Albany Legislative Update - March 15, 2024

Floor News

One-House Budget Resolution

• Despite unanimous Republican opposition, the Assembly Majority passed its $245.8 billion One-House Budget Resolution (E.948) on 3/14 (vote: 101-48).

• The Senate also passed its One-House Budget Resolution (R.1952) on 3/14.

Adultery Repeal

• The Assembly passed a bill (A.4714) to repeal the crime of adultery, a class B misdemeanor (vote: 137-10).

Carbon Dioxide Prohibition

• The Assembly passed a bill (A.8866) that prohibits the use of carbon dioxide for the purpose of bringing a natural gas or oil well into production (vote: 98-50).

Infant Lounger Ban

• The Assembly passed a bill (A.1287) that prohibits the sale or lease of any infant lounger and prohibits a child care facility from having any infant lounger on the premises unless a medical professional has determined that the use of one is medically necessary for a particular child in such facility (vote: 115-35).

MWBE and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Discretionary Purchase Limits

• The Assembly and Senate passed a bill (A.8562) enacting a chapter amendment to Chapter 719 of the Laws of 2023, which increases, from $1 million to $1.5 million, the city of New York’s discretionary purchase limit for commodities or services from minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs). This chapter amendment increases, from $500,000 to $750,000, the discretionary purchase limit for State agencies to purchase commodities or services from MWBEs and service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses without a formal competitive bidding process (vote: 103-45).

Week In Focus

• On Monday, Assembly Republicans held a press conference to unveil “A Blueprint for Child Care (ABC) Plan,” a comprehensive proposal to provide much-needed improvements to child care costs and access. To view CLICK HERE

• On Tuesday, Assembly Republicans, along with their Senate Republican Colleagues, held a press conference to introduce legislation to make the crime of body dismemberment/ concealment of a human corpse a bail-eligible class E felony (S.8751-A/A.9426, Durso); and to strengthen the use of electronic location monitoring (S.8778) in the most heinous cases, which has been submitted for introduction by Assemblyman Durso. To view CLICK HERE