12 of Senator Harckham's Bills Reported Out of Committee

(Albany, NY) Senator Pete Harckham, Senate District 40, Chair of the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Committee, today announced that 12 bills he sponsored in his first senatorial session were reported out of committee this week. Nine of the bills will now head to the Senate floor, while three were sent to other committees for a vote.

“I’m proud that 12 of my bills have moved out of committee this week, demonstrating the confidence my colleagues have in these measures,” said Harckham. “When passed by the full Senate, these bills will protect and benefit substance abusers, veterans, schoolchildren, Indian Point union workers, consumers, first responders and taxpayers."

The Harckham-sponsored bills that moved in committee this week were:

S5440 - Passed through Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and reported and Committed to Finance

Establishes the council for treatment equity within the office of alcoholism and substance abuse. This will address substance use disorder disparities amongst vulnerable populations across the state.

S5457 – Passed through Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and reported to the floor

Authorizes the use of opioid antagonists (narcan/ naloxone) by public accommodations for opioid overdose prevention. Expands the entities authorized to possess, distribute, and administer an opioid antagonist to reverse an opioid-related overdose to public accommodations such as; restaurants, bars, and retail establishment to the list of entities protected from legal liability (aka allows for good Samaritan law to apply)

S5038 - Passed through Civil Service and Pensions, and reported to the floor

Relates to the military service credit. Authorizes member individuals who were previously ineligible to receive the military service credit because they retired before May 31, 2006, to become eligible to receive the credit.

S5528 - Passed through Education, and reported to the floor

Directs the education department to study, review and report on the placement of the county of Westchester in the Hudson Valley region for purposes of public school foundation aid, and the appropriateness of placing such county in the Long Island/New York City region for such purposes. Currently for school aid (based on cost of living), Westchester is considered part of the Hudson Valley. However, the minimum wage increases determined Westchester’s cost of living to be more similar to NYC and Long Island and increased the minimum wage in those areas. 

S5305B - Passed through Energy and Telecommunications, and reported to the floor

Requires the retention of union employees and payment of prevailing wages during the closure of Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant; requires the department of labor to oversee sale and the hiring of new employees at such power plant.

S5848 - Passed through Higher Education, and reported to the floor

Provides that a dental hygienist shall not administer local block anesthesia without a certificate and except under the personal supervision of a dentist and in conjunction with the performance of dental hygiene procedures authorized by law and in accordance with regulations promulgated by the commissioner.

S5247 - Passed through Investigations and Government Operations, and committed to Finance

Authorizes the commissioner of general services to convey the North County Trailway, real property in Westchester County, to the county of Westchester.

S5491 - Passed through Judiciary, reported to floor

Relates to disclosing if the property subject to lien is real property improved or to be improved with a single family dwelling. To make clear on the face of mechanics’ lien whether the lien being filed is on a single family dwelling or not, as the renewal for liens differ depending on that fact.

S2613A - Passed through Local Government, reported to the floor

Authorizes the taxation of state land in the county of Dutchess.

S5312 -Passed through Local Government, reported to Finance

Relates to directing the state board of real property tax services to conduct a study on real property tax saturation.

S5418 - Passed through Local Government, reported to the floor

Makes provisions permanent relating to disability due to disease or malfunction of the heart or coronary arteries. To make permanent the long standing law governing disability determinations for volunteer firefighters due to disease or malfunction of the heart or coronary arteries.

S5419 - Passed through Local Government, reported to the floor

Makes permanent provisions creating a presumption relating to certain lung disabilities incurred by volunteer firefighters. To make permanent the long standing law governing disability determinations for volunteer firefighters due to disease or malfunction of the lungs.