2010 End of the Year Memo to Friends and Colleagues

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

The 2010 Legislative Session year has come to a close and the New York State Senate Conference of Black Senators had a very productive year. As a Conference, we selected 23 high priority legislative Signature bills that would have significant impacts on our communities of color. Out of the 23 bills, we were able to get 16 of these passed in both houses and signed by the Governor. These Signature bills have provided our communities with some reprieve from this current economic depression. It is my hope that for the 2011 Legislative year that we will continue to put forth Signature Legislative bills that will help our communities.

Listed below is the Signature Bills sponsored by members of the NYS Senate Conference of Black Senators that have been signed into Law for the 2010 Legislative Year.

2010 CBS Signature Bill Accomplishments

S. 3890 A:  No Fault Divorce    Sponsored by Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 8/13/10 and Chaptered .384
This bill would allow a judgment of divorce to be granted to either a husband or a wife without assigning fault to either of the parties. However, a divorce could only be granted after the major ancillary issues have been resolved.

S. 6993 B : Breast Cancer Bill   Sponsored by Senator Ruth Hassell- Thompson
Signed by Governor Paterson   on  8/13/10 and Chaptered .354
To ensure that information relating to the availability and access to reconstructive surgery following breast cancer surgery is provided to all breast cancer surgery patients.

S. 6888 C: Emerging Investment Managers    Sponsored by Senator Ruth Hassell- Thompson
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 7/15/10 and Chaptered .171
To create the NYS MWBE asset management and financial institution strategy in order to allow for the diversification and expansion of MWBE contracting to the retirement, social security, education and insurance law.

S. 5923: Biased Related Violence   Sponsored by Senator Kevin Parker
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 7/30/10 and Chaptered .227
This bill would provide the vehicle necessary for someone to initiate a civil action against a perpetrator of bias-related violence or intimidation.

S. 4291 B: Community Reinvestment  Act   Sponsored by Senator Kevin Parker
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 10/20/10 and Chaptered .551
This bill would prohibit the comptroller from establishing an account in a banking institution with a Community Reinvestment Act rating of less than satisfactory.
   
S. 6102 A: Peace Training Bill    Sponsored by Senator Eric Adams
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 9/7/10 and Chaptered .491
This bill consolidates and streamlines the police officer and peace officer registries, and upgrades and upgrades and clarifies minimum training requirements for peace officers.

S. 2956 A: Police Quota Bill         Sponsored by Senator Eric Adams
Signed by Governor Paterson  on  8/30/10 and Chaptered .460
Expands the quota penalty provisions to include a ticket, summons or
arrest. This act to amend the current labor law, in relation to prohibiting quotas for a ticket, summons or arrest authorized by any general, special or local law

S. 7945 A: Stop and Frisk           Sponsored by Senator Eric Adams
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 7/16/10 and Chaptered .176
To protect the privacy and due-process rights of innocent New Yorkers who are stopped by the police and subsequently released without further legal action.

S. 7483 A: Hospital Closure Planning Act   Sponsored by Senator Huntley
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 10/1/10 and Chaptered. 541
To allow for community input on the impact of a hospital's closing on access to health care in the surrounding community and require the department of health to identify the measures which the department and other parties have taken or will take to ameliorate such impact.

S. 4057 B : Child Health Plus and School Meal Coordination Act   Sponsored by Senator Andrea Stewart- Cousins
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 10/1/10 and Chaptered .535
This bill would require coordination between Child Health Plus, Medicaid and School Meals to ensure that children who are eligible and enrolled for free and reduced-price school meals are also enrolled in Child Health Plus or Medicaid.

S. 3296 H: Bisphenol A- Free Children and Babies Act   Sponsored by Senator Antoine Thompson
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 7/30/10 and Chaptered .280
The bill would prohibit the manufacture, distribution and sale of certain child care products containing bisphenol-A which are intended for use by or upon a child.

S. 2233 A : Incarcerated Parent Bill      Sponsored by Senator Velmanette Montgomery
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 6/15/10 and Chaptered. 113
This legislation would allow a foster care agency to delay the filing of a petition to terminate the parental rights of a parent who is incarcerated or participating in a residential substance abuse treatment program when such agency believes that filing a termination petition is not in the best interests of the child.

S. 1145 C: Reduction in Sulfur Emissions   Sponsored by Senator Bill Perkins
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 7/15/10 and Chaptered .203
The purpose of this legislation is to limit the sulfur content in home heating oil.

S. 5588 A:  Retirement plan    Sponsored by Senator John Sampson
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 3/30/10 and Chaptered .32
This bill makes a correction to Ch. 72 '09, by permitting either party to a matrimonial action to continue receiving payments from a retirement plan, where such party is already in pay status at the time when the automatic orders preventing dissipation of funds would otherwise take effect.
 
S. 5696 A: Order of Protections   Sponsored by Senator John Sampson
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 8/13/10 and Chaptered .341
Provides that orders of protection shall not be denied solely on the basis that the events alleged are not relatively contemporaneous with the date of the application or conclusion thereof.

S. 5987 B: Small Business Mentoring Program   Sponsored by Senator John Sampson
Signed by Governor Paterson  on 7/15/10 and Chaptered .206
To authorize the metropolitan transportation authority, and its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively, the "MTA"), to establish a mentoring program that will provide small businesses with mentoring opportunities by matching them with experienced construction management firm mentors and by providing opportunities to compete for certain designated public work contracts.