Weekly Legislative Update - February 28, 2025

Floor News

Short-Term Rentals

The Assembly and Senate passed a bill (A.5686) enacting a chapter amendment to Chapter 672 of the Laws of 2024, which established what dwelling units in the State may be used as short-term residential rental units and requires short-term rental hosts and booking services to register with the Department of State and maintain records of guest stays for two years. This chapter amendment mandates that counties that choose not to opt out of being a covered jurisdiction, and not the Department of State, must establish a registration system for short-term rental units located within such counties. (vote: 115-32).

Climate Change Superfund

The Assembly and Senate passed a bill (A.1474) that enacts a chapter amendment to the “Climate Change Superfund Act” (Chapter 679 of the Laws of 2024). This chapter amendment expands the covered period for this program from 2000-2018 to 2000-2024 and excludes foreign nations that hold or held ownership or interest in a fossil fuel business during the covered period from any financial responsibility under the Act. Additionally, the amendment changes the “Applicable Payment Date” from September 13 of the second calendar year after enactment to December 31 of the fourth calendar year after enactment. It also changes the cost recovery amount for damages due to climate change from $3

billion per year over the next 25 years to a total of $75 billion over the next 25 years (vote: 97-48).

Municipal “.Gov” Website Population Requirement

The Assembly and Senate passed a bill (A.3923) that enacts a chapter amendment to Chapter 609 of the Laws of 2024, which required all municipal corporations to maintain a publicly accessible and regularly updated official website with a “.gov” domain name. This chapter amendment modifies the original legislation to establish that only municipal corporations with a population of 1,500 or more, according to the most recent federal census, must have such a website, while municipal corporations with populations of less than 1,500 need only comply “to the extent practicable” (vote: 125-18).

Committee News

Governmental Operations

The Governmental Operations Committee unanimously reported a bill (A.29), which designates New York as a Purple Heart State. Similar legislation was previously introduced by Assemblyman Bendett, most recently as A.3745of 2024. This bill was reported to the Floor.

Despite unanimous Republican opposition, the Governmental Operations Committee reported the following bills:

A.4200: Enacts a chapter amendment to Chapter 643 of the Laws of 2024, which mandates that new construction and buildings that include dedicated off‑street parking areas must have electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and electric vehicle‑capable parking spaces. This chapter amendment repeals the specific charging station standard established in Chapter 643 and instead requires new buildings with off-street parking to include EV-ready infrastructure and charging stations in compliance with minimum standards established by the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council.This bill was reported to Codes.

A.805: Establishes that if no single-occupancy bathroom can be designated as gender-neutral in a State-owned building, a multiple-occupancy bathroom shall be designated as gender-neutral instead.This bill was reported to the Floor.

Health

The Health Committee reported a bill (A.77) that prohibits the sale of flavored smokeless tobacco (i.e., any smokeless tobacco with a flavor or aroma distinguishable from tobacco flavor) within 500 feet of a public or private elementary or secondary school. This bill was reported to Codes.

Real Property Taxation

The Real Property Taxation Committee reported the following bills:

A.3729: Authorizes municipalities to provide a maximum 50 percent real property tax exemption on primary residences owned by surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty.Similar legislation was first introduced in 2024 by Assemblyman Keith Brown as A.9788 which would have allowed municipalities to offer a 100% exemption. This bill was reported to Ways and Means.

A.3878: Authorizes municipalities to provide a maximum 50 percent real property tax exemption on property that is operating as a licensed child day care.Similar legislation was first introduced in 2024 by Assemblyman Slater as A.8579. This bill was reported to Ways and Means.

Housing

Despite unanimous Republican opposition, the Housing Committee reported a bill (A.1563), which mandates that landlords include with all new and renewal housing leases for rent-controlled and rent-regulated properties, as well as on any bills or electronic communications, the informational material describing eligibility for and the benefits of the Senior Rent Increase Exemption and Disability Rent Increase Exemption programs.This bill was reported to Ways and Means.

Codes

Despite unanimous Republican opposition, the Codes committee reported a bill (A.123) that would limit the admissibility of evidence of a defendant’s creative or artistic expression against such defendant in a criminal proceeding. Defines “creative expression” to mean the expression or application of creativity or imagination in the production or arrangement of forms, sounds, words,movements, or symbols, including music, dance, performance art, visual art, poetry, literature, film,and other such objects or media.This bill was reported to the Floor.

Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

Despite unanimous Republican opposition, the Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee reported the following bills:

A.173: Sets additional requirements for the incorporation or reincorporation of certain not-for-profits by directing individuals, organizations, or other groups to obtain the consent of the,Authorities Budget Office prior to filing their certificates of incorporation and to identify the entity (a municipal corporation, State or local authority, or district) prompting the formation of the new or reincorporated not-for-profit. Shrinks the permissible municipal property lease term for local development corporations from 99 years to 25 years.This bill was reported to Codes.

A.2431: Makes it mandatory, rather than discretionary, for the Public Service Commission (PSC)to require each water-works corporation to establish a process whereby residents of co-ops,condos, or multi-family dwellings—any of those with five or more residential units—can obtain non-billing information concerning their water service. Newly directs PSC to require each water-works corporation to identify all such dwellings that use a master meter and alert those residents,in writing, about the option of obtaining non-billing information. This is an undertaking that,year after year, gradually boosts PSC oversight and could prove burdensome to these utilities.This bill was reported to the Floor.

Higher Education

Despite unanimous Republican opposition, the Higher Education Committee reported a bill (A.5285)enacting a chapter amendment to Chapter 7 of the Laws of 2025, which allows the prescription label for mifepristone or misoprostol to contain the name of the dispensing or prescribing health care practice instead of the name of the dispenser or prescriber. This chapter amendment allows such prescription labels to contain the address, rather than the name, of the dispensing or prescribing health care practice.This bill was reported to Rules and subsequently to the Floor.

Week in Focus

On 2/24, Leader Barclay and Members of the Assembl Republican Conference held a press conference to call for immediate action to resolve the crisis at State correctional facilities, and to pass legislation that would repeal the HALT Act (A.3217, Simpson). To view, CLICK

HERE. The corresponding letter, which was sent to Gov. Hochul, can be viewed HERE

On 2/25, Assemblyman Smullen, along with Leader Barclay, hosted a bipartisan press conference introducing “The Alexander John Smullen Traffic Safety Memorial Law” (A.3938). To view, CLICK HERE

On 2/25, Members of the Assembly Republican Conference joined their Senate colleagues to call for funding to be restored to the Nassau University Medical Center. To view, CLICK HERE

This week’s Joint Legislative Budget Hearings were Higher Education (2/25), Labor/Workforce Development & Economic Development/Arts (2/26), and Housing & Taxes (2/27).

For archived footage of the hearings, CLICK HERE