June 22, 2023

See final edition attached (includes outcomes from the two days this week when the Assembly was in session), courtesy of our fantastic government relations consultants at Reid, McNally and Savage.

2023 Health/Mental Hygiene End of Session Bill Summary

The New York State Legislature adjourned the 2023 session on June 10^th. The Senate completed its work around 3am that day with Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins ending the session saying, “see you in 2024!”

The Assembly adjournment ended with the caveat that they would need to return to complete unfinished business.  On June 20th, Assembly members returned to Albany for a two-day session where they took up a number of additional bills which had already been passed by the Senate and then adjourned for the year. In total, nearly 900 individual bills were passed by both houses during the 2023 legislative session, out of nearly 15,000 bills introduced since the session started in January. Most bills now await action by Governor Hochul.

While the Legislature did not pass the “healthcare for all” bill to provide low-cost health insurance for immigrants, did not come to a deal on the expiring gaming compact with the Seneca Nation or reach an agreement to increase the State’s housing stock, they did pass a number of high-profile measures including:

·         A “Clean Slate” bill to automatically seal records for most crimes after individuals finish their prison terms and parole (as summarized in detail below);

·         A bill to reform the state’s “wrongful death” law, to expand on damages that can be sought for “emotional loss” in addition to potential lost income, modified from a bill vetoed by the Governor in 2022 (described further below);

·         A “Wrongful Convictions” bill to ease the process for filing motions to vacate criminal convictions;

·         Legislation to create a commission that would study the effect that slavery had on racial disparities in New York State and to recommend remedies/ reparations;

·         Housing-related bills to provide for increased tenant protections; and

·         Several bills to make election law changes including moving most local elections outside New York City to even-numbered years to increase turnout, changes to the public campaign finance system to allow taxpayer dollars to match gifts from big donors up to $250, and to specify that court challenges to election laws will only be heard in New York City, Albany, Westchester or Buffalo.

Attached is a sector-by-sector summary of the bills passed by both the Senate and Assembly in the Health and Mental Hygiene areas this session. We have noted the legislation that has already been acted on by Governor Hochul. The bill text for any bill can be viewed at: https://nyassembly.gov/leg/.