Plugged In @ Hinman Straub

December 13, 2024

What’s Inside

  • NYS Legislative Update
  • Governor Announces First 2025 State Of The State Proposal
  • Governor Announces ConnectALL is Accepting Applications to Expand Affordable Broadband Access
  • Governor Signs Legislation Aimed at Providing Relief for Families
  • Governor Signs Legislation to Expand New York’s Food Donation and Recycling Program
  • In the News
  • Coming Up

NYS Legislative Update

2025 Legislative Session Calendar Released

The New York State Legislature has released the 2025 Legislative Session Calendar, which can be accessed here. The 2025 legislative session will convene on Wednesday, January 8 and conclude, tentatively, on Thursday, June 12. As previously announced, Governor Kathy Hochul will deliver the 2025 State of the State Address on Tuesday, January 14. The Executive Budget will need to be released for public view no later than Tuesday, January 21.

According to the calendar, the Legislature will convene for 62 legislative session days, up one day from last year, which had 61 session days.

In addition, the Governor’s office has issued a media advisory announcing that the 60th General Proceedings of the New York State Electoral College will take place on Tuesday, December 17 at 12:00 p.m. in the Senate Chamber at the New York State Capitol.

Assembly Nominates Speaker of the House

This week, members of the New York State Assembly Majority nominated Carl Heastie as Speaker of the Assembly, for the sixth time. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has led the Assembly since 2015.

Following his nomination, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie issued the following statement:

I am honored and humbled that the members of the Assembly Majority have, for the sixth time, nominated me for speaker of the New York State Assembly. I have been proud to lead this chamber since 2015 and today’s caucus vote is just as meaningful to me this as it was nearly ten years ago when I first became speaker. The New York State Assembly is the most diverse legislative body in the country, leading the way in passing groundbreaking legislation that serves as a model for other states and indeed the entire country. I look forward to getting to work with my colleagues in 2025 as we strive to lift up all New Yorkers and help them climb the ladder of economic success and prosperity.

Governor Announces First 2025 State Of The State Proposal

On Monday, Governor Hochul announced her first proposal of the 2025 State of the State. While her State of the State Address isn’t set to take place until January, it’s expected that the Governor will float several of her proposals publicly between now and January 14. Full information can be found here. 

The first proposal issued this week focuses on inflation. Introduced as the “Inflation Fund”, Governor Hochul has proposed to deliver $300 and $500 payments to around 8.6 million qualifying New Yorkers in 2025 to help offset the cost of living, brought on by the crippling national inflation trends. According to the Governor’s office, these payments, if passed, will result in about $3 billion altogether.

$300 payments will be directed toward single taxpayers who make up to $150,000 per year, and $500 payments will be directed to joint tax filers making up to $300,000 per year. Please note, refund payments will be a one-time direct payment to qualifying New Yorkers. A regional breakdown of recipients is shown below.

Governor Hochul said:

Because of inflation, New York has generated unprecedented revenues through the sales tax — now, we’re returning that cash back to middle class families. My agenda for the coming year will be laser-focused on putting money back in your pockets, and that starts with proposing Inflation Refund checks of up to $500 to help millions of hard-working New Yorkers. It’s simple: the cost of living is still too damn high, and New Yorkers deserve a break.

Governor Announces ConnectALL is Accepting Applications to Expand Affordable Broadband Access

The Governor announced the release of the Request for Applications under the ConnectALL Deployment Program making $644 million in federal funding available to expand broadband access to the remaining homes and businesses that do not have any reliable broadband option or an existing commitment for service under another program. ConnectALL has identified 69,111 such locations that are eligible for new service under this Request for Applications, with measures to ensure that the new broadband service at these hard-to-reach homes and small businesses will be both accessible and affordable for all New Yorkers through requirements for low-cost service options.

Eligible applicants must submit proposals by February 7, 11:59PM ET. The ConnectALL Deployment Program Prequalification Application process, conducted from June to September 2024, established threshold qualifications for prospective grantees. Organizations that did not complete the prequalification process will have an additional opportunity to submit these materials as part of their RFA response.

ConnectALL will make the planned awards available for public comment in spring 2025 before submitting them to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for approval by July 25, 2025. Selected projects are expected to commence in 2025 with completion within four years, subject to NTIA approval and based on BEAD timeline requirements.

Governor Signs Legislation Aimed at Providing Relief for Families

This week, Governor Hochul signed several pieces of legislation which include relief for families and making it more affordable to raise a family in New York.

Key Legislation to Make Raising a Family More Affordable in New York

Governor Hochul signed a package of legislation that will expand the availability of resources for new parents and young children. These laws are aimed to ensure that new parents are fully informed about the products they are selecting for their families, and will make it easier for working parents to have access to child care programs, among other resources.

The following legislation was signed:

  • 2279C/A.43C – Requires labeling of ingredients on packages or boxes of diapers.
  • 5481A/A.2898A – Mandates insurance coverage for dyslexia exams.
  • 4667A/A.4099A – Expands access to child care for working parents.
  • S.5992A/A.6168A – Permits expecting mothers’ access to doulas prioritizes affordability and information accessibility for New York’s new parents.

Governor Signs Legislation to Expand New York’s Food Donation and Recycling Program

The Governor signed legislation to expand New York’s food donation and food scraps recycling program, which provides high-quality food to low-income New Yorkers. Since launching in 2022, food waste generators have successfully diverted tens of millions of pounds of food to those in need.

The bill (A.5906-A/S.5331-A) expands the program by reducing the threshold for qualifying as a “designated food scraps generator” from entities that produce two tons of food scraps per week to entities that produce one ton of food scraps per week beginning in January of 2026 and reducing further to half a ton of food scraps per week beginning in January 2028. The program is further expanded by requiring such qualifying food scrap generators that exist within 50 miles of an organic recycler to participate in the program. Previously only those food scrap generators that existed within 25 miles were required to participate.

Governor Hochul said:

No one in New York should be forced to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table. Expanding the State’s Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law will expand access to food supplies and make sure families in need have the resources they deserve.

In The News

City & State NY’s weekly Winners and Losers of this week here. 

Helene Weinstein, New York’s longest-serving woman legislator, says goodbye.

Iwen Chu: ‘I didn’t just start two years ago, I started 20 years ago.’

Kevin Thomas flipped a seat, but became a victim of redistricting.

Andrew Cuomo seeks gag order preventing accuser from discussing his millions in NY taxpayer-funded legal bills.

Albany County sets aside $1M for housing crisis — but no details yet on how it will work.

Leader working to get ‘most bang for New Yorker’s buck’.

Firm in alleged Hochul bid-rigging scheme was set for takeover before it even won contract.

Gambling addiction quietly taking a toll as betting apps gain popularity.

Cuomo accuser drops lawsuit against ex-governor.

Did Kevin Thomas admit to breaking election law?

Teachers union calls for Hochul to dial back of cellphone use in schools.

Mayor Adams’ stance on migrants has evolved, in Trump’s direction.

Penny acquittal sharply divides New York.

New York educators push for ‘consistent, statewide’ cell phone restrictions in schools.

Hochul: Administration will release new, detailed immigration and enforcement policies.

Rank-and-file groups team up to challenge UFT president next year.

Feds finalize $6.16 billion in CHIPS funding for Micron.

High-ranking Assembly member calls for aid to beleaguered state cannabis fund borrowers.

Trump’s ‘border czar’ pick Tom Homan praises NYC Mayor Adams following ‘great’ meeting: ‘New York City is about to get a lot safer’.

Jeffries super PAC looks deep into GOP territory for 2026 map.

Some legal cannabis licensing in NY put on hold by judges ruling.

College of Saint Rose sells for $35M at auction.

Coming Up

The Assembly will hold a public hearing to examine access to and resources for supervised visitation as ordered by New York State Family Courts on Monday, December 16.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing to examine the quality and effectiveness of veterans’ benefit claims representation before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Wednesday, December 18.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing to examine NYSERDA’s spending and program effectiveness on Wednesday, December 18.

The Public Service Commission will hold its next meeting on December 19.

The Assembly Cities Committee will hold a public hearing on Joint Bidding on December 19.

The Senate and Assembly will hold a public hearing to authorize the use of videoconferencing by the New York State Senate and Assembly to conduct meetings pursuant to the requirements of the Open Meetings Law on Thursday, December 19.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing to examine equine doping in New York State on Thursday, December 19.

The NYS Board of Regents will hold their next meeting on January 13 and 14.