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Floor News
Motion to Discharge
• Assembly Republicans, led by Assemblyman Gandolfo, attempted to discharge an important piece of legislation from the Education Committee and bring it to the Floor for a vote. The motion to discharge the following bill was blocked by Assembly Democrats:
~A.2758 (Gandolfo) – Provides real property tax relief to veterans who have at least ten years of service in the United States Armed Forces or in the New York State Militia (vote: 52-92).
Late Rent Payment Consumer Reporting
• Due to Assembly Republican debate and opposition, a bill (A.2192-A) that prohibits landlords from reporting a late rent payment to a consumer reporting agency and prohibits consumer reporting agencies from maintaining such information in a file on an individual failed to receive the necessary number of votes for passage on the Floor, forcing the bill to be recalled by Assembly Democrats.
Repurposing Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants
• The Assembly passed a bill (A.4386) giving the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority 18 months to explore the future of in-state decommissioned or dormant electric generating sites, such as coal-fired power plants, to assess whether those sites have Build-Ready potential for energy storage, or for dormant sites especially, to repower them with renewable energy (vote: 133-13).
Committee News
Governmental Operations
• Despite unanimous Republican support, the Governmental Operations Committee blocked the following bills:
~A.5389 (Barclay) – Establishes a division, led by a commissioner who has a fixed term, to review and make binding recommendations for the elimination of burdensome regulations.
~A.2727 (Giglio JA) – Prevents unfounded complaints against law enforcement, first responders, and correction officers from being disclosed or added to such individual’s personnel record.
~A.4368 (Tague) – Prohibits State agencies from requiring individuals under the age of 18 to wear a mask or face covering in a public place (other than a health care facility) while participating in recreational or organized sporting activities if not exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
~A.4985 (Pirozzolo) – Requires the State to transition all buildings owned by the State to all-electric within five years.
~A.5637 (Friend) – Prohibits State departments, offices, agencies, and authorities from imposing any fees, surcharges, or taxes that have not been approved by the State Legislature.
Governmental Employees
• Despite unanimous Republican support, the Governmental Employees Committee blocked the following bills:
~A.3668 (Manktelow) – Grants civil service members of a volunteer fire department or volunteer ambulance/volunteer rescue squad excused leave during states of emergency declared by the federal, state, or a municipal government. Provides that the entire period of excused leave shall not be charged against any other leave the civil service employee may be entitled to or have accrued.
~A.3701 (Bendett) – Allows first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by a licensed psychiatrist to request line-of-duty sick leave without the loss of the first responder’s accrued sick leave or vacation leave.
~A.4090 (Pirozzolo) – Prohibits using Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria as a screening method when investing in companies or funds for the public pension system.
~A.4827 (Palmesano) – Enacts the “Cobalt and Lithium Mining and Production Divestment Act.” This bill prohibits the State Common Retirement Fund or any other pension or annuity under the control of the State Comptroller from investing in any institution or company engaged in cobalt and lithium mining or production for the purpose of manufacturing batteries used in large-scale battery storage power stations and the primary propulsion systems for electric vehicles. This bill also creates an exception for institutions or companies that can establish that their operations do not use child labor and that their other laborers work in conditions that meet specific international standards.
Veterans’ Affairs
• Despite unanimous Republican support, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee blocked the following bills: o A.3658 (Manktelow) – Enacts the Veterans' Memorials Preservation Act to require memorials that have been donated to or constructed by a public entity as a memorial to veterans of any war, conflict, or police action engaged in by the Armed Forces of the United States, or any of its states, to be preserved and remain open to the public.
~A.4181 (Manktelow) – Permits veterans with a 10 percent or greater service-connected disability and recipients of the Purple Heart to use State campsites, parks, and other public places of recreation free of charge.
~A.6195 (Curran) – Provides veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States access to all State parks and recreational facilities without being charged admission.
People with Disabilities
• The People with Disabilities Committee reported a bill (A.5268) that requires the Commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to provide service providers who are licensed, funded, approved, or certified by OPWDD with supplemental funding (equivalent to $4,000 per eligible employee) to enhance the wages and benefits of eligible employees making less than $125,000 who provide direct care support or other forms of treatment to individuals with developmental disabilities.
This bill was reported to Ways and Means.
Health
• Despite unanimous Republican opposition, the Health Committee reported the following bills:
~A.3020 – Makes all New York State residents with a household income below 250 percent of the federal poverty level eligible for health insurance coverage through the State’s Essential Plan, regardless of immigration status.
~A.3279-A – Requires the Commissioner of Health to establish a Reproductive Health Services Training and Education Grant Program, which shall provide grants to defray the cost of providing eligible health care professionals with training in abortion and related reproductive health services.
▪ Both bills were reported to Ways and Means.
Codes
• Despite unanimous Republican opposition, the Codes Committee reported a bill (A.45) that would limit the type of convictions and criminal actions that the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) may report when it conducts a search of its criminal history records for civil purposes.
▪ This bill was reported to the Floor.
Week In Focus
On Tuesday, Members of the Assembly Republican Conference joined a bipartisan group of legislators & officers of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) to highlight the need for legislation to protect Correctional Officers from sexual harassment & abuse by incarcerated individuals. To view the press conference, click below.