Senate Democratic Majority Advances Legislation To Continue Helping New Yorkers and Businesses Recover From COVID-19

For Immediate Release: July 23, 2020 

Contact:Gary Ginsburg | ginsburg@nysenate.gov | 518-455-2415

Senate DemocraticMajority Advances Legislation To Continue Helping New Yorkers and BusinessesRecover From COVID-19

(Albany, NY) The Senate DemocraticMajority today passed legislation that will continue helping New Yorkers andbusinesses recover from the effects of COVID-19 in New York State. Thislegislation focuses on helping small businesses provide PPE, keeps contracttracing information confidential, and protects New Yorkers as they return tothe work force. This package builds on previous legislation passed to helpcombat COVID-19.

“When the Senate Majority passed major legislation combatting COVID-19 in May we knewthat addressing this pandemic would be an ongoing and essential process,” Senate Majority Leader AndreaStewart-Cousins said. “The bills advanced by the Senate will continue our efforts to recover from this crisis by protecting New Yorkers health andrights, helping state businesses that manufacture PPE, investing in specialized schools, and supporting struggling farmers. The Senate Majority will continueto hold hearings and advance legislation to help New York residents, businesses, and communities recover and move forward from the COVID-19pandemic.”

The bills that will be advanced by the Senate Majority include:

• SenateBill S.8450-B: Thislegislation, sponsored by Senator Gustavo Rivera, requires contact tracinginformation to be kept confidential and not be made available to law enforcement.SenateBill S.8464-A: This legislation, sponsored bySenator Jen Metzger, preserves agricultural property tax assessment for farmerssuffering reduced sales due to Covid-19.
• SenateBill S.8014-C: Thislegislation, sponsored by Senator Pete Harckham, specifies that Special ActSchools, 853 Schools, 4201 Schools, and 4410 Schools will not see a reductionof aid for closures related to COVID-19.
• SenateBill S.8361, Thislegislation, sponsored by Senator Gustavo Rivera, requires Managed Long TermCare Plans reimburse providers for PPE.
• SenateBill S.8451-A: Thislegislation, sponsored by Senator Anna Kaplan, authorizes the Empire State DevelopmentCorporation to develop a public awareness campaign promoting personalprotective clothing and equipment manufacturing businesses located in New Yorkstate.
• SenateBill S.8448-D: This legislation, sponsored by Senator Kevin Thomas,imposes requirements for the use of electronically collected emergency healthdata during the COVID-19 emergency.

Bill Sponsor Senator Pete Harckham said, “Special Act School Districts across New York, likeall school districts statewide, should not be penalized financially or otherwise for missing mandated attendance criterion and instructional benchmarks caused by closings during this health emergency. Instead, the realpriority for everyone right now has to be ensuring the health and safety of ourstudents with unique needs, educators and staffs as we move toward a new schoolyear and a return to classroom learning.”

Bill Sponsor Senator Anna Kaplan said, “As our state recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, we need to do more to create jobs, diversify our economy, and ensure we’re prepared to meet the needs of our residents as demand for PPE continues toincrease worldwide. By promoting local manufacturing of personal protective equipment like masks and gowns, we can create local jobs and accelerate our economic recovery, while ensuring New Yorkers have access to the life-saving equipment we need in the Covid-era.”

Bill Sponsor Senator Jen Metzger said, “Our family farms have beenhit hard during this pandemic, and face great uncertainty about what this year will bring in terms of sales. This bill provides assurance that farms can hold on to their agricultural property tax assessment even if gross sales fall short during this challenging time. Our farms are critical to New York’s economic recoveryand food security, and this bill will help to keep our farmers on their land.”

Bill Sponsor Senator Gustavo Rivera said, “In the face of a pandemic, New Yorkers have stepped up and shown incredible compassion and responsibility. Although we have come far and numbers are down, it is undeniable that COVID-19 still poses a seriousthreat. It is our responsibility in government to protect New Yorkers especially those high-risk individuals, and alleviate their anxieties and concerns. That’s why I am proud to sponsor and pass legislation to protect theprivate information collected from New Yorkers for contact tracing purposes so it cannot be misused by law and immigration enforcement. This will strengthen the public’s trust on one of our most effective tools in combating thispandemic. I am also proud to sponsor and pass legislation that will ensure homecare and personal assistance workers will acquire the proper equipment to protect themselves and their patients.”

Bill Sponsor Senator Kevin Thomas said, “Efforts to combat thecoronavirus should not come at the cost of New Yorkers’ privacy rights. Any technology that involves the collection, processing, and disclosure ofsensitive health information can put consumers at increased risk of exploitation, abuse, or discrimination. This legislation will ensure that the privacy of consumers’ personal information is protected amid the COVID-19 pandemic by regulating the collection and use of emergency health data.”