“As most New Yorkers know, I believe strongly that holding public office should be inextricably linked to the public holding you accountable for delivering results.  I speak out when Albany fails to address New York City’s needs, but I have no less of an obligation to let the people I represent know when those who run State government deliver critically important reforms and improvements. Today is just such a day, because we’ve now closed a legislative session that was one of the most productive for New York City of any in recent memory. 

“From a landmark infrastructure improvements agreement that will allow our Solid Waste Management Plan to move forward, to tax abatements for green roofs, to tough new penalties for impersonating a law enforcement official, to a common-sense measure that will quickly expand access to flu shots and other immunizations, to strengthening gun buyer background checks, to giving our social workers the tools they need to prevent child abuse, to the State taking over the City’s Off-Track Betting operations, our State leaders reached agreements on reforms that in many cases we have been working on for years.

“On behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits the five boroughs, I want to thank Governor Paterson, Senate Majority Leaders Bruno and Skelos, Assembly Speaker Silver, the City’s delegations to the State Senate and Assembly, legislators in both houses and on both sides of the aisle from across the State, and the countless organizations that worked hard advocating for these bills. While we don’t agree with everything, this was a remarkable session for the City in Albany.”

Highlights from this legislative session include:

• Gansevoort - A11773 Rules (Sweeney) / S8723 Rules
  The legislation authorizes the construction of a marine transfer station for recyclable materials on the Gansevoort Peninsula on Manhattan’s West side.
  
  
• OTB – A11635 Pretlow / S8549 Larkin
  The legislation allows for the creation of a new State entity to take over operations of Off-Track Betting in New York City and for OTB to continue providing funding to the City.
  
  
• PlaNYC Bills:
  
  
  • Block the Box - A10071 Kavanagh / S6811 Lanza
    The legislation changes the classification of obstruction of an intersection from a moving violation to a parking violation allowing all levels of Traffic Enforcement Agents the ability to issue the ticket. It also raises the fine from $90 to $115.
    
    
  • Green Roof Tax Abatement - A11226 R. Diaz / S7553 Lanza
    The legislation provides a four-year NYC property tax abatement for green roof construction.
    
    
  • Solar Energy - A11202 Farrell / S8145 Padavan
    The legislation provides a four-year NYC property tax abatement for installation of solar panels.
    
    
  • Net Metering - A11582- Gordon / S8481 Sen. Maziarz
    The legislation allows residents with wind generating systems to provide energy back into the utility grid and get a credit against their own usage.
    
    
• ICIP  Reform - A11586 Rules / S6366A Padavan
  The legislation reforms the former Industrial and Commercial Incentive Program (ICIP) program and recreates as the Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP) program.  This bill will transform ICIP from an inefficient drain on the City’s budget to a program that creates significant new economic activity at the lowest possible cost, saving City taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
  
  
•  Gun Background Checks- A11758 Lentol / S8706 Skelos  (Governor's Program Bill)
  The bill mandates that State mental health records be supplied to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to determine ineligible gun purchasers.
  
  
• ACS Access to the Criminal History Database - A4425A Mayersohn / S2978A Robach
  The bill provides child protective service units access to the State’s criminal history database.
  
  
• Expanded Access to Family Court - A11707 Weinstein / S8665 Winner
  The bill expands access to Family Court to those in intimate relationships for the purposes of orders of protection.
  
  
• Pharmacists as Immunizers - A2140D Paulin / S8673 Fuschillo
  The bill allows pharmacists to immunize adults for flu and pneumonia.
  
  
• Subprime Mortgage -  A10817A  Towns / S8143A Farley (Governor’s Program Bill)
  The legislation requires lenders and mortgage loan services to give borrowers with high-cost home loans or higher-priced home loans notice before foreclosure proceedings are commenced.  It establishes the crime of residential mortgage fraud.
  
  
• Public Benefit Income Exemptions - A8527A Weinstein /S6203B Volker
  The legislation protects people receiving public benefits (social security, veterans benefits, etc.) from having those funds frozen by third party creditors when they seek to enforce debt judgments.
  
  
• Criminal Impersonation – A1831A Gianaris / S3079A Fuschillo
  The bill closes a loophole in the Penal Law by expanding the definition of criminal impersonation in the first degree from only police officers to include federal law enforcement officers.
  
  
• BIC Peace Officer Status – A10540 Brennan / S7608 Maltese
  The bill gives full peace officer status to members of the City’s Business Integrity Commission.
  
  
• Expedited Partner Therapy - A8730C Schimel / S6210A Hannon
  The bill authorizes a doctor who diagnosis Chlamydia in a patient to provide antibiotic drugs to the patient's partner.
  
  
• Wicks Law Reform - S5807C / A9807C
  The legislation raises the thresholds for triggering Wicks Law mandates, dating back to 1961, which require State and local governments to issue multiple construction contracts for most public works projects, will be increased from $50,000 to $3 million in New York City.
  
  
• Cigarette Tax Increase by $1.25 –  A9807C / S6807C
  
  
• Canine Waste – A373 Pheffer / S3437 Padavan
  The legislation increases the maximum penalty on non-compliance of canine waste removal to $250.