From public safety to disaster preparedness laws, Sen. Scarcella-Spanton saw 22 of her sponsored bills pass in 2023

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Starting a new job is always a learning experience, even if you’ve worked in your field for years.

State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn), who’s been working in government since 2009, has quickly learned the importance of making connections with other lawmakers to advance legislation during her first year in office.

“You don’t know what you’re getting into until you’re actually in this seat, despite all the prior work,” Scarcella-Spanton said. “With the legislative process, I’m learning stuff about that every single day. Making sure we have meaningful relationships to actually push our legislation; making sure that we’re able to have conversations with the correct people... it’s all about relationship building on the Albany side.”

The bills vary in nature, with some focused on public safety, as Staten Islanders grapple with rising crime rates, and others on disaster preparedness, with climate change bringing more and more severe storms to the borough as the years pass.

As the chair of the State Senate’s Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, the senator helped pass 26 bills pertaining to former service members, including seven that were signed into law last month.

“I will continue to work to make sure effective legislation is passed for our New York state veterans and will always fight for them how they fought for us,” the senator said at the time.

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