Senator Rachel May’s Week in Review

Albany, NY - Senator Rachel May (D-Onondaga, Madison, Oneida) is proud to highlight her 11 sponsored bills that were passed in the Senate this week. 

• S.3392 -- The uniform treatment of waste from the exploration, development, extraction, or production of crude oil or natural gas. This bill closes a hazardous fracking loophole that has existed for oil and gas extraction for more than a decade. 
• S.6185 -- This legislation requires the State Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a hotline, website, and smartphone application to report safety and customer service issues with stretch limousines and to use such reports when determining withdrawing a motor carrier's operating authority or denying applications for new or revised operating authority.
• S.3840A -- An amendment to the social services law that promotes re-engagement, rather than sanctions, of those on public assistance. Currently, those receiving assistance from local social services departments may have their payments reduced or stopped for noncompliance of any of the numerous rules, including missing just one scheduled appointment. This amendment promotes determining what barriers people might be facing and helping them address those issues.
• S.6041A -- Directs the department of public service to study the feasibility of a municipal broadband program within the state.This bill will allow the State to study whether municipal broadband is feasible, what limitations may be faced, and expertise is required by each municipality to enact municipal broadband effectively.
• S.5462A -- Relates to declining party nominations after primary elections. Current rules for candidates make it nearly impossible to remove a name from the ballot should they lose a primary -- the candidate must move out of state or become deceased. This bill streamlines the process, so that if a candidate loses a primary on any ballot line, they can easily opt to remove their name from any other ballot line they were carrying. 
• S.6170 -- Specifies additional routes where there is an exemption on the maximum dimensions of certain vehicles proceeding to and from the New York state thruway. This legislation will authorize these vehicles to travel the short distances required to access new or redesigned tandem lots.
• S.4294 -- Amends Onondaga County law relating to communication service surcharges. This legislation extends the authorization for Onondaga County to charge $.65 per access line per month wireline communication service surcharge to fund the Onondaga County Interoperable Communications System (OCICS) until 2029. The OCICS provides a communications platform that supports more than 160 village, town, county, state, federal and tribal public safety agencies in Onondaga County and is shared with Cayuga, Jefferson, Madison, Oneida and Oswego counties to support public safety and public service radios across the region. 
• S.5780 -- Relates to the effectiveness of certain provisions of the elder law relating to long term care ombudsman access to assisted living facilities. This bill would extend the authorization of the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP), which is an important advocate for older adults in long term care facilities such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and adult homes. 
• S.5794A -- Authorizes the Liverpool Central School District to receive state aid for certain approved capital funded projects. As a result of a ministerial error, the Liverpool Central School District missed a required deadline to file for eligibility for certain state aid. The loss for the twenty four State Education Department (SED) projects that are currently ineligible for state aid totals $2.6 million over the next two years. Passing this piece of legislation would allow the Liverpool Central School District to be eligible to receive state aid for the district projects.
• S.6174 -- Extends the authority of the Department of Environmental Conservation in relation to managing alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus). Alewife, or River Herring, are managed by the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Shad and River Herring adopted by Atlantic State Marine Fishery Commission (ASMFC). This bill would extend DEC's regulatory authority for alewife for an additional three years, and ensure that DEC continues to maintain compliance with the FMP.
• S.6196 -- Relates to possession of firearms on property owned by or held in trust for SUNY ESF. Current law imposes penalties for possession of firearms on property that is held in trust for SUNY ESF, which includes 5,300 acres in the Adirondacks. This legislation makes the technical changes in existing law to allow ESF staff and students to conduct research activity and engage in wildlife management. 
   

Senator May is proud of the bills that have been passed this week, and will continue to work hard through the end of session to pass meaningful legislation for Central New York. 
 

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