Plugged In @ Hinman Straub

February 27, 2026

What’s Inside

  • Legislative Session Review
  • Governor Announces DFS Regulations for Buy Now, Pay Later Loans
  • Governor Appoints First-Ever Director of Security and Intelligence
  • Governor Announces Acting Executive Director of OCM
  • DMV Commissioner to Retire
  • Governor Sends Letter to U.S. Department of Treasury  
  • In the News
  • Coming Up 

Legislative Session Review

The Legislature convened for session Monday through Thursday this week, and will reconvene on Wednesday, March 4, for a two-day session. 

This week, the Assembly and Senate issued their respective 2026 Economic and Revenue Reports, which are linked below:

In addition, the Assembly elected two members to the Board of Regents: Janice Weinman Shorenstein and Patrick A. Mannion (Reelected). The Board of Regents is comprised of 17 members elected by the Legislature for five year terms. One member is elected from each of the state’s 13 judicial districts and four members serve at-large. More information can be found here. 

Governor Announces DFS Regulations for Buy Now, Pay Later Loans

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that the Department of Financial Services has published proposed rules to protect New Yorkers using Buy Now, Pay Later financing options. The regulations put into practice the law signed by Governor Hochul as part of her FY26 Budget, establishing a licensing and supervision framework for Buy Now, Pay Later loan providers and protecting consumers through required disclosures, dispute-resolution standards, fee limits, and data privacy protections.

The regulations published today will implement that law by:

  • Establishing a licensing and supervision framework for any entities engaged in Buy Now, Pay Later activity in New York;
  • Prohibiting excessive fees, including convenience charges, and limiting late fees and other types of penalty fees;
  • Requiring lenders to make clear to New Yorkers if loans will be reported to credit reporting agencies;
  • Establishing rules for timely resolution of consumer disputes; and
  • Protecting consumer data from misuse or exploitation.

The proposed regulation is subject to a 10-day preproposal comment period beginning today. A 60-day public comment period will commence upon the proposed regulation’s publication in the State Register. The law and regulation will take effect 180 days after the rule is adopted, with an additional transitional period for those already offering BNPL loans in New York. The proposed regulations can be found here. 

Governor Appoints First-Ever Director of Security and Intelligence

The Governor announced the appointment of Colin Ahern to serve as New York State’s first-ever Director of Security and Intelligence (DSI). In this role, Director Ahern, who previously served as New York State’s Chief Cyber Officer, will provide strategic direction and further unify the State’s security assets on national security and intelligence matters. The DSI will also coordinate statewide activities to better respond to global risks and seize opportunities for advancing the defense industrial base and technologies crucial to national security.

The Director of Security and Intelligence will report directly to Director of State Operations Jackie Bray, and will coordinate across state agencies, local governments, federal partners and the private sector to ensure a whole-of-state response to foreign malign influence, hybrid warfare and other national security issues. Furthermore, the DSI will champion and advocate for investment in New York’s defense and security industries, facilitating partnerships in key areas including the defense industrial base, drones, quantum, and other technologies crucial to national security.

Governor Hochul said:

Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority, and the threats we face are more complex and interconnected than ever before, which is why we need to be aggressive, innovative and adaptive in the way we combat new threats and adversaries. To meet these challenges and seize these opportunities, I am appointing Colin Ahern as the State’s first Director of Security and Intelligence. Colin has served New York State well as our first-ever Chief Cyber Officer combatting cyber threats, and now, he will take his work to a new level collaborating with state, local and federal government partners to ensure we are meeting this moment head on, and keeping our state and community safe from new and emerging threats.

Governor Announces Acting Executive Director of OCM

This week, Governor Hochul appointed John Kagia to serve as Acting Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). Mr. Kagia will serve as Acting Director until confirmed by the Senate.

Mr. Kagia served as the Director of Policy at OCM, where he led the team responsible for policy development and implementation for the medical, adult use, and cannabinoid hemp programs, and managed the development of research systems in New York.

Governor Hochul said:

John Kagia holds several years of experience in both the public and private sectors and will be able to lead the OCM efficiently, while delivering for New Yorkers across the state. Mr. Kagia embodies what it means to serve others, and I am confident that he will continue to use his talents to uplift our multibillion-dollar, equitable cannabis industry.

More information can be found here.

DMV Commissioner to Retire

Governor Hochul has announced that DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder will be retiring after more than seven years of service in that role. First nominated to the role in January 2019, Commissioner Schroeder has led the agency through many significant changes, most recently the overhaul of the department’s outdated operating systems.

He also guided the agency through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted some of the agency’s most impactful customer service improvements in decades, and he played an instrumental role in the growth of the New York State Organ Donor Registry. Commissioner Schroeder’s last day will be April 30. At this time, a new Commissioner of the Department has not been announced.

Governor Hochul said:

During my time serving in local government, I saw first-hand both the critical role the DMV plays in the lives of nearly every New Yorker and the ways in which its services badly needed modernization. Then, Mark Schroeder stepped in. In his seven years of service, he has transformed this agency, bringing it into the digital age and reinventing how New Yorkers interact with the essential services it provides. A proud son of Buffalo, Commissioner Schroeder has been a model of public service throughout his career, and I join millions of grateful New Yorkers in wishing him a well-earned retirement.

Governor Sends Letter to U.S. Department of Treasury

Following the recent Supreme Court decision that ruled President Trump’s tariff policies to be unlawful, this week, Governor Hochul sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling on him to immediately work with federal agencies to refund all tariff payments to New Yorkers. The Governor is demanding a full refund of $13.5 billion in tariff payments.

The Governor cited the Budget Lab at Yale, saying the average New York household has faced an estimated $1,751 in added costs due to tariffs since they were enacted last year, for a total estimated $13.5 billion statewide impact.

The full letter can be found here. 

In The News

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

Lawmakers won’t water down or delay climate law mandates, Stewart-Cousins says.

Poll: Affordability the biggest issue for New York voters.

SUNY chancellor John King asks state for 5-year, $10 billion capital plan.

Peoples-Stokes proposes tax breaks for property owners who turn unused office space into housing.

AM Raga announces campaign to succeed Gianaris in Senate District 12.

Mamdani’s New Social Services Chief Worked to Reduce Street Homelessness.

Mamdani’s base is his ace in the hole amid tax fight with Hochul.

Hochul calls on Trump administration to refund $13.5B in tariff revenue to New Yorkers.

New York state Senate Republicans introduce housing agenda.

Mamdani-less ‘tax the rich’ rally parades through Albany as movement encounters a governor who won’t budge.

Mamdani has ‘productive meeting’ with Trump in Washington, D.C.

NYSERDA memo on state’s 2019 climate law costs is latest signal of coming budget fight over its mandates.

Election officials say Senate candidate defrauded state of over $200,000.

‘A public policy mistake’: Lawmakers oppose Hochul’s effort to upend energy mandates.

Ex-cops and business leaders oppose Hochul’s 75% tax on nicotine pouches.

Coming Up

The Senate will hold a public hearing on Current Patterns in White-Collar Crime and Fraud, and Possible Updates to Laws Protecting New Yorkers and Markets on March 4.