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Dear Friends, 


After a long week in Albany, the 2024 legislative session has come to an end. While we have a lot to be proud of this legislative session, a number of my priorities did not pass both houses and the legislature was presented with new challenges concerning congestion pricing.


I am proud that 22 bills that I sponsored passed both the Senate and Assembly this session. These now await the Governor’s signature. Some of the important bills are described below. 


I am deeply grateful for the many advocates, constituents, and community members who shared their opinions about bills and legislative issues throughout the session. I always welcome your views, whether we agree or not. The voices of my constituents and advocates inform my decisions on legislative and budget matters, and strengthen the process and outcomes. 


Changes to Congestion Pricing: Last week, Governor Hochul abruptly announced the decision to halt the start of congestion pricing in New York City, scheduled to begin on June 30th. Regardless of your views about the congestion pricing plan itself, which I supported (although I think the specifics of the policy are far from perfect), the last-minute decision by the Governor caused serious challenges – the potential loss of revenue for capital projects for the MTA, including Metro-North, possible environmental impacts of encouraging even more car traffic into midtown Manhattan, loss of already appropriated funds in anticipation of Congestion Pricing, and more. I was not in support of an immediate “bailout” for the MTA and believe we should wait for the next MTA Board meeting later in June, where we will see how the appointed board members wish to proceed. After that, I’m open to reviewing a number of scenarios to address this challenge and to ensure that the necessary safety and operational needs of the MTA are met -- we all depend on that!

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

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Albany Update

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


During the 2024 legislative session, I am pleased 22 of my bills passed both the Senate and Assembly. Here are a few of the highlights: 


  • Student Representation on School Boards: S9018A (Mayer) / A9855A (Woerner), requires every school board and Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) in the state to appoint a non-voting student member. This will ensure student voices are heard and will help young people build habits of civic engagement that will last a lifetime.


  • Reforming Teacher and Principal Evaluations: S9054 (Mayer) /A9849 (Benedetto), creates a new framework for conducting annual professional performance reviews of teachers and principals. Over the next eight years, districts will be required to collectively bargain new plans for evaluating teachers and principals, and submit their plans to the State Education Department for approval. These plans must prioritize educator growth and the wellbeing of students, and provide transparency for parents. 


  • Increasing Confidence in Elections: S612D (Mayer) /A1244D (Jacobson), minimizes the risk of conflicts of interest in Boards of Elections by prohibiting board of elections’ employees from participating in any business that could create a financial conflict of interest. It also prohibits board employees from remaining on the board’s payroll while running for a paid office that is supervised by the board for which they work. 


  • Improving Extreme Risk Protection Order Enforcement: S3340 (Mayer) / A5873 (Lavine), requires extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) to be included within the statewide computerized registry of orders of protection. This legislation increases protections for the public at large and particularly victims of domestic and sexual violence by giving law enforcement throughout New York easier access to critical public safety information. 


  • Making IDAs More Representative: S4040B (Mayer) / A7532B (Solages), requires industrial development agencies (IDAs) to have one union representative and one school board representative as members. IDAs have a substantial impact on school districts, community members, workers, and taxpayers. It is important that these groups have greater involvement in the decision making process for IDA projects and incentives. 


  • Addressing Non-Profit Contract Delays: S4877A (Mayer) / A2740B (Paulin), requires state agencies with significantly delayed renewal contracts to report to the Comptroller’s office about the status of those late contracts and submit a report to the Comptroller and Legislature about their efforts to complete contracts in a timely manner and any roadblocks to achieving that goal. Non-profit organizations, which provide vital services to our communities, have expressed concerns for years about delays in the contracting process which result in them being paid late. I worked on this legislation with Non-Profit Westchester and Assemblymember Paulin to provide greater transparency into the contracting process and delays, and help us address underlying issues that are slowing the contract and procurement process. 


  • Easing the Transition to Zero-Emission: S9292A (Mayer) / A9238A (Woerner), changes the amortization period of electric school buses from twelve years to eight years. This change will allow school districts to bond for the purchase of buses or lease buses over a shorter period of time and receive state transportation aid on an accelerated timeline, easing the transition to zero-emission buses. 


  • Authorizing Business Interruption Insurance: S9481 (Mayer) / A10342 (Burgos), authorizes insurance providers to offer stand alone business interruption insurance that does not require physical damage to the property. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses were forced to close in compliance with public health measures. But because they did not experience physical damage, these businesses could not take advantage of their insurance policies. 


  • Safe Storage of Firearms: S9760 (Mayer) / A10356 (Benedetto), requires firearm licensing officers to provide additional information about safe storage laws, including child access prevention, when issuing licenses. This bill also requires the Division of Criminal Justice to conduct a public awareness campaign about New York’s safe storage laws and to provide educational materials for safe storage on their website. 


  • Village Elections: S9238 (Mayer) / A9995A (Otis), ensures vacancies in elected village offices are filled in accordance with the political calendar as described in election law. 



Mayer Priority Bills That Passed the Senate, but not the Assembly 


  • Deeming EMS an Essential Service: S.4020C deems emergency medical services as an essential service; provides municipalities with flexibility to ensure their provision; establishes statewide, regional, and county coordination; and provides for enhanced training and credentialing of practitioners, agencies, and educational institutions.


I am deeply appreciative of all EMS personnel across the state for your hard work and dedication. I am especially thankful for the efforts of those from my district in Westchester who have worked with Assemblyman Steve Otis and me to draft this bill and fight for its passage: my friends at the New York State Association of Counties, Westchester County Emergency Services Commissioner Richard Wishnie and Deputy Commissioner Susan Spear, Port Chester-Rye-Rye Brook EMS Administrator Kenny Barton, and Rye Brook Village Administrator Chris Bradbury. 


  • Lowering Utility Costs: S6557A, requires utility companies to use an updated consumer-friendly, generic financing method when setting utility rates to provide the lowest possible delivery rates for ratepayers. This bill targets key elements of the rate setting process – the rate of return on equity and common equity ratio – to rein in the profits utility companies earn at the expense of ratepayers.  


  • Combatting the Flooding Crisis: S3335A, establishes an Office of Flooding Prevention and Mitigation. We have an urgent need to address flooding in our state and this office would provide the necessary coordination and state-wide strategy. The office would be tasked with providing counties, municipalities, and individuals with the tools to tackle the scale of the work needed.


  • Essential Insurance Coverage: S8750, requires insurance to cover comprehensive neuropsychological exams for children diagnosed with pediatric cancers or brain tumors. Fortunately, the majority of children and adolescents who are diagnosed with a brain tumor will survive into adulthood, so it is essential that they receive comprehensive evaluations to identify the appropriate interventions and services that they need.


  • Protecting Ratepayers: S.4882, strengthens utility companies’ storm response and compliance by assessing penalties on violations and to expand emergency response plan requirements. This will ensure utility companies are held accountable for failure to prepare for and respond to storms by expanding oversight. 


  • Keeping Students Safe: S8409, requires nonpublic schools to provide and maintain on-site automatic external defibrillators on school grounds. This bill, which passed the Senate unanimously, will ensure an AED is available for all students and staff in case of a cardiac emergency.


  • Dissemination of Safe Storage Materials: S6980, requires school districts to notify families of safe storage requirements under state and local law at the beginning of the school year. This will ensure parents and guardians of school age children receive critical information on access prevention and the safe storage of firearms. I am proud this bill has the support of Everytown for Gun Safety and Brady: United Against Gun Violence, two remarkable organizations leading the way to reduce gun violence. 


  • Court Reporting Data: S6210A (Mayer) / A7737A (Lavine), requires the Office of Court Administration to compile and report data from town and village courts. 


  • Alternate Voting Days during Disaster: S7233B (Mayer) / A6828 (McDonald), allows the Commissioner of Education to schedule an extra day of voting for school elections in case of a disaster. Currently, election law allows county or state board of elections to provide an additional day of voting during a disaster, but there is not a comparable authority for school board or school budget elections. This bill would remedy that. 


Other Major Legislative Achievements


  • The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act: S7694A / A8148, sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Nily Rozic, prohibits social media platforms from providing addictive feeds to minors, those under 18, without parental consent. It also requires the platforms to obtain parental consent before permitting notifications from the platform between midnight and 6 a.m. This bill passed both the Senate and Assembly.


  • The Package Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act: S4246A, sponsored by Senator Pete Harckham, would require companies with annual revenue over $5 million that produce more than two tons of single-use plastic products and other packaging to reduce the amount of primary packaging material by 30%, eliminate certain toxins, and provide financial support to municipal recycling systems. This bill holds manufacturers responsible for recycling the products they produce, reducing the burden on our local governments and incentivizing companies to reduce packaging, especially single-use plastics. Maine, Oregon, Colorado, and California have implemented similar programs. This bill passed the Senate only. 


  • The New York Heat Act: S2016A,  sponsored by Senator Liz Krueger, repeals the 100-foot rule so that ratepayers do not have to subsidize the installation of new gas lines, and gives the Public Service Commission authority to adopt rules and policies that align with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This bill passed the Senate only. 



As the next months unfold, I look forward to seeing you at events, meetings, celebrations and anywhere else in the district. I’ll be working on new legislative ideas, holding public meetings to hear opinions, following local issues in every city, town and village, and continuing to be present and responsive to all those I’m privileged to represent. 

Office of State Senator Shelley B. Mayer


235 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 400

White Plains, NY 10605


Phone: (914) 934-5250

Email: SMayer@nysenate.gov

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