Op-Ed: 2023 legislative session brings important changes

The end of the 2023 legislative session brought a flurry of activity, and with that came the passage of several impactful bills. I want to take this opportunity to highlight some legislation recently passed by the Senate that represent our priorities as we work to improve the way our state functions for every resident of New York.

The first is a bill I introduced to ban the use of non-compete agreements in the state of New York. A staggering 44% of New York’s employers currently utilize non-compete agreements to restrict employment options for their workers. As testimony from a recent Senate hearing revealed, this practice has overwhelmingly detrimental effects on individuals, businesses, and New York’s economy as a whole. The Assembly also passed this legislation last week before wrapping up their session, and the bill will now be delivered to Gov. Hochul’s desk, where it can be signed into law.

Earlier this month, the Senate passed another piece of legislation I sponsored that would end a practice that most people would probably be shocked to learn about. As it stands, judges in New York’s town and village courts are not required to be licensed attorneys. That means that in small courts across the state, many of the people handing down jail sentences have never spent a day studying law. My bill would require judges in New York’s 100 highest-volume town and village courts to be licensed attorneys for five years before becoming eligible to serve on the court.

In 2023, most of us take reliable cell phone service for granted, but the reality is that many rural parts of our state remain unserved. Senator Michelle Hinchey’s Cellular Mapping Act directs the Public Service Commission to study the coverage and reliability of cell phone service in New York State and to create a map highlighting dead zones. It’s an important first step in achieving reliable cell service for all New Yorkers.

Senator Kevin Thomas introduced a bill to support New York’s retail businesses by creating an “organized retail crime task force” to provide the governor and the legislature with information on organized retail crime and possible countermeasures. The bill passed both houses unanimously earlier this month and can now be signed by Gov. Hochul.

The Senate passed another bill introduced by Senator Thomas that would allow schools to officially recognize Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Diwali, Lunar New Year, Tihar, Bandi Chhor Divas and Onam in school districts where a sizable portion of students observe these holidays. Recognizing these cultural days as school holidays is an easy action we can take to support teachers as well as families who currently have to choose between celebrating their cultural or religious heritage and sending their kids to school.

Finally, both houses of the Legislature passed the Birds and the Bees Protection Act earlier this month. A recent risk-benefit study by Cornell University found that the use of neonicotinoid insecticide, a pesticide that is harmful to wildlife, does not provide consistent economic benefits to farmers. As a response to these findings, Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal introduced this legislation to prohibit the use of these harmful chemicals beginning in 2025, and prohibit the sale of seeds coated with the pesticide starting in 2027.

These are just some of the most recent bills passed by the Senate, but we passed a lot of important pieces of legislation this year, many of which will soon become law. As I reflect on the 2023 session, I am proud of the work we have done, and already looking forward to finding more ways to improve life for Western New Yorkers during next year’s session.