bill was the result of a serious fire in a Yonkers coop, where first responders could not confirm the whereabouts of residents because they lacked a list of tenants. 


  • Requiring More Disclosure before Rate Increases for Long Term Care Insurance: S2330B/A345C, requires additional transparency for individuals thinking of buying long term care insurance and for current policyholders facing rate increases. This bill was the result of persistent complaints about astronomical rate increases.


  • Notification about Unemployment Benefits: S4878A/A398A, requires employers to notify workers who are laid off or have their hours reduced about the availability of unemployment benefits and information needed for the application. In 2020, my office was able to help hundreds of individuals who lost their jobs and could not reach the NYS Department of Labor (DOL) or get answers. This bill was a direct response to the frustrations our constituents faced when dealing with the NYS DOL. 


  • Addressing Downed Wires: S7230/A237, requires utility companies to respond promptly to reports of downed wires by civilians. Currently, only municipal officers can make complaints about downed wires. This bill extends that opportunity to individuals. 


  • Updating Language about People with Disabilities: S4041A/A7258A, modernizes New York Education law to ensure we are using appropriate language when referring to people with disabilities. 


  • Allowing Employers to Sign up for Mass Alert Notification System:  S2299A/A4862A, will provide employers with the opportunity to register for the New York public safety alert mass notification system. This bill was a direct result of hours of delay after a major rainstorm, when employers did not know that major flooding was anticipated as a result of an incoming storm, and did not provide their employees advance notice to leave work earlier.

In the Community

Observing Juneteenth



I was fortunate to attend many Juneteenth ceremonies across Westchester on the historic federal holiday of Juneteenth.  I was able to visit the Town of Rye commemoration at the historic African American Cemetery; Tuckahoe’s Juneteenth Celebration;  New Rochelle’s “History out Loud!”  ceremony alongside my colleagues in the Senate, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Senator Nathalia Fernandez; and Pound Ridge’s first Juneteenth ceremony. May June 19 be a reminder of what we have yet to achieve. 

Donations to My Sister’s Place


I was delighted to drop off four large boxes of toiletries, donated by my constituents,  to My Sisters’ Place. My Sisters’ Place does life changing work for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, and I am thankful to all the generous people who contributed.  Thank you to the Will Library, North Castle Town Hall, and Port Chester Village Hall for allowing us to use your space as a donation location. Lastly, thank you to My Sisters' Place and Karen Cheeks-Lomas, CEO of My Sisters’ Place, for your indispensable work.

Granting Empire Award


I was happy to present White Plains’ The Pamplemousse Project with the NYS Empire Award! This fantastic café donates 100 percent of its profits to local nonprofit organizations that fight hunger and support housing, education and the arts, while offering coffees, teas, baked goods and sweets, as well as plenty of space to work or relax. Pictured are owners Lydia and Gary Kris, manager Cassima Pryce, and barista José Tepetitla.

Honoring Exceptional High School Students


We hosted two wonderful ceremonies honoring area high school students:  17 phenomenal  students received the 2023 New York State Senate Youth Leadership Recognition Awards (left) at  Rye Neck High School and 29 students with this year’s Citizenship Awards at White Plains High School (right). We are fortunate to have so many exceptional high school  students dedicated to community service and self-initiative. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to hear from each of them personally about their accomplishments. Students from schools across district were recognized, including: Blind Brook, Bronxville, Byram Hills, Gorton, Tuckahoe, Eastchester, Fox Lane,  Harrison, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Port Chester, Rye, Rye Neck,, Scarsdale, and White Plains High Schools were recognized. Congratulations to all the recipients!

Honoring Essay Contest Winners 


I also honored exceptional high school students who were awarded scholarship funding from the White Plains Democratic Committee after they submitted winning essays on the subject, “As you are learning to be a 'Digital Citizen' in the 21st Century, what are your major challenges?”

Breaking Ground on a New Training Center to Aid in Police and Fire Special Operations in Yonkers


I am pleased I was able to secure $250,000 through the New York State Senate for the construction of the first Police and Fire Special Operations Training Center in Yonkers. This facility will provide critical and dynamic training resources to help first responders from Yonkers and adjacent communities prepare for emergencies. Thank you to the Yonkers Police and Fire Departments for your service to our community, Mayor Mike Spano, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assemblyman Nader Sayegh, and everyone who has helped fund this remarkable facility. 

Celebrated 100 years of New Rochelle Fire Department

Station 2 “The Rock” 


I was happy to join the New Rochelle Fire Department Station 2 “The Rock” as they celebrated 100 years of service! I thank each member for their profound dedication. Here is to another 100 years!

Upcoming Events

End of Session Overview: Review of the Legislative Session

(ASL and Spanish-interpreters provided)


Please join me via Zoom on Tuesday, July 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. for an End of Session Overview: Questions & Answers. I look forward to seeing you and answering your questions. 

Register Here for the End of Session Overview


How to Administer Narcan: Free Community Training 


Please join me, Senator Pete Harkcham, Legislator Erika Pierce, and the Pound Ridge Volunteer Ambulance Corps for a free community training session on how to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose by administering nasal spray medication Narcan (naloxone).This training is free and open to everyone, but pre-registration is required and space is limited.

RSVP Here for Narcan Training

Responding to Hate in Our Communities:


Hate crimes are on the rise in communities across New York State. Please join me, community members, and youth leaders for an important opportunity to hear from young people about their experiences with racism, antisemitism and hate, and to learn how best to respond to this issue. RSVP Requested. You will hear from:


State Senator Shelley Mayer

Scott Richman, ADL Regional Director for New York and New Jersey 

Joan Grangenois-Thomas, Trustee and Deputy Mayor, Village of Port Chester

Lisa Zeiderman, Esq., President of the Justice Brandeis Law Society -- 9th Judicial District

Andrea Myer-Winograd, Executive Director, Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance and Education

Virginia Norfleet, CEO and Founder, Haverstraw African American Connection

Port Chester High School Students, Gwen Dominguez and Sanai Spooner

White Plains High School Student, Lexi Labis

Yorktown High School Student, Talia Cohen


White Plains Public Library (auditorium)

100 Martine Ave

White Plains, NY 10601

Tuesday, July 18, 7-8:30PM


RSVP Here for Responding to Hate

Senator Mayer In the News

New York Passes Bill to Shield Abortion Providers Sending Pills Into States With Bans

June 20, 2023

Read Here

Melinda French Gates: Why I’m Focusing on Getting More Women In Public Office

June 23, 2023

Read Here

Rye Students Presented Citizenship Awards by State Senator Mayer

June 21, 2023

Read Here

Senator Mayer Recognizes Area Students with Youth Leadership Awards

June 17, 2023

Read Here

Lawmakers Try Again to Restrict Sale of Diet Pills to Minors

June 27, 2023

Listen Here

Scarsdale Stands Against Gun Violence

June 2, 2023


Read Here

‘Nature-based’ solutions could be coming for New York’s shorelines

June 22, 2023

Read Here

Suburban Democrats Oppose Thruway Toll Increase Plan

June 8, 2023


Read Here


Office of State Senator Shelley B. Mayer


222 Grace Church Street, Suite 300

Port Chester, NY 10573


Phone: (914) 934-5250

Email: SMayer@nysenate.gov

Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  Youtube