Senator Montgomery's 2018 Legislative Report

July 9, 2018

senator_montgomerys_2018_legislative_report.pdf

Dear Neighbor,

As your State Senator, I am proud to represent you and to serve as a voice for our community.

Thank you to the thousands of constituents and advocates who visited Albany to participate in the legislative process. It was inspiring to see so many familiar faces visiting my office and in the hallways of the State Capitol.

Throughout my legislative career, I have sponsored legislation to address injustices and create positive change in the lives of all New Yorkers. I can proudly report that in this year’s legislative session, I have introduced or co-sponsored legislation to help protect homeowners, seniors, youth, our most vulnerable and those who are incarcerated.

Together we can and will continue to fight for what our neighborhoods need. Several bills have passed both the Senate and Assembly and await the Governor’s consideration. There are other bills that I hope you will consider supporting and advocating for during the next legislative session.

I look forward to our continued partnership to fight for the issues important to our city, state and nation. Please know that your voice is significant and plays a crucial role in the legislative process. We have come so far and accomplished many great feats. However, there is still more work to be done. We must persevere and continue to strive to make our community a better place to live.

I am proud to have passed into law and introduced a number of bills submitted by constituents. If you have an idea for new legislation, please contact my office at 718-643-6140 or e-mail montgome@nysenate.gov. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Best wishes for a restful and safe summer.

Sincerely,

Senator Velmanette Montgomery
25th Senate District

To read Senator Montgomery's 2018 Legislative Report, download the PDF or call 718-643-6140 to request a copy.

Legislation Introduced By Senator Montgomery - Legislation Signed Info Law

Following is a partial list of Senator Montgomery’s legislation introduced in the 2017-2018 Legislative Session.
For a complete list or to learn more about these bills, please visit https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/velmanette-montgomery/legislation

LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW!
“PAROLE TRANSPARENCY BILL” - CREATES TRANSPARENCY IN PAROLE
BOARD DECISIONS (S.7333/A.8960)
• This legislation mandates the Board of Parole publish its decisions and recommendations on a publicly accessible website within a hundred and twenty days and requires the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to provide electronic and print copies of such recommendations to all correctional facility law libraries on a quarterly basis.

Legislation Introduced By Senator Montgomery - Bills That Have Passed Both Houses And Await The Governor’s Consideration

BILLS THAT HAVE PASSED BOTH HOUSES AND AWAIT THE GOVERNOR’S CONSIDERATION

“CONSTRUCTION NOTIFICATION BILL” - REQUIRES NOTICE TO ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNERS OF CONSTRUCTION OR DEMOLITION WORK (S.4519/A.5823). This bill requires the New York City Department of Buildings (NYC DOB) to provide written notification to owners of adjoining property of construction or demolition work at the time when an application for construction or a permit is submitted. The Dept. of Buildings must provide proof of insurance together with the permit to the owners of adjoining property 30 days prior to the commencement of the construction or demolition work.

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“SBHC BILL” - CREATES A PERSONAL INCOME TAX CHECK-OFF BOX FOR THE SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS FUND (S.4487/A.2660). This legislation creates a personal income tax check-off box for donations to the school-based health centers fund. The creation of this funding stream would support the expansion of medical services at existing school based health center sites or to establish new sites throughout New York State.

“BAM BILL” - ALLOWS THE BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC TO SERVE ALCOHOL TO ITS PATRONS (S.8003/A.8897). The Brooklyn Academy of Music is a multi-arts center Brooklyn for more than 150 years and is known for its theatre, dance, music, opera, film and many more programming.

Legislation Introduced By Senator Montgomery - Passed The Senate

BILLS THAT HAVE PASSED THE SENATE!

“WATERFRONT BILL”- ALLOWS COMMUNITY BOARDS ACCESS TO FUNDING THROUGH THE NYS WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION PROGRAM (S.4489/A.2407). This bill would allow New York City community boards to apply and receive grants, which shall not exceed 50% of the approved cost of the project, for waterfront revitalization programs for coastal areas and inland waterways.

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“YOUTHBUILD BILL” - New York STATE YOUTHBUILD ACT (S.8073/A.13A). This legislation establishes a comprehensive system for supporting YouthBuild programs in the state of New York. The Commissioner of Labor would establish a grant program from amounts provided by appropriation, and would make grants eligible to applicants who operated a YouthBuild program compliant with terms established in this bill. Any not-for-profit private agency or public agency operating a YouthBuild program or with a plan to incubate a YouthBuild program would be an eligible agency, provided that such entities are licensed affiliates of YouthBuild USA or otherwise receive grants from the Department of Labor.

“REGENTS BILL” - REQUIRES THAT THE NYS BOARD OF REGENTS HOLD AT LEAST 2 MEETINGS A YEAR IN NEW YORK CITY (S.3739/A.6437). The bill also requires announcements of the time, date, location and agenda at least three weeks before the meeting date to allow adequate time for public review on both the State Education Department and NYC Department of Education’s website. The bill also mandates that the public must be allotted at least thirty minutes to speak on any topic on the agenda, and that these meetings be webcast.

“SOLAR TAX CREDIT BILL” - INCREASES THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX CREDIT FOR SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM EQUIPMENT (S.4714/A.5646). This bill would raise the current allowable personal tax credit for solar energy equipment from $5,000 to $10,000, further encouraging New Yorkers to invest in environmentally friendly renewable energy sources like solar energy. The allowable personal tax credit for solar energy equipment has not been increased since 2005 despite the fact that the purchase and installation costs remain higher than most New Yorkers can afford.

“CHILDHOOD CANCER BILL” - AUTHORIZES ISSUANCE OF DISTINCTIVE PLATES BEARING THE WORDS “CURE CHILDHOOD CANCER” (S.4436/A.1580). This legislation authorizes the issuance of license plates that read “Cure Childhood Cancer” and creates a “Cure Childhood Cancer Trust Fund” that will support pediatric cancer care, research, treatment, and wellness programs. Cancer is one of the most common chronic diseases in New York State, and is second only to heart disease as the leading cause of death. Each year, about 100,000 New Yorkers are diagnosed with cancer. According to the NYS Department of Health’s Cancer Registry, between 2007-2011, 240 cases of pediatric cancer were reported per every 1,000,000.

Legislation Introduced By Senator Montgomery - Bills That We Will Continue To Fight For

BILLS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR!

“ANTI-SUSPENSION BILL” - SAFE SCHOOLS ACT (S.3036/A.3873). This legislation would make a uniformed code of conduct system to promote a safe and productive learning environment. Ending suspension disparities across communities by creating a clear code of conduct, with a clear set of expectations and responsibilities from not only students and their teachers and instructors but also all school personnel including law enforcement. According to NYC Dept. of Education’s biannual report, New York City public schools issued over 35,000 suspensions in 2017.

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CIVICS EDUCATION BILL (S.8958). To boost voter education and turnout, this bill would establish a Civics Education Commission tasked with creating a civics education curriculum for schools in New York State. The curriculum will focus on state and local government, civic literacy, current political and community issues, methods of public participation, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. The curriculum will also use a simulation-based approach. Students will be required to participate in activities and role playing exercises.

FREE TRANSPORTATION FOR CORRECTIONAL FACILITY VISITATION (S.5693/A.7016). This legislation would reinstate the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) program to provide free bimonthly transportation at no cost to enable families to visit their incarcerated loved ones.

Important Legislation Co-Sponsored By Senator Montgomery

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IMPORTANT LEGISLATION CO-SPONSORED BY SENATOR MONTGOMERY

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DEED FRAUD PROTECTION BILL (S.6171/A.1408). Deed and home equity frauds have evolved into complex schemes that often involve multiple parties, including unwitting straw buyers. This bill enhances and bolsters consumer protection measures and closes existing loopholes in the law in order to not only prevent deed fraud and mortgage scams, but to also increase the likelihood that a victim will have the opportunity to seek recovery in court. Senior homeowners are especially vulnerable to deed and home equity fraud.

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY VIOLATIONS IN FAMILY COURT (S.7885). This legislation would ensure that adolescents adjudicated for violations (petty offenses) or charged with, or adjudicated for, violations of conditional discharges will not be placed on probation, and or displaced out of their respective homes.

“CREDIT UNION BILL” - EXPANDING THE BANKING DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT PROGRAM (S.5187/A.5776). This legislation would allow Credit Unions to participate in the Banking Development District program to increase access to banking services in underserved communities. Credit unions are significant in our communities because they offer more member benefits while providing more competitive and often better rates than traditional banks.

NYS SMART SCHOLARS PROGRAM & NYS PATHWAYS IN TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM EXPANSION (S.9060/A.11047). This legislation would establish in statute, grant awards for New York State school districts who participate in the New York State Smart Scholars and the New York State Pathways in Technology Early College High School programs. These programs give disadvantaged youth the opportunity to earn at least 24 college credits while still in high school. The 25th Senate District is home to several Smart Scholar and Pathways in Technology Early College High School programs that are transforming the lives of young people.

“RHA” - REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ACT (S.2796/A.1748). This bill would update New York State law to codify Roe v. Wade and ensure that a woman’s fundamental right to access reproductive healthcare, including the right to a medically safe abortion is protected even if efforts are made to undermine it at the national level.

“CCCA” - COMPREHENSIVE CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE ACT (S.3668/A.1378). The Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act would amend state insurance and social service laws to require health insurance companies to cover all FDA-approved contraception without a copayment as well as voluntary sterilization procedures, contraceptive education and counseling, and related follow up services. CCCA would also allow women access to 12 months of continuous contraception coverage providing consistency in care and a greater sense of ease, especially for women in rural areas.

Senator Montgomery Celebrates New York State Women Leaders

As we commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage in New York State, I would like to pay a special tribute to some of our state’s dynamic leaders. These distinguished women not only excel in their respective fields but also continue to break glass ceilings and work to create a better state for all New Yorkers.

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(r.) Dr. Betty Rosa, Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents serves as one of our state’s most influential educational policymakers. Prior to her election to the Board of Regents, Dr. Rosa was one of New York City’s most respected educators. As Senior Superintendent, Dr. Rosa founded the Maritime Academy for Science and Technology (M.S. 101), one of the top ranked middle schools in the City.

(m.) Dr. Kristina M. Johnson, Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), one of the nation’s largest comprehensive system of public higher education. With 64 college and university campuses, SUNY serves more than 1.3 million students annually. Dr. Johnson previously served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Johns Hopkins University.

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(l.) Gwen Wright, Executive Director of the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, the country’s only executive level state agency dedicated to the issue of domestic violence. She is one of the most prominent leaders in her respective field.

(m.) Tina Stanford, Chairwoman of the New York State Board of Parole is a trailblazer in the legal profession. As Chairwoman, she plays an integral role in the release of incarcerated individuals across the state.