Legislative News

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York lawmakers are putting forward a package of legislation to help combat the resurgence of heroin. The six bills would increase penalties for selling opioids that result in death, equip first responders with overdose-reversal drugs, and require health insurance providers to cover rehab programs and anti-addiction medication...

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Registered sex offenders could soon be prohibited from working as bus drivers in New York. The Senate on Monday passed legislation that would prohibit registered sex offenders from driving a school or passenger bus...

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is leading a coalition of 13 states in opposing a proposed house bill that limits a state’s right to protect citizens from toxic chemicals. The Chemicals in Commerce Act would amend the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976...

Legislation that would add New York and its 29 electoral college votes to the National Popular Vote Act was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo Tuesday. The bill means that the popular vote number will be used to elect candidates instead of the electoral vote...

Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to raise the age New Yorkers can be charged and tried as adults. Currently in New York that age is 16 and 17, but most other states have set higher ages. To study the issue the Governor has created the Raise the Age Commission to make recommendations to increase the age threshold in New York...

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York has decided that starting next year, patients will be protected against surprise out-of-network medical bills that have pushed some toward personal bankruptcy. The measure, signed into law this week, is scheduled to take effect next April 1st...

State Senator Jame Seward says the new state budget addresses many of the concerns of his constituents, such as education aid, property tax relief, and job creation incentives. The new budget contains a $1.1 billion increase in school aid focusing on needy school districts...

State Senator James Seward has called on assembly Democrats to join with senate Republicans in passing a final state budget that will address the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) which has denied school districts millions of dollars in education aid...

State Assemblyman Cliff Crouch, as part of the Assembly Minority Conference, recently launched a website telling legislative leaders they must put “children before politics.” The site informs the general public about the APPLE Plan to reform Common Core and would keep them informed of conference-led initiatives on reforming education in New York state...

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York lawmakers have approved a bill that would enter the state in an interstate agreement to award its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the majority of the popular vote. The National Popular Vote agreement is triggered when 270 electoral votes are reached, enough to give the states who signed the compact a majority of the electoral votes... Read Mo