Hinchey Passes 53 of Her Senate Bills in 2024 State Legislative Session

ALBANY, NY – Senator Michelle Hinchey concluded her fourth legislative session with 53 of her bills passing the New York State Senate, 66% of which passed unanimously. 29 of Hinchey’s bills passed both the Senate and Assembly and await the Governor’s approval before the end of the year in order to become law. Since taking office, Hinchey has had a record of 110 bills pass through both houses of the State Legislature that address the needs of Hudson Valley communities and New Yorkers statewide.

“We’ve had a productive year passing bills that are important to our Hudson Valley communities covering local needs across housing, utility affordability, environmental protection, and EMS support — all of which are headed to the Governor’s desk and hopefully will be signed into law soon,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “Our bill to create New York’s first Short-Term Rental Registry will help communities across the state manage the housing crisis. After years of advocacy, we’re also on track to end estimated billing once and for all, bringing much-needed relief and peace of mind to ratepayers. We’ve strengthened protections for communities like ours where bomb trains and oil vessels run through our towns by requiring petroleum shippers to carry and disclose liability coverage, ensuring that corporations, not the public, bear responsibility for cleanup in case of accidents. And we’re now one step closer to ensuring EMS providers are fairly reimbursed, removing longstanding barriers to life-saving care. I’m proud that we were able to get so many critical bills passed for our communities, and will continue advocating for these priorities to be signed into law.”

Addressing the Rural and Upstate Housing Crisis

Short-term rentals play an important role in New York's tourism economy, helping homeowners generate extra income and often serving as the sole visitor lodging option in rural areas. The rapid growth of this billion-dollar industry, however, has exacerbated the housing crisis by reducing long-term housing availability, driving up costs, and displacing residents. Senator Hinchey sponsors legislation to create New York’s first Short-Term Rental Registry to help communities across New York address these challenges. The bill passed both the Senate and Assembly with bipartisan support and is endorsed by all 62 of New York’s counties, along with the NYS Association of Counties (NYSAC), the NYS Conference of Mayors (NYCOM), the Association of Towns of the State of New York, the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, and business councils, chambers of commerce, and housing advocates from across the State that are all advocating for it to be signed into law. 

Strengthening Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) across New York State are struggling with funding shortfalls, insufficient reimbursement rates, and workforce challenges while demand for their services, especially in rural and underserved areas, is rising. In response, Senator Hinchey introduced several bills to support EMS providers. Two bills that have passed both houses and are ready for the Governor's signature include allowing EMS to be reimbursed for treating Medicaid patients on the scene, transporting patients to alternative healthcare destinations, and facilitating telemedicine. A second bill would permit ground ambulances to carry and administer blood transfusions to trauma patients in all emergency scenarios, not just between hospitals.

Expanding and Preserving Access to Local Healthcare Services 

Senator Hinchey has fought to protect and expand access to local health services, including through the following bills that passed the Senate this session. One of these bills, The Hospital Transparency Act, is ready for the Governor’s signature. If signed, it would help expose New York’s healthcare deserts and require hospitals to disclose on their websites which healthcare services they choose not to provide (these are called policy-based exclusions), including reproductive and gender-affirming care. Other Hinchey bills that await the Governor’s signature include legislation requiring menstrual products to be offered for free in public college and university restrooms and a bill to improve care for New Yorkers with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Holding Utility Companies Accountable and Protecting New Yorkers’ Wallets 

Senator Hinchey has led the charge in the Senate to bring transparency and accountability to the utility industry and protect New Yorkers’ wallets. Four of the Senator’s utility bills passed the Senate, including legislation to end estimated billing, which also passed in the Assembly and is now eligible for the Governor’s signature.

Several bills sponsored by Senator Hinchey passed the Senate but were not voted on by the Assembly and remain priorities for 2025. One bill would increase fines for utility violations and tie them to inflation for the first time since 1986, another would prevent propane companies from charging certain hidden fees, and the Small Water Utility Transparency Act aims to improve water quality from small, private companies by granting more auditing power to key agencies, including the Public Service Commission, Department of Environmental Conservation, and NYS Comptroller’s Office, to ensure health and affordability standards are met.

Protecting the Environment
Senator Hinchey sponsors several pieces of legislation to protect the environment and local communities. The calamitous Ohio train derailment brought into stark focus the need for more rigorous oversight of New York’s freight rail systems, vessels, and storage facilities. Senator Hinchey championed legislation, passed by both legislative chambers, to strengthen oil spill fund protections for communities and hold oil tankers and railroads accountable. Hinchey’s bill mandates increased liability coverage for vessels and major petroleum storage facilities transporting crude oil to ensure the onus is on the company for clean-up and decontamination costs and not the public. Additionally, the bill requires public disclosure of railroads' financial preparedness for such incidents.

Hinchey bills that passed the Senate but did not come before the Assembly for a vote include legislation to ban the sale of playground materials containing harmful chemicals like PFAS, PHAS, and lead and a bill to ensure members of local planning and zoning boards receive annual training on environmentally conscious planning. Both bills remain priorities for passage in the 2025 legislative session.

Bringing Reliable Cell Service to All New Yorkers
Senator Hinchey is focused on closing cell coverage gaps in rural and Upstate New York, where thousands of residents face dead zones and unreliable service. Among Hinchey’s priority bills is The Cellular Mapping Act, which directs the Public Service Commission to study and create a comprehensive map of cell phone coverage in the state to guide the expansion of statewide coverage. The Senate unanimously passed Hinchey’s bill, but it was not acted on in the Assembly and must be reintroduced in the 2025 Session. Hinchey will continue to push for full legislative passage.

Supporting Research and Prevention on Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases

In the Hudson Valley, Lyme and tick-borne diseases are hyperendemic, with consistently high incidence rates among the worst in the state. Senator Hinchey sponsors two bills to address this public health crisis, which passed the Senate unanimously this session; however, were not acted on in the Assembly. One bill directs the NYS Department of Health (DOH) to publish an annual Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Report on its website, detailing county-level data to help raise awareness and ensure that New Yorkers and the medical community have access to current information. To support treatment efforts, the bill also directs the Superintendent of the Department of Financial Services, along with the DOH Commissioner, to review insurance coverage and costs for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases and report their findings to the legislature. Most insurance companies do not recognize chronic Lyme disease as a legitimate illness and will not cover long-term treatment, even if symptoms persist.

A second bill sponsored by Hinchey would require the DOH's Council on Human Blood and Transfusion Services to review medical research on blood donations from individuals with Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. In 2012, the Council reported on the risks of infections like babesiosis, human ehrlichiosis, and human anaplasmosis in blood transfusions, particularly those from individuals with tick-borne diseases. Given the high rates of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses in New York, the impact on donated blood is especially concerning. The FDA and the American Red Cross, along with medical researchers and academic institutions, are studying these issues. This legislation will ensure that the Council reviews the latest research and provides updated recommendations to the Commissioner. Senator Hinchey will reintroduce both of her bills in the 2025 Session and push for their passage again in both legislative houses.

Delivering Support for NY Agriculture and Boosting Access to Local, Healthy Food
As Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Food Committee, Senator Hinchey is dedicated to expanding access to healthy, locally-grown food for all New Yorkers while creating new markets to support farm businesses. One bill sponsored by Hinchey would provide public institutions, including schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and homeless shelters, the flexibility to source food from local agricultural businesses that meet Good Food Purchasing values, which can include environmental sustainability, nutrition, animal welfare, economic benefits to New York State economies, and workers’ rights. Another bill would add whole and 2% milk to the food offered through Nourish NY, the state’s farm-to-food bank program fighting hunger in communities across the state. Both bills await the Governor’s signature.

A complete list of the 53 bills sponsored by Senator Hinchey that passed the Senate this session is below.