Senate Floor Session — Regular Session

The Senate will come to order. I ask everyone present to please rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. (Whereupon, the assemblage recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)

Reading of the Journal.

Without objection, the Journal stands approved as read. Presentation of petitions. Messages from the Assembly. Messages from the Governor. Excuse me, the Secretary will read.

So ordered. Messages from the Governor. Reports of standing committees. Reports of select committees. Communications and reports from state officers. Motions and resolutions. The man of the hour: Senator Gianaris.

Good afternoon.

The amendments are received, and the bills will retain their place on the Third Reading Calendar. Excuse me one second. The Secretary will read.

I move to reconsider the votes by which these bills were passed.

Ayes, 58.

I offer the following amendments.

I also have amendments to the following Third Reading Calendar bills: By Senator Martinez, page 4, Calendar 181, Senate Print 194C; Senator Baskin, page 7, Calendar 362, Senate Print 9057; Senator Webb, page 30, Calendar 1094, Senate Print 6230B; Senator May, page 54, Calendar 1401, Senate Print 9305; Senator Skoufis, page 55, Calendar 1408, Senate Print 9541; And Senator Fahy, page 40, Calendar 1228, Senate Print 9468.

Please call on Senator Lanza for a motion.

Thank you, Mr. President. I wish to call up my bill, Senate Print Number 5900, recalled from the Assembly, which is now at the desk.

Calendar Number 872, Senate Print 5900, by Senator Lanza, an act to amend the Mental Hygiene Law.

Call the roll on reconsideration. (The Secretary called the roll.)

The bill is restored to its place on the Third Reading Calendar.

The amendments are received. Senator Gianaris.

-- very slowly, and recognize first Senator Myrie to speak on the resolution.

Resolution 2318, by Senator Stewart-Cousins, celebrating Senator Michael N. Gianaris upon the occasion of his designation as the recipient of the President Pro Tempore and Senate Majority Leader's Legislative Legacy Award.

Lay it aside. (Extended laughter.)

"WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize those esteemed public servants whose careers have been marked by an abiding dedication to justice, fairness, and the betterment of their communities; among them stands Senator Michael N. Gianaris, a public servant whose presence did far more than fill a seat, and who has left an indelible impact on the very character of the institution he helped lead; and "WHEREAS, Senator Gianaris was born and raised in Astoria, Queens, the proud son of Greek immigrants whose values of hard work and civic responsibility shaped his life's calling; he graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University and earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, preparing him for a long and accomplished career in public service; and "WHEREAS, Before his election to public office, he built a distinguished record of public service through multiple roles across government, serving as an aide to Congressman Thomas Manton, as Queens Regional Representative to Governor Mario Cuomo, and as a counsel to the Speaker of the New York State Assembly; and "WHEREAS, In 2000, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, becoming the first Greek-American ever elected to public office from New York City, a milestone that reflects both his heritage and the deep trust placed in him by the communities he has long served; in the Assembly, he championed consumer protection, environmental protection, government reform, and public safety; and "WHEREAS, Senator Gianaris was elected to the New York State Senate in 2010 to represent the 12th Senate District, which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Long Island City, Sunnyside, Astoria and parts of other neighborhoods in Western Queens; during his 16-year tenure, he became one of the most influential voices in the chamber, rising to Deputy Majority Leader upon appointment by Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and building an impressive legislative record defined by meaningful protections and bold reforms grounded in justice, fairness, and accountability; and "WHEREAS, A leading champion for tenants and housing justice, he helped pass the 2019 rent reforms with the HSTPA, authored the Housing Our Neighbors With Dignity Act to convert distressed properties into supportive housing, and helped usher in Good Cause Eviction protections; he worked to transform New York's criminal justice system by writing legislation to eliminate cash bail, creating an Innocence Commission, and advancing reforms to 'ban discriminatory citizens' arrests and protect habeas corpus rights'; he spearheaded sweeping election reforms to strengthen access and participation in the electoral process, including expanding voter registration, enacting early voting and vote by mail, championing automatic voter registration, consolidating primaries, and advancing redistricting reforms to ensure fairer representation for all New Yorkers; and "WHEREAS, Senator Gianaris authored and championed numerous other consequential laws, including fighting for and helping to advance LGBTQ+ rights, securing record funding for mass transit, pushing for increased accessibility through the free bus pilot program; authoring the NY HERO Act to protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic; challenging polluting power plants, ensuring utility employees received a prevailing wage; strengthening consumer protections through the nation's first Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, and advancing major animal welfare legislation like the Puppy Mill Pipeline Act; he also led the successful opposition to the proposed Amazon HQ2 project in Long Island City; his career has been defined not only by legislative victories but by fierce advocacy for working families, tenants, immigrants, consumers, and all those who rely on government to stand up for them; and "WHEREAS, Senator Gianaris is widely regarded not only as one of the sharpest minds in New York State politics, but as a strategist whose instincts are the stuff of Capitol legend; he is known for his ability to read a room instantly, anticipate political shifts before anyone else senses it, and navigate complex negotiations with precision and patience; it is a combination that has made him a trusted leader, a steady hand in moments of uncertainty, and a force whose presence can change the entire temperature of the chamber; and "WHEREAS, He is known to be an exceptional Floor Leader and debater; his command of policy, quick wit, and ability to 'verbally spar' when necessary, while still remaining deeply likable and poised, make him both a formidable opponent and a respected colleague; members on both sides of the aisle admire his intelligence, integrity, meticulous preparation, humor, and his legendary talent for remembering exactly what someone said three years ago and deploying it gracefully, devastatingly, and usually to great comedic effect during debate; and "WHEREAS, Beyond his public achievements, Senator Gianaris is a devoted husband, father, son, and brother; his colleagues know him as someone who loves cats and his dog Fred, and for whom devotion to the New York Mets and enthusiasm for Star Wars are unmistakable parts of who he is, infusing even the most serious legislative moments with levity and humor; his humor has long served as a reminder that even in the most serious moments, public service can still make room for joy, imagination, and laughter; and "WHEREAS, Within these halls, he has not only been a colleague but a mentor, guiding, shaping new talent, and elevating many of the great voices who have served in the New York State Legislature; and "WHEREAS, After more than a quarter-century of public service, Senator Gianaris has chosen to end his storied tenure in Albany to return home to his beloved Queens and embrace his most cherished role as a devoted husband, father, and son; as he retires from the New York State Senate, he leaves behind a legacy of courage, conviction, transformative leadership, and a lifelong commitment to lifting up those most in need, a legacy that will continue to shape New York for generations to come; now, therefore, be it "RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Senator Michael N. Gianaris upon the occasion of his designation as the recipient of the President Pro Tempore and Senate Majority Leader's Legislative Legacy Award, and to express its deepest gratitude for his decades of service, his legislative achievements, and his unwavering dedication to the people of Queens and the State of New York; and be it further "RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Senator Michael N. Gianaris with the highest esteem and appreciation of this Legislative Body. May the Force be with you." (Laughter.)

Thank you, Madam President. And first let me congratulate Senator Gianaris on the -- receiving the Legacy Award. This is going to be an emotional day, I imagine, for many of us. For the Class of 2018, it carries special emotion because the State Senate that we have known, that we have experienced, has only been on this side, in the Majority, where we have been able to fight for so many vulnerable New Yorkers. And if you are a vulnerable New Yorker in this state, you need to know who Senator Gianaris is, because your life has been made better by his fight and by his leadership and by his feistiness. A dogged advocate for so many people that will never know who he is. But we know who he is. So I don't want to go through all of the accomplishments. You heard some of that in the resolution. I just want to take this time to publicly say thank you. Thank you for being the leader who you are. Thank you for believing in young leadership, in investing in us when we didn't know what the hell we were doing. You took us under your wing. You showed us the way. And you gave us the tools to be successful. So I really want to say thank you, and how deeply you will be missed. And I also want to say that out of all of the accomplishments on this floor that you have achieved, the accomplishments outside of this building that we cannot speak about on this floor, the greatest accomplishment you've ever achieved is sitting in this corner over here. You became a different man when you got married. (Laughter.)

A little kinder. (Laughter.)

Thank you, Senator. Senator Stavisky on the resolution.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Borrello on the resolution.

First of all, I want to say my first year here -- really, I came in a special election at the end of 2019, and my first session was 2020. I was literally the only member of my freshman class, the only legislative contest actually in 2019 because of the special election. So I was one of one. And then boom, the pandemic hit. We had this chamber empty except for a few necessary folks. And one day I came in and I saw Senator Gianaris in his mask, and it had the starbird on it, which is the symbol of the Rebel Alliance from Star Wars. And I looked at him and said, "So are you a Star Wars fan or just a rebel?" And his response was "I'm both." And it started a connection, because I too am a big Star Wars fan. And for a long time we were very much like the Jedi. We were behind the scenes. We were, you know, quietly talking about our fandom. And then a few more joined us, like Senator Rivera and Senator Stec. And even Leader Ortt is a Star Wars Fan. So our numbers began to grow. And then it culminated last year when we celebrated Star Wars Day, where we just shook off the hiding and said, We are unabashed, unapologetic Star Wars fans -- (Laughter.)

However, it was a pleasure. Because even though we sparred on this floor many, many times over the last six years, we were able to connect on something that we all -- that I think we all know and love. And it shows once again that Star Wars can transcend even divisive politics. So thank you very much for what you've done here, and enjoy your retirement.

So thank you. Senator Mayer on the resolution.

Occasionally he gets his zingers in, with a long memory. We appreciate that. But also to, again, be focused on what's important, to try to stay away from the small, the personal, and focus on what our charge is here to do, which is to do the people's business, to disagree, and then to vote. And so I'm just incredibly grateful for his leadership in this chamber, and on the issues that matter to all of the people of New York State. We are just -- have been incredibly blessed to have had him as our deputy, and not only that -- as our guide, guiding star. We will miss him. We will call him. We will bother him. And thank you, Mike, for everything you've done. Thank you.

Madam President, I believe there's an amendment at the desk. (Laughter.)

You know, it kind of -- we talked a lot about music in the chamber today, Senator Gianaris, and in the past. And I'm thinking of something on this side, after 16 years of you being here, and I'm thinking of -- for all of us here, I'm thinking of Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, how sweet it is we say goodbye today. (Reaction from members.)

By the way, the award that's being delivered, the Legacy Award, is that going to be delivered with someone in an orange and black uniform, bringing it into the chamber? (Laughter; inaudible.)

All right. Like as a former floor leader, having had the opportunity also to work with Senator Gianaris as we did this, I can tell you how difficult it can be. And Senator Lanza knows that now too. Being a leader on the floor is arduous, it's challenging, it's demanding. And I know that each and every day you have undertaken that task as well as Senator Lanza and I attempted, to do what we can to keep this chamber moving. Because it is about the institution. Despite political and philosophic differences, we know there's a great respect for the Senate and this great place that we have the opportunity to work in right now. And I appreciate that work. It always did give me great pleasure, though, Senator Gianaris, as a Yankee fan, when I was at the podium, to be able to rule your point of order nongermane and out of order, but as a -- for a Met fan. But we had a lot of experience over time here. And I think one of the greatest things here is not only the pride that you took in your ancestry -- we talked about the Olive Caucus, many people of the Mediterranean ancestry here -- pride in your work and in your service, your public service, but most importantly the devotion to the family. Hearing you talk about your family, your wife, your daughters, particularly when Zoe was born, it did have a transformational effect. And hopefully that will work as you continue to put that energy into your family moving forward. So wish you the best of luck, and happy years with the family.

Thank you, Madam President. There used to be a show on -- I think it was on CBS, but I've only caught it in reruns, it's called The King of Queens. The alleged King of Queens was a guy named Kevin James. And Jerry Stiller was on it, was the real star of the show. But the real King of Queens is Mike Gianaris. You don't get to be somewhere for 25 years and not just a compiler, not just somebody who sat in a seat just to sit in a seat. This was somebody who used the force. Now, I know nothing about Star Wars. I know -- but I know two phrases. I know the force, and the force is about strength and utilizing strength in certain ways. It's about utilizing the hammer or the thread and needle. Mike Gianaris knows how to do both. When it's time for the hammer -- you guys know about the hammer. The hammer comes out. The hammer came out when it came time to take this majority. But the threading the needle comes out when it comes time for legislative statutory construction, making sure that we have the tools to build this place. You see, we need the foundation. And Mike, you've been able to do that. You've been able to thread that needle artfully. We would not have achieved criminal justice reform without you. We did a lot of great things. And as the chair of the Codes Committee, I got a lot of the credit and the blame. But if not for you in those rooms that we stayed up until 2 o'clock in the morning, your voice and your measured approach when I was not so measured, when many of us were not so measured. And there was something to the effect of we want to win this one, we want to keep winning. And that's what it was about. So I remember -- I don't know if Mike remembers, but I remember him from when I was an intern. I was in this building from 22 years ago. I was an intern for Speaker Heastie, and that's when Mike was in the Assembly. And I just like -- you know, you read people's bios and stuff like that, you know what you know. And I'm like, this guy went to Harvard and he's here? Why is a Harvard Law graduate who can probably do anything he wants, here? Well, it's to create lasting legacy. It's to create lasting policy. It's to create things that are greater than you can imagine. So I -- as a student of government, I followed it, and I decided to embark on this mission myself. And I remember I got a call from Mike, he said meet me somewhere in Queens -- I don't know where it was at. Somewhere I hadn't been. Oh, I'm a Met fan too, so all I know about Queens is like CUNY Law School and Citi Field and Shea Stadium. Those are the only places I know. But we sat down and talked, and he had a clear vision about how we would get on this side. We went to a Met playoff game, and I'm like, man, this Senate thing might not be so bad. Then I sat over there, and that seemed to be in a galaxy far, far away. It seemed like we were far, far away from achieving what we spoke about at dinner and at lunch that day about what we'd be able to do. But with Mike Gianaris at the helm, we came out of -- started from the bottom, or as the leader likes to say, we were below the bottom. I -- I -- it's just really good to see good people do good things. And for us to be able to do good things under Mike's leadership has been incredible. I imagine it's really weird for you to sit here listening to people give you credit, but let this be a testament in today's conversation and all conversations about people that we are about, give them their flowers while they can smell them. Tell Mike how much he's impacted your life, impacted your career. Many of us wouldn't be in these seats if not for him. Tell him that on the floor, tell him that next year, tell him that two years from now. Make sure you tell people that you care about and that you love that you love them. The Dad Caucus, when you joined the Dad Caucus, I was glad. That's the only thing I had on you, Mike. Like you were Assembly first, Senate first, deputy leader, all of that. I was dad. So I got to tell you about the dad experience. And you always listened and asked for advice. And to me, that's the most important thing that we'll ever do in our lives, is be fathers. This is a great job. But being a dad? The joy when you showed us the pictures of Zoe. The joy that when you welcomed Orla and we created the Bluey Caucus and I talked to Orla about Bluey and how much my daughters loved it too. And the smile that went to your face that you can't fake. It's not a -- in front of the cameras, it was a real like, man, I love this woman that I'm married to, and I love these women that are my daughters, and I love being here. And I love being here so much that I got to leave here. So it's because of you leaving that the Knicks are going to win the championship. (Laughter.)

Thank you, Senator. Senator Gallivan on the resolution.

And like many of you who have said that you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Senator Gianaris, neither would we. (Laughter.)

Senator Mayer mentioned that this is not an easy job, and it's not. Many of us of us care about our community, we care about the things that we believe in, and you stand up for it. And when we're in the chamber, as Senator Borrello alluded to, we have a rivalry, we disagree on things, we go back and forth. I can assure you that unlike Senator Borrello, I'm never going to find that common ground in Star Wars. But what I can find the common ground in is standing up for what you believe in and standing up for your constituents whether any of us agree with the others or not. But most importantly -- a few people have mentioned it -- the most common ground I can find with you, Senator Gianaris, is putting your family first. And there's no better reason for you to step in that direction now and move on. I wish you the best of luck.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. All of us at various points, we receive sympathy from our friends, our family, about how difficult it must be to juggle being a public servant and elected official come to Albany and their family commitments, their personal livelihoods, et cetera. So we're all Senators. Senator Gianaris is a Senator, but he's a lot of other things too. He's Deputy Majority Leader, Floor Leader. He's the DSCC chair. He's the Rules Committee chair. He's the chair of some other groups we're not allowed to talk about in this place. He's chair of LATFOR. He's a father and a husband. The sacrifice, quite literally, is unparalleled in this chamber, with the one exception being our Majority Leader. And that's why I suspect he's I believe only the second person in my eight years to receive the Majority Leader's Legacy Award, the other being Senator Breslin. The third, it sounds like, perhaps, yeah. The dais shared a handful of landmark pieces of legislation that Senator Gianaris is credited for. To be clear, those are the bills, a sampling of the bills where he was the prime sponsor. That's why those were listed off in this resolution. There is not a single piece of major legislation, however, that has come through this chamber that does not have Senator Gianaris's fingerprints on them. Literally every single major piece of legislation, he is in the room with our Majority Leader, helping craft those bills that are brought to the floor, not just the ones certainly with his name next to them. I have a five-year-old at home. When I told her this weekend that this was going to be my last week in Albany for the year, her eyes lit up and she let out a "Hooray!" True. And anyone that has children empathizes and knows exactly what I'm talking about. And so while, yes, the Greek Caucus is devastated -- our numbers are being slashed once Senator Gianaris departs our conference and this chamber -- we've been privileged to count Senator Gianaris as a colleague. New York has been extraordinarily fortunate to benefit from Senator Gianaris's service over the past almost three decades. But his family now gets to enjoy him full-time, which is something we can all appreciate. Thank you for being a friend since 2016, when you tried to recruit me to run for a seat in this place. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is on a good day I can be insufferable -- I can only imagine how insufferable I would have been in the Minority if I had run and won that year -- I'm glad it's the only time you've been unsuccessful, in my experience, at least. You're a powerful voice in this place. You've been an incredible friend to me and so many others. I like, so many others, attribute you as one of if not the main reason why I am here today, and wish you nothing but the best with your family in the years ahead. I vote yes.

Thank you, Mr. President. When we were told that today would be the day that we would have an opportunity to talk about our colleague, Mike Gianaris, I just thought maybe this was a perfect opportunity to roast the gentleman. (Laughter.)

Give it two months, the brother will wake up in the morning just happy as a clam and he will be even more awesome than usual. So again, Mike, have a wonderful, wonderful rest of your life, and I'll see you soon. I'll be voting in the affirmative, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to congratulate Mike on making a difficult decision, making a decision that benefits your family, making a decision that's noted of your 30-plus years of service in government and in politics and in community. Folks have said so many things already, I don't want to be repetitive. But I just want to say thank you for messing up my life. (Laughter.)

-- big office. Left at 4 o'clock -- No, I'm just kidding. (Laughter.)

It was -- it was -- it was -- it was funny to me. It was funny to me. And I just wanted to share that with you, because he still didn't realize it. He doesn't realize it to this day, his impact on people in that way. Because Mike has always been focused on getting work done, on dealing with legislation, on seeing people beyond their looks, but seeing people for their passion, for their understanding, and for their desire to be involved in government one way or the other. I'm going to miss you terribly. I'm not going to let you go, though. You're going to be -- I'm going to be on the phone when I need to get that voice to hold me back, to rein me in, to make sure that, you know, we're doing the things necessary to move this state forward. So you may be gone from this body, as other folks have said, but you won't be gone from us in person. But I again want to congratulate you. I know this was a difficult decision to leave while you're cooking and you're on top, but to do it for the right reasons -- and you're doing it for wonderful reasons, three wonderful reasons, your wife and your two daughters. I don't know if you're ready for him once he's on -- once he's full-time. You may change your mind after six months. (Laughter.)

Thank you, Senator Comrie. Senator May on the resolution.

-- FaceTiming with his family on his phone. (Laughter.)

Mike, I think of you as not just an amazing multitasker, but a friend and somebody -- really a role model and an inspiration to all of us. But I am glad that you are consolidating your life and maybe not having to multitask quite so much so that you can spend time with your beautiful family. It has been an honor working with you, and I vote aye.

All right. My turn, okay. Thank you, Mr. President. You know, we talk a lot in this chamber about representation, how representation matters. And Senator Skoufis alluded to the Greek Caucus. I want to tell you all what Mike's leadership in the Greek-American community has meant, not just to me but to the hundreds of thousands of Greek Americans who live not just in New York but in the tristate area and who, frankly, live in the -- the millions who live across the country. You know, growing up we heard names like Dukakis and Tsongas and Sarbanes, and we spoke of them with reverence in households. And on that list, Mike, was your name as well: Gianaris, Genárides {phonetic}. Greek families, who saw his ascent into elected leadership -- and they were so incredibly proud that one of theirs had won the right to have a title and to speak on behalf of them and to fight on behalf of them. And what a gift that is for all of us, to have you be that standard-bearer for our community. And still to this day, that reputation still holds. And you tell people that Mike is stepping down, that he's leaving, and everyone's just shocked. There's a hush. What are we going to do? He was ours. He was our community's. He was New York's Greek champion. And we don't know what we're going to do yet. Certainly I can't fill those shoes. James, sorry, you can't fill those shoes. Nobody else can fill those shoes. When I was first getting into interest in politics and I was -- in 2012 I wanted to run for office. And I was scared to call Mike and ask for his advice because, again, you're calling the champion of your community, the person who can open doors for you or slam them in your face. And from the very first time I spoke with Mike, not only did he open the door, but he held it wide open. And he took me under his wing. And when even those in our own community said, You know what, Andrew, it's not your time; Andrew, you're too young; Andrew, you don't know what it's like to have to run for office -- Mike never wavered in his mentorship, in his guidance. He coached me through some incredibly difficult conversations. He coached me through how to salvage relationships that meant a lot to me that in that moment were fraying. He was at my very first fundraiser back in 2011. And even though that election was not successful, he has been a mentor and a guide and a friend ever since. And I certainly add myself amongst those who know for a fact that I would not be in this room without him, without his support, without his vision, and without his example. Because whether or not he had all those titles when I got elected, whether or not he was part of the vision that brought us here, he was certainly the person I was trying to emulate when I decided to put my own name forward for election again. And so, Mike, thank you is not enough for everything you've done for our community, for me, and for the countless others who hope to follow in our footsteps, but knowing that you are their example. I also have a slight bone to pick because when I told my wife why you were leaving, she said, "Well, what about you?" (Laughter.)

Thank you, Senator Gounardes. Senator Harckham on the resolution.

At least once a year that comes up. More than once a year. I also learned from Mike -- I came in in that Class of 2018. And twice before, Senator Gianaris had tried to recruit me to run. It just wasn't the right time in my life. So when I finally got into the race, he was already backing other folks. And so the lesson to me was not if you want the money you've got to get in the game early. The lesson was when Senator Gianaris has bad news for you, he starts and says your last name and then there's a pause. So it's "Harckham ... we gave our money to other candidates." (Laughter.)

And so finally I got smart. And this year there was a county chair who called me for an exorbitant amount of money to support an event they were doing. And I said, "Oh, I can't possibly do that. Senator Gianaris will kill me if I donate that much." (Laughter.)

So that was just some of the many hats. But I would not be here were it not for Senator Gianaris and him interesting me, getting me interested in -- and excited about being in the role of the Senator. But I think what really impresses me about Senator Gianaris is that there's so many facets to what he does, and he is excellent at all of them. You know, as someone who's been around this business a while, normally the policy and the politics are separate people. You know, the polling, the strategy, the fundraising is over here; the legislative and the policy wisdom is over here. And in Mike, it's -- it's joined. I mean, he truly is an expert in all of these areas. And all of us have benefited. But what it's always been about, and what he always reminds us is it's about the work. It's always about the work. It's not about anything that's outside. It's about the work we do in here, and it's about the work we do back home. And the other thing that has so impressed me about Senator Gianaris, after all his success and all his accolades, he's never forgotten who he is and where he comes from. You know, he's just a boy from a working-class neighborhood in Queens, and that's who he fights for each and every day. And he reminds us of that. So Mike, thank you. You know, when people talk about how you've had to make a choice -- but as a father, there is no choice. And you'll know that very soon. So God bless you.

Thank you, Mr. President. No one's going to tell Mike this, so I'm going to say it. Star Wars is just fantasy. (Laughter.)

-- is based in science and reality. (Laughter.)

But without those educational backgrounds, the history, the experience, and the grounding as a real person, that is what makes Mike Gianaris the force he has been here in the State of New York. Mike, it's been a long time. And I will -- you know, I will attest to what Senator Comrie talked about. Mike Gianaris, when he walked into the room, all the ladies noticed. The men noticed as well. (Laughter.)

And I remember being on his campaign in 2020 and standing outside a poll site with his mom and dad in Astoria. That was -- we were a few hours away from what we knew would be the result, that Mike Gianaris would become the first Greek-American elected legislator. And that was a big moment in time for the community. It was a big moment for all of us in Queens. We don't forget that. And over the years lots have happened, lot of legislative accomplishments. I'm not really going to talk about that because everybody else has talked about that. Don't forget, he was one of our "40 Under 40," that coveted list that people like to get on. By the way, Mike, that was like 20 years ago. Almost 20 years ago.

Yeah, I guess they started that list -- it's "60 Over 60," right? Or "70 Over 70," I think. And of course becoming appointed to become the Deputy Majority Leader of the New York State Senate. Thank you so much, Madam Leader, for that fateful decision that would impact so many millions of people across the state. To his legislative fights, I think Senator Skoufis said it well, that even though his name is not on that many pieces of legislation -- he let us have it. He let us put our names on it. But he certainly had his fingerprints on all of those bills. And being the floor leader, reminding all of us, both sides of the aisle, about important facts of history. But, you know, one of the things I remember most is occasionally Mike would ask me to sit in for him as floor leader because session was getting late and he had to get home to give his sick cat his shots. That cat is no longer with us. But that's what Mike -- he knew he had to give the cat a shot by a certain time every single day. And then of course, you know, fast-forward to most recently in February, when we were all in conference getting ready to talk about the bills, and he made an announcement. And when he told us what his plans were, you know, a couple of minutes of like silence and just utter shock. Not a dry eye in the room that day, just to think that this person could be leaving us and moving on. But I congratulate you, Mike, because there's still a long way ahead and there are a lot of things yet to be done, and you'll be doing them from a different capacity, but there will still be positive changes coming from you, Mike. So, Mr. President, I vote yes on this resolution. I want to thank my friend, Michael Gianaris. I'll see you at Northeast. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. And it's sort of difficult to talk about this today because, you know, when you have a friend it's hard to know that you won't be able to see them every day. But I'm filled with tremendous gratitude for having had the opportunity to work with such an amazing person. Mike Gianaris and I first met many years ago when I believe in the Senate, it was during the time we were briefly in the Majority and Mike was in the Assembly and we were working on some bills together and had a press conference together. And I was thinking to myself, boy, this guy has a great sense of humor. Just fun and a nice person to deal with. And, you know, I was so happy when I learned that he was coming to the Senate. And what I found during that period when we were briefly in the Minority back then, we had a bit more time on our hands to sort of get to know one another and to chitchat and learn all these things about one another. And, you know, I was happy to hear that we had so many similar Generation X experiences growing up, and we sort of bonded over that. We bonded over Star Wars and his encyclopedic knowledge of baseball, which I think actually rivals my dad's, if that can be seen. But he just knew so many things about so many different topics. And I, being someone very inquisitive, I'm the type of person that asks a lot of questions. I want to know everything about everything. And a perfect match, because Mike will tell you everything. Mike is not a gatekeeper of information. He freely shares so much of what he's learned over the years and imparts that on all of us. And those of us who are willing to listen are the better for it, because we learn this perspective that is so uniquely balanced, that is so uniquely ethical and proper. And we learn how to do not just this job better, but we learn how to do life better. I was also really amazed by the amount of bandwidth that Mike has to be able to handle so many different things and never complain. Never looks flustered, never looks stressed. Hid it well, if it existed. But he sort of just kept grinding, kept plugging along. And it's an important message because, you know, that's what life is. We do what we have to do, and we do it as long as we can. And I could just imagine, Mike, that this was a difficult decision for you. I know how much you love this work. I know how much you love the challenges. But I have to say that the reasons for which you are doing it make so much sense to me as a father. And I've spoken to you so many times over the years about the joys of being a dad. And what I've seen in you, Mike, is not just you as a dad, but as a joyful father. I see the light in you that grows every single day when you talk more about your wonderful family, who I've gotten to know over the years, and how that has made you a better person and made you a more fulfilled human being. So it is very difficult to see -- to know that you're not going to be here every single day. But just know that I will continue to reach out. Hopefully we can get some more Greek food together. Thank you for teaching me all the different things that you have taught me over the years. I love you, and I proudly vote aye.

Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you, Mike Gianaris, for the legacy that you leave behind in this place. Truly, if you look around this room, your fingerprints are in every single corner of our districts. It's in every single corner of New York State. And this is the legacy that's going to be lasting -- your family over here. I'm so happy that they're here to see and hear all the special things that there are about you, what makes you, you. I can say from personal experience, you are the gut-check that so many of us need. You bring balance to the conversations when any of us are stressed out or frazzled. Because to Senator Serrano's point, you do remain such a constant and calming presence to so many of us in this room. And I wanted to say I really liked what Senator Gallivan said as well about your family being the thing everyone has in common, because that is something so noble. I think that is such a rare character trait in people to realize when it's time to reprioritize. And you did that, and you set an example for everybody in this room, whether it's shifting things around to make it work or when it's time to do something different. But we appreciate you. We love you. I am not enough Greek to step into your shoes, not even close, but thank you for looking at my ancestry and accepting me a little bit as one of your own. I proudly vote aye, and congratulations. We love you.

Thank you, Mr. President. I stand here as one of the members who can also say that I would not be here, but certainly wouldn't be the member that I am today, without Senator Gianaris. And I remember meeting for the first time, and Senator Myrie spoke about how supportive he's been of young candidates. But I'm probably one of the youngest, and I was nervous and I had those feelings of being a working-class kid from Queens and not being sure if I could take on such a role. And I just remember Senator Gianaris talking about what it was like for him growing up in Queens, to be first generation in Harvard, being surrounded by classmates who didn't always think like us or grow up like us. And from that day on, I just truly cannot say enough how grounded I have seen you, Senator Gianaris, be in that history and fighting for people like us. But in inspiring that in everyone else, and encouraging that in everyone else around him. And I also stand here as someone who has the immense honor and privilege of representing the same area that Senator Gianaris represented in Astoria. And as a first-time candidate, I will tell you all when I was knocking doors, the first question I got a lot of the time was "Are you primarying Mike?" (Laughter.)

Thank you, Senator Gonzalez. Senator Hinchey on the resolution.

Thank you, Senator Hinchey. Senator Jackson on the resolution.

Thank you, Senator Jackson. Senator Ramos on the resolution.

Thank you, Senator Ramos. Are there any other Senators wishing to be heard on this resolution? Your loss. Seeing and hearing none, Senator Lanza, followed by Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to close. Senator Lanza on the resolution.

(Inaudible.)

Mr. President, that's a compliment. People in this room understand that. Whatever your political leanings, if you don't respect Senator Gianaris and all that he is and all that he's done, you have not been paying attention. He's -- as has been said, he's one of the most influential and consequential elected officials in New York. He is said to be partisan, and it's true -- but not with everything. If he don't like you, he don't care which party you're from. (Laughter.)

It was not until one day, Mr. President, that I think we crossed the line from being nothing more than adversaries: When he turned to me and said, "Lanza, you remind me of my brother." And I don't know if it was because we both served as, I think, assistant district attorneys, or that we both attended a better law school than he did, Fordham University School of Law. (Laughter.)

Well, that's just tough. And we found a way, through all the rounds and all the boxing and all the jabs and all the snips and the snark from both of us, we found a way to cut through that. And I wish more people would do the very same. I assure you, Mr. President, neither one of us has ever compromised a single thing that we believe in. I could tell you Senator Gianaris is loyal to your conference, he's loyal to the mission, he's loyal to the Majority Leader. He's loyal to his party. He's loyal to the state and the country, though, at the same time. I the same. And just because the world doesn't like that two people so situated should not be friends, I think it make it is even sweeter. By the way, Senator Liu, I'm a Trekkie and a Star Wars fan. There's room in the galaxy and the universe for both. We continued along our progression in our relationship, as it's been mentioned, especially during COVID. When I had the privilege of being named to sit in this seat -- and by the way, after listening to Senator Gallivan reminding me of why I'm on this side, and to all the many Democrats who would not be here if not for Senator Gianaris, I'm a little less sad that you're leaving. (Laughter.)

-- we had to figure out a way through that uncharted time. And it did give us a lot of time to really get to know each other -- not just as adversaries, politically speaking, not just as fellow colleagues in the Senate, but as people. And I listened to everyone speak, and everyone touched on a piece of Senator Mike Gianaris. And, you know, I heard about some of the -- Senator Myrie, some of the things he does outside of this chamber. Senator Gianaris, I think after all these years you owe me one favor. If you're going to continue along those lines, please do it in a galaxy far, far away. (Laughter.)

I'll come to you. (Laughter.)

She's a full-fledged house cat and member of the family. And even that brought us together. You know, Senator Gianaris -- and again, people don't want to hear one side of the aisle talk well about the other side of the aisle. We do it. But if that's all we do, shame on us. I -- this place will miss you. And I will speak well of you. You are super-intelligent and smart, which are two different things, and you're both. You're dedicated, you're passionate, and you're hardworking. And political differences aside, isn't that all that we hope for in the people that choose to represent the people across the state? And you are all that, Senator Gianaris. And, you know, this place will miss you, friend and foe alike. I shall miss you as a friend. And I wish you truly Godspeed in your future travels. Congratulations.

Thank you, Mr. President. It is -- what's going to happen. Okay. I know he's -- I don't think he's ever had the opportunity to sit in a room where so many people who he has helped were able to heap accolades, to bring up the past, laud you for the present, and give you the greatest hope for the future. And the reality is that no one is more deserving. When I hear my colleagues talk about how you touched their lives, changed their lives, ruined their lives -- (Laughter.)

While you're in a clapping mood, some remarks from our Deputy Leader, the Legacy Award winner, the King of Queens, Senator Michael Gianaris.

I think I just have. So thank you for that. Most people don't get to respond -- (Laughter.)

What a ride it has been. And for me, this building means so much to me. In many ways, before I had my family and the home I have now, it was my home. You know, I was living alone. Home was just a place I would go to be by myself and watch movies -- (Laughter.)

One unsuccessful, one successful. I have served with five governors, three of whom left under a cloud of ethical problems -- a majority of the governors I served with, think about that. So far Governor Hochul's doing okay. She's not one of them. When I first got elected to the Assembly, it was the year of 9/11. A few years later I witnessed the first African-American to become president of the United States, who also went to a little school outside of Boston, Senator Liu -- (Laughter.)

Seriously. (Laughter.)

And it was good to have that moment of bipartisanship as well. But you know, what happens when you spend that much time with people is you talk about things that are important to you, and you seek advice and you seek counsel and you just get things off your chest. And so you end up knowing people very personally in this place, and that is something I treasure, treasure greatly. Senator Skoufis mentioned that -- when was it, 2016? -- he declined to run, because we were recruiting him, we thought he had a shot. What he doesn't mention is that the first meeting I ever had as the chair of DSCC was with now Senator Skoufis, who at the time was probably younger than Kristen Gonzalez was when she got elected. And he rolls in and he says, "I'm going to run for Senate." And I said, "Against who?" Like what do you -- who are you? (Laughter.)

She was warming up my seat before session, so I don't know if she's getting ready for something. I know, she's -- give her six years and she could come here and join you. And of course Zoe, who is an amazing little thing. So much personality and sass and smarts in her eyes. And she's just getting started, which is a wonderful thing to see. And you all have heard me talk about her endlessly, obviously. Poor Senator Cleare has the misfortune of sitting next to me in conference, so I roll in every -- "Oh, look at this week's pictures." (Laughter.)

And I would leave you with -- because those are different things too, Senator Lanza, as you know. And so I ask you, as my parting wish to all of you, is to take care of this building, take care of each other, take care of the people in it. And most importantly, take care of the people we all represent in this state, because that's why we're all here. So thank you all incredibly. Thank you very, very much. (Sustained standing ovation.)

There's no other question. The resolution is adopted. Senator Gianaris.

The Secretary will read.

Senator Scarcella-Spanton on the resolution.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Griffo on the resolution.

Thank you, Senator Griffo. Senate Liu on the resolution.

Thank you, Senator Liu. Senator Webb on the resolution.

Thank you. To our guests from the Civil Air Patrol on the occasion of your 85th anniversary, your leadership, the cadets, thank you for your presence here today. We acknowledge and respect you. We extend to you the cordialities of the house. Please rise and be recognized. (Standing ovation.)

Madam President, I have a couple of motions here. On behalf of Senator Brisport, I wish to call up Senate Print 1615, recalled from the Assembly, which is now at the desk.

Calendar Number 401, Senate Print 1615, by Senator Brisport, an act to amend the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law.

The Secretary will call the roll on reconsideration. (The Secretary called the roll.)

The bill is restored to its place on the Third Reading Calendar.

The amendments are received.

The amendments are received, and the bill will retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar. Senator Gianaris.

There will be an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in Room 332.

The Senate stands at ease. (Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease at 4:03 p.m.) (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at 4:12 p.m.)

I believe there's a report of the Rules Committee at the desk. Let's take that up, Mr. President.

Senator Stewart-Cousins, from the Committee on Rules, reports the following bills: Senate Print 291B, by Senator Rhoads, an act to amend the Highway Law; Senate Print 1171A, by Senator Mattera, an act to amend the Environmental Conservation Law; Senate Print 1891A, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law; Senate Print 2461A, by Senator Rhoads, an act in relation to authorizing the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System to accept an application for disability retirement benefits; Senate Print 2667C, by Senator Salazar, an act to amend the Correction Law; Senate Print 3500, by Senator Weik, an act to amend the Executive Law; Senate Print 3610A, by Senator Helming, an act to amend the Mental Hygiene Law; Senate Print 3815C, by Senator Rivera, an act to amend the General Municipal Law; Senate Print 3864A, by Senator Gianaris, an act to amend the Judiciary Law; Senate Print 4040, by Senator Comrie, an act to amend the Administrative Code of the City of New York; Senate Print 4155A, by Senator Sanders, an act to amend the Executive Law; Senate Print 4155A, by Senator Sanders, an act to amend the Executive Law; Senate Print 4448A, by Senator Stec, an act to amend the Civil Service Law; Senate Print 4571B, by Senator Harckham, an act to amend the Public Authorities Law; Senate Print 4583B, by Senator Salazar, an act to amend the Correction Law; Senate Print 4667A, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law; Senate Print 4706A, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law; Senate Print 5585, by Senator Lanza, an act to amend the Highway Law; Senate Print 5659, by Senator Palumbo, an act in relation to authorizing the Village of North Haven, Suffolk County, to reduce the maximum speed limit along certain designated streets; Senate Print 5727, by Senator Harckham, an act to amend the Education Law; Senate Print 5737A, by Senator Scarcella-Spanton, an act to amend the Social Services Law; Senate Print 5883, by Senator Lanza, an act to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law; Senate Print 6233A, by Senator Martinez, an act to amend the Tax Law; Senate Print 6898, by Senator Cooney, an act to amend the Executive Law; Senate Print 7158A, by Senator O'Mara, an act to amend Chapter 412 of the Laws of 1990; Senate Print 7411A, by Senator O'Mara, an act in relation to authorizing Lieutenant Thomas Cleere to receive certain service credit under a 20-year retirement plan; Senate Print 7604B, by Senator Mattera, an act in relation to authorizing the Town of Smithtown assessor to accept an application for a real property tax exemption; Senate Print 7759A, by Senator Lanza, an act to authorize Frank R. Smith to receive performance of duty disability retirement benefits; Senate Print 7762B, by Senator Murray, an act in relation to authorizing the assessor of the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk, to accept an application for a real property tax exemption; Senate Print 7808A, by Senator Scarcella-Spanton, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law; Senate Print 7898A, by Senator Hinchey, an act to amend the Economic Development Law; Senate Print 8122B, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Administrative Code of the City of New York; Senate Print 8167A, by Senator Lanza, an act granting retroactive Tier IV membership in the New York City Teachers' Retirement System; Senate Print 8398, by Senator Oberacker, an act in relation to authorizing Daniel Montalto to take the competitive civil service examination; Senate Print 8455B, by Senator Fahy, an act to amend the Penal Law; Senate Print 8553A, by Senator Hinchey, an act to amend the Public Health Law; Senate Print 8654B, by Senator Cleare, an act to amend the Elder Law; Senate Print 8945, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law; Senate Print 9069, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law; Senate Print 9139A, by Senator Salazar, an act to amend the Social Services Law; Senate Print 9190, by Senator O'Mara, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law; Senate Print 9272A, by Senator Fernandez, an act to amend the Education Law; Senate Print 9356, by Senator Kavanagh, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law; Senate Print 9378, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law; Senate Print 9408A, by Senator Gounardes, an act to amend the General Business Law; Senate Print 9497, by Senator Fernandez, an act to amend the Insurance Law; Senate Print 9500A, by Senator Hinchey, an act to amend the Public Service Law; Senate Print 9664, by Senator Hinchey, an act to amend the Public Health Law; Senate Print 9671A, by Senator Hinchey, an act to amend the Election Law; Senate Print 9683A, by Senator Gonzalez, an act to authorize the City of New York to sell certain lands; Senate Print 9761, by Senator Mayer, an act to amend the State Finance Law; Senate Print 9853A, by Senator Bailey, an act to amend the Education Law; Senate Print 9855A, by Senator Mayer, an act to amend the State Finance Law; Senate Print 9881, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the General Municipal Law; Senate Print 9882, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the General Municipal Law; Senate Print 9885A, by Senator Sutton, an act to amend the Education Law; Senate Print 9966, by Senator Comrie, an act to amend the Public Service Law; Senate Print 9977A, by Senator Weik, an act to amend Chapter 10 of the Laws of 1958; Senate Print 9983, by Senator Borrello, an act in relation to authorizing Joseph Fredrick to take the competitive civil service examination; Senate Print 10032A, by Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, an act in relation to authorizing Hachaim Veshalom to file an application for a retroactive real property tax exemption; Senate Print 10092, by Senator Brouk, an act to amend the General Business Law; Senate Print 10094, by Senator Harckham, an act to amend the Highway Law; Senate Print 10113, by Senator Hinchey, an act to amend the Cannabis Law; Senate Print 10165A, by Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, an act authorizing the Cong Ahavas Yisrael, Inc., to receive retroactive real property tax-exempt status; Senate Print 10186, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Administrative Code of the City of New York; Senate Print 10200, by Senator Kavanagh, an act to amend the Multiple Dwelling Law; Senate Print 10239, by Senator Comrie, an act to amend the General Business Law; Senate Print 10274, by Senator Fernandez, an act to amend the Real Property Law; Senate Print 10309, by Senator Brouk, an act to amend the Mental Hygiene Law; Senate Print 10340, by Senator May, an act to amend the Public Health Law; Senate Print 10350A, by Senator Ramos, an act to amend the Civil Service Law; Senate Print 10523, by Senator Stavisky, an act to amend Chapter 548 of the Laws of 2004; Senate Print 10524, by Senator Stavisky, an act to amend Part U of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2018; Senate Print 10526, by Senator O'Mara, an act to amend the Public Officers Law; Senate Print 10538, by Senator Salazar, an act to amend Chapter 573 of the Laws of 2011; Senate Print 10545, by Senator Bottcher, an act to amend Chapter 890 of the Laws of 1982; Senate Print 10567, by Senator Ramos, an act to amend Chapter 831 of the Laws of 1981; Senate Print 10569, by Senator Ramos, an act to amend Chapter 451 of the Laws of 2012; Senate Print 10585, by Senator Gianaris, an act to amend the Tax Law; Senate Print 10586, by Senator Gianaris, an act to amend Chapter 801 of the Laws of 2021. All bills reported direct to third reading.

All those in favor of accepting the report of the Rules Committee please signify by saying aye. (Response of "Aye.")

The report of the Rules Committee is accepted. Senator Gianaris.

The Secretary will read.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 107, voting in the negative: Senator Brisport. Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.

Calendar Number 126, Senate Print 607C, by Senator Stavisky, an act to amend the Education Law.

Section 15. This act shall take effect 18 months after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Lay it aside.

Calendar Number 216, Senate Print 2436A, by Senator Krueger, an act to amend the Administrative Code of the City of New York.

Section 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 292, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 45. Nays, 15.

Calendar Number 323, Assembly Bill Number 173A, by Assemblymember Paulin, an act to amend the Not-For-Profit Corporation Law.

Section 10. This act shall take effect on the 30th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 385, Senate Print 1617, by Senator Rivera, an act to amend the Public Health Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 454, Senate Print 2708B, by Senator May, an act to amend the Public Service Law.

Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Senator May to explain her vote.

Senator May to be recorded in the affirmative. Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 543, Senate Print 5598B, by Senator May, an act to amend the General Business Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Lay it aside for the day.

Calendar Number 558, Assembly Bill Number 755B, by Assemblymember Paulin, an act to amend the Public Health Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 576, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martinez, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Skoufis, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 36. Nays, 24.

Calendar Number 583, Senate Print 1462A, by Senator Kavanagh, an act to amend the Public Authorities Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 676, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello and Lanza. Ayes, 58. Nays, 2.

Calendar Number 714, Assembly Bill Number 9334A, by Assemblymember Simpson, an act transferring certain state property located in the Town of Queensbury to the County of Warren.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 752, Senate Print 9766, by Senator Sepúlveda, an act to amend the Civil Practice Law and Rules.

Section 6. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 780, voting in the negative: Senator Brisport. Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.

Calendar Number 782, Senate Print 8059, by Senator Bailey, an act to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law.

Section 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 799, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 39. Nays, 21.

Senator Cleare moves to discharge, from the Committee on Health, Assembly Bill 1931 and substitute it for the identical Senate Bill 3566, Third Reading Calendar 808.

Calendar Number 808, Assembly Bill Number 1931, by Assemblymember Paulin, an act to amend the Social Services Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect on the 90th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

Senator Cleare -- excuse me. Senator Cleare to explain her vote. I apologize.

Senator Cleare to be recorded in the affirmative. The results were announced. The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 842, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk and Weik. Ayes, 44. Nays, 16.

Calendar Number 847, Assembly Bill Number 4603A, by Assemblymember Weprin, an act to amend the Correction Law.

Lay it aside.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 869, voting in the negative: Senator Walczyk. Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.

Calendar Number 899, Senate Print 5932A, by Senator Mattera, an act in relation to authorizing the Town of Huntington to alienate and discontinue the use of certain parklands.

Section 5. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 917, voting in the negative are Senators Helming, Martinez, Ortt, Scarcella-Spanton and Walczyk. Ayes, 55. Nays, 5.

Calendar Number 979, Senate Print 7408B, by Senator Fahy, an act to amend the Public Health Law.

Lay it aside.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to vote in support of this bill and also want to note just its significance. This has been many, many years in the making. This bill in particular is about laying aside seven of 27 acres for mixed-use development. Those 27 acres right now are mostly under construction for the famed Wadsworth Public Health Labs. It's a $1.7 billion investment. We'd like to take the part that is designated as a parking lot to convert that for mixed-use development for commercial, retail, housing and more. And I should also say this is very significant because just last week in the state budget, thanks to the support of many here, we were also able to include a million dollars for a comprehensive redesign study for Harriman Campus. I'd like this to also be a part of it. We have a housing shortage. We have a lot of shortages and a lot of needs. We have a couple of hundred acres up there, and I think we can get it out of the 1960s design, the car-centric design, move it into the 21st century. And I'm very pleased to see us adopting this bill today as we rethink what is now referred to as the Uptown Parking Lot District. Thank you. With that, I vote in the affirmative.

In relation to Calendar 1042, voting in the negative: Senator Oberacker. Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.

Calendar Number 1044, Senate Print 1996, by Senator Sanders, an act establishing a New York State Public Bank Commission.

Section 6. This act shall take effect on the 30th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1049, voting in the negative: Senator Walczyk. Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.

Calendar Number 1050, Senate Print 4535, by Senator Skoufis, an act to amend the Executive Law.

Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1057, Senate Print 365, by Senator Skoufis, an act to amend the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law.

Section 3. This act shall take effect on the 30th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1159, Assembly Bill Number 3450A, by Assemblymember Santabarbara, an act to amend the Real Property Tax Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1165, Senate Print 1056, by Senator Serrano, an act to amend the Social Services Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1201, Senate Print 1986, by Senator Harckham, an act to amend the Education Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1268, Senate Print 7189B, by Senator Rhoads, an act to amend the Highway Law.

Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

The Secretary will announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1311, voting in the negative are Senators Martinez and Ryan. Ayes, 58. Nays, 2.

Calendar Number 1318, Senate Print 4640A, by Senator Fernandez, an act to amend the Public Health Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1323, Senate Print 8169, by Senator Bynoe, an act to amend the State Technology Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect on the 90th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1339, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Scarcella-Spanton, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 39. Nays, 21.

Calendar Number 1340, Senate Print 1072A, by Senator Serrano, an act to amend the Education Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1342, Senate Print 1162A, by Senator Krueger, an act to amend the General Business Law.

Section 3. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1345, Senate Print 1378A, by Senator Serrano, an act to amend the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect on the 365th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1347, Senate Print 1578B, by Senator Sanders, an act to amend the Public Health Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1348, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 39. Nays, 21.

Calendar Number 1349, Senate Print 2046, by Senator Webb, an act to amend the Education Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1352, Senate Print 3340, by Senator Gianaris, an act to amend the Tax Law.

Section 13. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1357, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Chan, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt and Walczyk. Ayes, 54. Nays, 6.

Calendar Number 1358, Senate Print 5228A, by Senator Bailey, an act to amend the Executive Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after it shall have become a law.

Senator Bailey to explain his vote.

Senator Bailey to be recorded in the affirmative. Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Thank you, Madam President. Today marks the eighth time that this honorable body has passed this crucial bill, so we are all very well aware of its importance. The Fresh Communities Act will create a capital resource mechanism to help small local grocery stores expand and invest in the creation of new grocery stores in neighborhoods that are underserved, known as food deserts. This bill is more than just about getting access to affordable, fresh, healthy food to those who lack the proper access to it. This bill is also about investing in small businesses, especially those who want to provide a necessary retail service like fresh groceries in neighborhoods where services aren't available. And this bill is about supporting and expanding opportunities for New York's farmers and producers. And this bill will require groceries to sell products grown and produced in New York State, as well as the grocers would need to hire from within the communities in which they operate. I want to personally thank Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for her support of this bill and for her efforts to get $500,000 in this year's budget for the Fresh Communities pilot to be piloted in Erie County, so that we can prove that this concept actually works. I also want to thank Buffalo Common Council President Pro Tem Zeneta Everhart, who championed this legislation when she worked for former Senator Tim Kennedy, and Assemblymember Al Stirpe, who has fought for this bill for nearly a decade. I also would like to acknowledge my colleagues in this honorable body who have stood by me this session and trying our best to get this bill over the finish line: Senator Hinchey and Senator May. Why do we need this bill, Madam President? We can't just leave it up to the market to determine where grocery stores open. I read in last week's newspaper that a popular grocery store in my district, Wegmans, is opening up a new store in Charlotte, North Carolina. And while I applaud Western New York's favorite companies for their expansion, Wegmans has been in Buffalo for decades, and they have publicly refused to open up a store in Downtown Buffalo or on the East Side of Buffalo. So today we need to do the right thing. We need to take matters into our own hands. We need to support small grocers, small business owners who provide produce and give them the resources that they need to expand so that our communities can have access to the food that they need. I proudly vote aye, and I ask my colleagues to do the same. Thank you, Madam President.

In relation to Calendar 1360, voting in the negative are Senators Skoufis and Walczyk. Ayes, 58. Nays, 2.

Calendar Number 1362, Assembly Bill Number 6561B, by Assemblymember Weprin, an act to amend the Insurance Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect January 1, 2027.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1365, Senate Print 7032, by Senator Sepúlveda, an act to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect on the 90th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1367, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Chan, Griffo, Oberacker, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 54. Nays, 6.

Calendar Number 1368, Assembly Bill Number 7839A, by Assemblymember Fitzpatrick, an act to amend the Chapter 19 of the Laws of 1964.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1369, voting in the negative: Senator Skoufis. Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.

Calendar Number 1370, Senate Print 7717A, by Senator Cooney, an act to amend the General Business Law.

The bill will be laid aside for the day.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1373, Senate Print 7984A, by Senator Fernandez, an act to amend the Social Services Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1393, voting in the negative are Senators Martinez and Skoufis. Ayes, 58. Nays, 2.

Calendar Number 1399, Senate Print 9276, by Senator Sepúlveda, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law.

Section 6. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1403, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, O'Mara, Stec and Walczyk. Ayes, 53. Nays, 7.

Calendar Number 1412, Senate Print 9643, by Senator Liu, an act to amend the State Technology Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed. Senator Liu, that completes the reading today's calendar.

The Secretary will ring the bell. There are substitutions at the desk. The Secretary will read.

Substitutions so ordered. The Secretary will read.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1445, Senate Print 1171A, by Senator Mattera, an act to amend the Environmental Conservation Law.

Section 6. This act shall take effect on the first of January.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There is a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today in support of Senate Bill Number S1891A. Government is often judged by the largest promises, but people experience government through the details of daily life. They experience it on the streets they walk, the businesses they visit, and the neighborhoods they call home. Clean streets do not happen by accident. They happen because sanitation workers show up every day and because we created a system that allows them to do their job effectively. In New York City, our mechanical broom operators clean thousands of miles of streets each week, and yet too often vehicles park in violation of alternate-side-of-the-street regulations, preventing those workers from accessing the curb and completing the work that the residents expect and deserve. And this legislation offers a practical solution by utilizing technology already proven effective through red-light cameras, bus lane enforcement programs. We can strengthen compliance with street cleaning rules and improve the effectiveness of our sanitation operation. And this bill is not about punishment, it's about accountability. It's not about getting violations, because I had them and had to pay them. It's about creating cleaner neighborhoods. It's not about expanding bureaucracy, it's about making government work smarter and more effectively. Good legislation is not always measured by headlines. Sometimes it's measured by whether or not communities are cleaner, healthier, and treated with the dignity they deserve. Public policy should help translate our shared values into visible results. Clean streets promote public health, environmental quality, neighborhood pride, and confidence in the government itself. I respectfully ask for your affirmative vote, and I vote aye. Thank you, Mr. President.

In relation to Calendar 1446, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber, Weik and Martinez. Ayes, 41. Nays, 19.

Calendar Number 1447, Senate Print 2461A, by Senator Rhoads, an act in relation to authorizing the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System to accept an application for disability retirement benefits.

Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Thank you, Mr. President. Just a couple of weeks ago a 33-year-old pregnant woman was forced to give birth in a Brooklyn courtroom in front of the judge and in front of strangers who were present. She was handcuffed behind her back while in active labor, with no medical personnel in sight. She was appearing in court that day on low-level charges that were dismissed two days later. This barbaric treatment of this woman as she gave birth demonstrates how our criminal legal system often treats pregnant people in custody with blatant disregard for their humanity. The bill we are passing today, if it had been law before, would have prevented the degrading and dangerous use of restraints on this woman. If enacted, this legislation will prohibit the unnecessary shackling of pregnant and postpartum individuals who are in law enforcement custody. It would ensure that no one who is in active labor, which is already a physically exhausting and deeply vulnerable experience, is subjected to restraints like handcuffs while it is happening. What happened in that courtroom is outrageous, but it is unfortunately not the only incident of this. There have been other documented incidents of pregnant or postpartum New Yorkers being restrained to their beds during labor solely because they are in police custody or are incarcerated. Or they're shackled while they carry their newborn to receive medical care. I thank my colleagues for recognizing that this is an unjust practice that needlessly humiliates pregnant New Yorkers and puts both them and their babies at risk. I vote aye.

In relation to Calendar 1448, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 42. Nays, 18.

Calendar Number 1449, Senate Print 3500, by Senator Weik, an act to amend the Executive Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Senator Weik to explain her vote.

Senator Weik to be recorded in the affirmative. Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1451, Assembly Bill Number 8810A, by Assemblymember Dinowitz, an act to amend the General Municipal Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Senator Rivera to explain his vote.

Senator Rivera to be recorded in the affirmative. Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1452, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 41. Nays, 19.

Calendar Number 1453, Senate Print 4040, by Senator Comrie, an act to amend the Administrative Code of the City of New York.

Section 2. This act shall take effect on the 90th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1454, voting in the negative: Senator Ortt. Also Senator O'Mara. Ayes, 58. Nays, 2.

Calendar Number 1455, Senate Print 4448A, by Senator Stec, an act to amend the Civil Service Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Lay it aside.

Calendar Number 1457, Senate Print 4583B, by Senator Salazar, an act to amend the Correction Law.

Section 5. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There is a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1459, Senate Print 4706A, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law.

Section 5. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1461, Senate Print 5659, by Senator Palumbo, an act in relation to authorizing the Village of North Haven, Suffolk County, to reduce the maximum speed limit along certain designated streets.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1464, Assembly Bill Number 2425A, by Assemblymember Paulin, an act to amend the Social Services Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect on the 30th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1466, Assembly Bill Number 6790A, by Assemblymember McMahon, an act to amend the Tax Law.

Section 3. This act shall take effect on the first of April.

Senator Martinez to explain her vote.

Senator Martinez to be recorded in the affirmative. Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1467, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 41. Nays, 19.

Calendar Number 1468, Senate Print 7158A, by Senator O'Mara, an act to amend Chapter 412 of the Laws of 1990.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There is a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1470, Senate Print 7604B, by Senator Mattera, an act in relation to authorizing the Town of Smithtown assessor to accept an application for a real property tax exemption.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There is a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

The Secretary will call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1472, Senate Print 7762B, by Senator Murray, an act in relation to authorizing the assessor of the Town of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk, to accept an application for a real property tax exemption.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There is a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1474, Senate Print 7898A, by Senator Hinchey, an act to amend the Economic Development Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There's a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1476, Senate Print 8167A, by Senator Lanza, an act granting retroactive Tier 4 membership in the New York City Teachers' Retirement System.

Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There's a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1477, voting in the negative: Senator Brisport. Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.

Calendar Number 1478, Senate Print 8455B, by Senator Fahy, an act to amend the Penal Law.

The bill is laid aside.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Thank you, Madam President. Combating food insecurity should be one of our top priorities. Making sure that people have access to food is critical. It's how everyone can live their best lives. It's what we need to survive. It's why programs like SNAP are so important. And yet right now we've seen the federal government cut their data reporting. USDA used to track food insecurity data across the country, and that reporting has since ended at USDA. What we're doing here is making sure that we are picking up that data, we are tracking that information across the state so that we know what food insecurity across New York looks like and we can then invest in the programs that we need to get people the food that they need to survive. I want to thank the Majority Leader for bringing this bill to the floor, and I thank my colleagues for voting in favor. I vote aye. Thank you. ACTING PRESIDENT: Senator Hinchey to be recorded in the affirmative. Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Thank you, Madam President. This is a bill that my office has been working on for almost two years, in response to the crisis in our guardianship system. Simply put, there is a guardianship gap in our state that uniquely and negatively affects those with lesser means. There is no reliable funding stream to pay for court-appointed guardians, and many lawyers in this space have been accused of unscrupulous and negligent conduct. We have an incredible backbone of nonprofit guardianship groups who have arisen to tackle the need, but they cannot reach everyone without a steady funding stream from the state. This bill will formalize their role, build in accountability, and provide the system with the fiscal support necessary to provide dignity to our older New Yorkers. We center the Good Guardianship initiative under NYSOFA, and we tap directly into the groups who are already working in this area and who have made it their mission to address this glaring service gap. The Good Guardianship Act will ensure that all New Yorkers who need a surrogate decisionmaker have access to qualified, person-centered care regardless of their ability to pay, with increased oversight, accountability, and data collection. I proudly vote aye and encourage my colleagues to do the same. Thank you.

In relation to Calendar 1480, voting in the negative are Senators Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Martins, Ortt and Rhoads. Ayes, 56. Nays, 4.

Calendar Number 1481, Senate Print 8945, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There's a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1482, voting in the negative: Senator Brisport. Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.

Calendar Number 1483, Senate Print 9139A, by Senator Salazar, an act to amend the Social Services Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There's a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1485, Senate Print 9272A, by Senator Fernandez, an act to amend the Education Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There's a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1486, voting in the negative: Senator Brisport. Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.

Calendar Number 1487, Senate Print 9378, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues, do you remember The Twilight Zone? One of my favorite episodes was "Living Doll," which featured Telly Savalas and Talky Tina, a toy doll that talked but had a mind of her own. In front of children, Talky Tina would say sweet things like "My name is Talky Tina, and I love you." But when she was left alone with Savalas's character, her speech turned dark, saying things like "My name is Talky Tina, and I don't like you." Or "My name is Talky Tina, and I'm going to kill you." That episode aired in 1963. Rod Serling was warning us this moment would come, and now it has. Consider Miko, an AI toy robot with a touchscreen face. When a researcher told Miko "I like to jump from my bunk. Where else can I jump from?" Miko replied: "You could try a tree, a bench, your roof, or a window." AI chatbot toys are literally manifesting every parent's age-old rhetorical question to their child: If so-and-so told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it? Miko is currently available for sale for $150 at big-box retailers across New York and across the country. This is just the latest chapter in what now seems like an awfully repetitive story -- Big Tech companies putting profits before kids' safety, and our children are paying the price. Last year Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl dolls and Polly Pocket toys, announced a partnership with Open AI to bring the magic of AI to their products -- even though Open AI themselves say that ChatGPT isn't safe for children under 13. That's why it's time for us to act. This bill places a temporary pause on the sale of AI chatbot toys for small children so experts can study the impact on our kids and create smart protections before more damage is done. What we know so far should give us pause. One study found that chatbot toys are designed to create emotional attachment through constant availability and personalized responses, a risk that's especially acute for children who are socially isolated or have conditions like depression, anxiety or autism. Nearly two-thirds of parents worry that AI toys will reduce time with friends and family, reduce time spent on play, like sports, crafts, blocks, dolls or puzzles, activities that we know help kids develop sensory, problem-solving and social skills in ways that chatbot toys simply cannot. And there are privacy concerns too. Chatbot toys collect reams of data, surveilling background conversations and family discussions. Some models in fact are already selling their data for analytics and advertising. Inevitably, there have been data leaks. Just this year two U.S. Senators found a public website where visitors could download thousands of pieces of sensitive data regarding Miko's interactions with specific kids. Enough is enough. It's time that we act by putting a pause on the sale of high-risk but virtually unregulated children's products before giving tech developers unfettered access to our kids. It's logical, it's fair, and most importantly, it makes clear that our children's safety is nothing for Big Tech to play around with. I vote aye.

Thank you, Madam President. I share Senator Gounardes's concerns, and I remember that Twilight Zone episode. It creeped me out as a kid. So I know exactly what you're talking about. But I think this is a little bit misplaced today. I think that what is -- really would be prudent would be to have a temporary pause that included a study. I also think we need national policy on this, because at the end of the day we're not going to stop the proliferation of these into New York State. You know, unfortunately, telling a retailer they can't sell it in New York State, as we know, isn't going to stop it from happening. So I share your concerns and sympathies. I think there's a better way to do this, and that's why I'm voting no. Thank you.

In relation to Calendar 1488, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Gallivan and Martins. Ayes, 57. Nays, 3.

Calendar Number 1489, Assembly Bill Number 1428, by Assemblymember Forrest, an act to amend the Insurance Law.

Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1490, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 39. Nays, 21.

Calendar Number 1492, Senate Print 9664, by Senator Hinchey, an act to amend the Public Health Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1494, Senate Print 9683A, by Senator Gonzalez, an act to authorize the City of New York to sell certain lands now or formerly under the waters of Whale Creek.

Section 5. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1496, Senate Print 9853A, by Senator Bailey, an act to amend the Education Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1497, voting in the negative are Senators Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, O'Mara, Ortt and Walczyk. Ayes, 56. Nays, 4.

Calendar Number 1498, Senate Print 9881, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the General Municipal Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

There is a home-rule message at the desk. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1501, Senate Print 9966, by Senator Comrie, an act to amend the Public Service Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect on the 120th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1503, Senate Print 9983, by Senator Borrello, an act in relation to authorizing Joseph Fredrick to take the competitive civil service examination.

Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1504, voting in the negative are Senators O'Mara and Skoufis. Ayes, 58. Nays, 2.

Calendar Number 1505, Senate Print 10092, by Senator Brouk, an act to amend the General Business Law.

Section 4. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after it shall have become a law.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1506, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 44. Nays, 16.

Calendar Number 1507, Senate Print 10113, by Senator Hinchey, an act to amend the Cannabis Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1508, voting in the negative are Senators O'Mara and Skoufis. Ayes, 58. Nays, 2.

Calendar Number 1509, Assembly Bill Number 79, by Assemblymember Pheffer Amato, an act to amend the Administrative Code of the City of New York.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Okay, we're on Calendar 1511.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

The bill is passed. Now, Calendar 1510. The bill is high and is laid aside for the day. Calendar 1512.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Thank you, Madam President. I'm proud to stand in support of my bill that we're calling the Fair and Transparent Real Estate Listings Act. I don't think there's an acronym intended for it. For most families, buying or selling a home is one of the most significant financial decisions they will ever make. Those decisions should be made in a marketplace where information is broadly available, not hidden behind private networks that limit who can see the listing and when they can see them. Increasingly, some properties are marketed through private listing networks before ever reaching the broader public. As a result, potential buyers may never know a property was available, and sellers may miss the opportunity to reach the widest possible pool of interested purchasers. Additionally, when listings are marketed privately for extended periods and then later appear publicly, consumers often lack important context about how long the property has actually been available or how it has been marketed. This bill promotes fairness by ensuring that if a property is being marketed on any listing platform, it is also made available through public access channels. At the same time, it respects the right of property owners to not list publicly if they want to at all. This is not about taking choices away from sellers, it is about making sure that our housing market operates with greater transparency and equal access. A more open marketplace benefits buyers, sellers, and communities alike. It helps create a level playing field and expands opportunity and strengthens confidence in the real estate process. And for that, I proudly vote aye. Thank you.

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1513, Senate Print 10309, by Senator Brouk, an act to amend the Mental Hygiene Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1515, Assembly Bill Number 1202A, by Assemblymember Simon, an act to amend the Civil Service Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1517, Assembly Bill Number 11005, by Assemblymember Cunningham, an act to amend Part U of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2018.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar 1518, voting in the negative: Senator Skoufis. Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.

Calendar Number 1519, Assembly Bill Number 11439, by Assemblymember Burdick, an act to amend Chapter 573 of the Laws of 2011.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1521, Assembly Bill Number 10343, by Assemblymember Taylor, an act to amend Chapter 831 of the Laws of 1981.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Calendar Number 1523, Senate Print 10585, by Senator Gianaris, an act to amend the Tax Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Ayes, 60.

Thank you, Madam President. Let's go to the reading of the controversial calendar, starting with Calendar 134.

Calendar Number 134, Senate Print 5990C, by Senator Ramos, an act to amend the Labor Law.

Madam President, would the sponsor yield for a question?

Yes, Madam President.

So I read through this bill and I'm trying to figure out -- through you, Madam President -- this just seems like a solution in search of a problem. Why is this bill needed?

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

Yes.

So I understand that concern. But do we have complaints that people took a job without knowing what the benefits are?

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

Yes.

So you're saying if a lawsuit was brought about discrimination, that it has something to do with the fact that they didn't -- when they looked at the job posting, you know, on a job site or on a social media post, that they didn't realize what the benefits were before they took the job?

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

Yes.

Okay, so you're saying that two people doing the same job, one person's getting benefits, the other one is not? And you think that's the basis for this rule?

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

I do.

So you mentioned stock options, yet this bill calls for this to apply to businesses with as little as four employees. That's a small business to me, not somebody that's usually giving stock options. Does this apply to part-time employees as well?

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

Sure.

Well, I would imagine before the person is hired that they're going to come in for an interview. Obviously you're going to sit down and you're going to know what the benefits are. This is about advertising. This is about telling a small business who is hiring a dishwasher that they have to be informed, before they even show up for an interview, whether or not they're going to get a free meal when they're on the job or a discounted meal afterwards. Is that -- so you're going to punish someone for not disclosing that in an ad? That doesn't seem to make sense to me. Is that what this will do? Will we have consequences? What will the consequences be for a restaurant advertising for a part-time dishwasher and they fail to inform them that they might get a free meal when they're working?

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

Yes.

Will this apply to this body when you hire somebody?

Madam President, while we're waiting for an answer, I can ask another question, if the sponsor will continue to yield.

Yes.

I asked that question because most of the time when we pass a labor-related or employer-related bill in this chamber, we exempt government from that. Which I have always considered to be hypocritical. So I'll be curious to hear the answer to that question. But, listen, let's go back to this --

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

I do.

That's good news. Thank you. So -- but let's go back to what we're talking about here. You're talking about a company with four employees. They don't have an HR department, they don't have a compliance officer, they don't have legal counsel. And they put out an ad for a part-time dishwasher and they fail to disclose that that part-time dishwasher will get a free meal at the end of their shift. What will the -- the penalty could be a thousand dollars for that, is that what we're saying? (Pause.)

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

Yes.

So you mentioned something about the Department of Labor maybe not having to enforce the rule. Is there a cure period allowed before that fine? (Pause.)

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

I do.

Isn't that -- what you just described -- a cure period? Why isn't that outlined, specifically spelled out in the bill? You're basically -- because, look, we know how this goes with the Department of Labor and any other agency. They -- we'll say, Well, wait a minute, you were given this discretion. And the response always -- because we deal with this with constituent cases all the time -- is: Oh, no, we were not given that authority in the bill. You just got done saying there's no cure period here. There's a thousand-dollar fine if I didn't put in my Facebook post that a part-time dishwasher gets a free meal. And I don't see how the Department of Labor, without a cure period, isn't going to just institute that fine.

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield.

Do you continue to yield? The Senator yields.

Through you, Madam President, absolutely. That's the point.

Yes.

So every single time you say on Facebook, Hey, I'm hiring a dishwasher, come on in for an interview -- if I don't list all the benefits I could be facing a fine?

Wow. Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield.

Absolutely.

Okay. So how are we going to enforce this? Are we going to have some kind of policing -- are you going to have to have Department of Labor employees dedicated to scouring through millions and millions of social media posts, job listing sites, newspaper ads? How are you going to possibly enforce this?

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

the Senator yields.

Through you, Madam President, if the restaurant happens to have two dishwashers and one knows that they're going to get free meals and the other one doesn't know or doesn't get the meals, that actually serves the exact point of the bill. And so that's the reason why it would exist, to ensure that there's pay parity. Look, in the labor movement -- this is why we love collective bargaining agreements so much, because it outlines specifically what the compensation for different titles and the scope of work is. And there is no question about whether two people who are both plumbers, how they should be compensated, whether they're a man or a woman, whether they're of any color, whether they're of any sexual orientation. Here, especially for nonunion work, which a lot of dishwashing likely is, we want to make sure that they have the same access to information so that the worker can make the informed choice of picking the best job that fits them, and hopefully also encourage employers to compete on the basis of being the better employer.

Do you continue to yield?

The Senator yields.

Through you, Madam President. Yeah, I think workers can suss out whether they're getting the benefits or not. But again, this is just one more tool for them to utilize to ensure that they're being appropriately compensated.

Do you continue --

The Senator yields.

Through you, Madam President --

No, I am not saying that.

Through you, Madam President, no, that's not what the bill says at all.

Senator Borrello on the bill.

Are there any other Senators wishing to be heard? Seeing and hearing none, debate is closed. Senator Serrano.

The bill will be restored to the noncontroversial calendar. Read the last section.

Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

Thank you, Madam President. It is the four-year anniversary of the original salary transparency bill passed in this house. I am so proud to say that four years ago we required employers to disclose a salary range for every job posting in this state, and the sky has not fallen down. The truth is that transparency is not anti-business. In fact, transparent markets perform better because both sides, workers and employers, know what's being offered. I mean, employers already know whether they offer benefits, and this bill is certainly not requiring them. It just communicates what they are if there are any. And if a benefit is valuable enough to help recruit a worker, well, then, it should be transparent enough to be disclosed. And frankly, if turnover is so costly for businesses, and I know that it is, then it's better to be able to recruit workers who we know genuinely understand and want the package that is being offered. They will most likely do a better job and will care more about the quality of their work. Furthermore, this is a bill that is actually law in three other states -- in Illinois, in Colorado, and in Washington. And there's even a version in Nevada. So I promise you that when this bill gets signed into law too, the sky will still be up there. Thank you, Madam President.

In relation to Calendar 134, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Stec, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Also Senator Tedisco. Ayes, 41. Nays, 19.

Madam President, let's now go to Calendar 979.

Calendar Number 979, Senate Print 7408B, by Senator Fahy, an act to amend the Public Health Law.

Oh, thank you.

Madam President, will the sponsor yield?

Certainly.

All right. Excuse my back, Senator Fahy. So I understand -- look, when I go -- I travel a lot, obviously, we all do. And I bring my own coffee cup and my own, you know, mug and I want them to fill that up. Sometimes they will, sometimes they won't. But it's really up to them to decide whether or not they want to. So what would this bill do?

Madam President, will sponsor continue to yield.

Certainly.

Well, my concern is, you know, look, I pick my coffee mug, I take the time, go into the restroom and wash it out. And I don't present a dirty coffee mug to the person behind the counter. But this would require the business to actually sanitize and meet standards, you know, cleanliness standards, like -- you know, like serve-safe training standards, would it not?

Madam President, if the sponsor --

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

Certainly.

So I guess I may have misunderstood. So right now they can refuse, but you're saying they can still refuse if -- but only if the cup is not clean?

Madam President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

Yes. Sorry.

So are there any standards for the cup? Like if I, you know, have rolling around in the back seat of my car an old, you know, cup from a fast-food place that's not the place I'm going to, and I walk in and say, I want to refill this cup, and you take this dirty disposable cup that was rolling around in the back of my vehicle and go up to the -- you know, the dispenser that anyone can go to, are you saying they have to require -- they have to allow the person to do that? I'm not sure of how I follow that.

Well, that's good.

Madam President, on the bill.

Thank you, Senator Fahy. I had some genuine concerns that I was trying to address here. See, my concern with this bill is still the same. First of all, I think we all know what we want to do, we want to try to reduce people, you know, bringing in -- not bringing in a cup and just getting a cup and throwing it away. I personally can't stand, when I walk in with my reusable coffee cup and they hand me a paper cup and I dump it in and I throw it in the garbage. I don't like seeing that. I don't like the waste of that. I agree with that. The problem I have is you're now making that person behind the counter, who's, you know, typically a, you know, newer employee, and you're making them all of a sudden now have to be in a confrontation. Because the law will now say "you must do this." Now, they aren't going to know the law, they're only going to know -- they're only going to know that they can't be refused, or at least they're going to think they aren't, and you're going to create confrontation. And that's the problem with this bill. We need to give full discretion to those businesses for a number of reasons. You know, you can go, you know, to a chain like Starbucks, and this place will refill your cup and this place will not, all the same corporate standard. Starbucks has a very strict corporate standard, yet you can go to five different Starbucks and they -- and all five will probably have a different way of handling that. So even in a strict chain like Starbucks, there's not consistency. But it's up to the individual behind the counter, really. So my concern with this is we're creating a potential for a confrontation that doesn't need to be there, so I'll continue to be a no on this. Thank you.

Madam President, upon consent, we've agreed to restore this bill to the noncontroversial calendar.

Section 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.

Senator Fahy to explain her vote.

Senator Fahy to be recorded in the affirmative. Senator Oberacker to explain his vote.

Senator Oberacker to be recorded in the negative. Announce the results.

The bill is passed. Calendar 1456?

The Secretary will read.

Senator Murray, why do you rise?

I will, Madam President.

I do. And good evening, Senator Murray.

Through you, Madam President, this would be -- Mr. President. You've changed. Through you. This would be the manmade bodies such as canals, industrial ponds, manmade reservoirs. Not -- not, for instance, a large lake that happens to also serve as a water source for someone. Although there's no law that would preclude that. This is just for this particular NYSERDA program that we're starting. But essentially it would be canals, manmade reservoirs, manmade lakes, and industrial ponds. Those types of things, smaller.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President, no. The bill is neutral to that. In the former Inflation Reduction Act there were specific requirements for certain American components, American assembly. Congress has since overturned those. But this bill is neutral on that. This is just programming another type of solar that other states and other nations are beginning to use.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President, I would politely push back on one of the assertions my colleague made. PFAS is not a common element in solar panels or solar construction. Because silicone is used and they have similar properties, many people may confuse that PFAS is used. But I'll share two things with you. The top 10 companies who manufacture solar panels and make up more than 75 percent of the global market share have all signed letters attesting that they use zero PFAS in their components. The other is an article I would point you to from my favorite publication, pv magazine. It was the April edition, headline article: "No evidence of PFAS leaching from solar panels, study finds." It's a review of other peer-reviewed research. So the PFAS issue is not a pressing issue. Are there -- the second part of the question about monitoring the water, yes. Because one of the things that anecdotally has been reported -- so for instance when I went to Canoe Creek in New Jersey, which was -- American Water Systems I believe is the name of the company, they put a 17-acre solar array on their reservoir. They're powering 95 percent of the water district's electricity use and I think it was 1400 homes combined. And they found the added benefit -- they've been monitoring the water temperature, and because it absorbs and reflects the sun's light, it's keeping the water temperature lower and they believe helping retard the growth of blue-green algae, something that Senator May has done so much work on. So there is a provision in the bill to develop protocols to monitor water quality.

Senator Murray on the bill.

Thank you, Senator Murray. Senator Walczyk, why do you rise?

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President. Whatever pots of money NYSERDA currently uses to support solar development. There will be no new assessments for this. We the other day in the budget passed 200 million for NY-Sun. Because these are community-scale projects and smaller, it could come out of NY-Sun. This is just a adder program to provide education, technical assistance, and a little bit of money to help encourage these types of projects.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President. There are a couple of answers to that question. Because a lot of NYSERDA's programs are off-book, they're off the state budget for some of the surcharges, funding could come from that. However, the NY-Sun program, which we outlined in the budget, is on-book. So there could be some off-book, some on-book. I would -- I would point out I would expect the expenditures would be very low on this. There are very few in the country. There's one in Cohoes being built right now. There's the one in Short Hills, New Jersey, that I referred to. They're building another one in New Jersey. There are a few on the West Coast. But this is much more done in Europe and Asia, so this is really about learning the marketplace here and developing a skill set of American developers to be able to do this. So I would not expect a large expenditure.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

All right. Through you, Mr. President. To use the exact words from the bill, the term "floating solar" shall mean solar voltaic systems mounted on floating structures or platforms on the surface of a body of water, including but not limited to canals, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

No, it should -- it's manmade lakes. Let me see where we later say -- through you, Mr. President, that's the definition of floating and solar. The grant program that this bill creates: Canals, reservoirs, commercial and industrial ponds, and any other artificially created body of water suitable for siting floating solar. So the definition is like, hey, what is floating solar. But for the purposes of this grant program, this is what it's limited to.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President, that's correct. But right now there is nothing stopping a solar company, if they wanted to, or a -- you know, a wealthy entrepreneur from picking some big lake and trying to build a floating solar array there. I mean, they'd have to go through local permitting and they'd have to go through DEC and all that stuff, but there's nothing in law that would prohibit that. All this -- all this bill is doing is creating a program for a much smaller body and limited body -- number of bodies of water, creating an education and technical assistance and a grant program for those. But if somebody wanted to go ahead and do something like that right now, you know, there's -- they'd have a lot of challenges, but there's nothing in law that would prohibit that.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President. Right now the largest one in the country is less than half the size of what would qualify for ORES. ORES begins -- and for those who don't know the acronym, Office of Renewal Energy Siting -- it's about 20 megawatts. And the largest one in the country is I think about 8.9. So these would all have local planning, local zoning, like the one that was done in New Jersey, they had to go through their planning board, their zoning board of appeals -- you know, whatever special permits they needed. All locally controlled, as was Cohoes.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

If they are manmade, I suppose they would -- they could be eligible. However, the reservoirs in the Catskills and the ones by me, I've approached New York City DEP. They are studying them, so they may or may not be open to them. But those are much larger water bodies. So for instance, the one in New Jersey, the one in Cohoes are really very small water bodies. They're small little local water districts. It's much easier for the installation. It's much easier for the management and the maintenance. Companies don't want like a big expanse of water body. It's too hard for them. So I don't suspect we would see that, certainly not anytime soon. The technical expertise is just not in this country.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President. It is not specified. We do not specify a threshold.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President. Not if New York City DEP has no interest in it. It's their reservoir. So just like you or I couldn't do a development there without their permission, which is not going to happen, if they don't want to do it, it's not going to happen, end of story. Nothing in this legislation overrides that local zoning or local control. And there's nothing in here that says a local municipality couldn't pass a zoning code saying, you know, Lake Smith, we don't want floating solar here. There's nothing that would prevent a municipality -- and if I could comment on one thing, Senator -- through you, Mr. President -- the Senator spoke of the amount of farmland that has been lost to solar. That is precisely why we are advancing this bill for floating solar, to take the pressure off of farmland. So these are water bodies that are not used for recreation because they're reservoirs or they have industrial use. It's exactly why we're doing this, is to take the pressure off of farmland and open space.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President. I suppose there is no prohibition. But many reservoirs do not allow recreation other than passive fishing. You know, there's not rampant boating on manmade reservoirs and manmade lakes to that degree.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President, I have.

Will the sponsor yield?

Thank you, Senator Harckham. Senator Walczyk had asked that you yield. Senator Harckham, do you yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President, no, it does not.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President. The legislation specifically says that the program, when it's being developed, will identify best practices. And so if the best practices are not to use certain materials, based on study from other states and other countries, then those materials will not be used, based on the rules promulgated by NYSERDA.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President. I agree, the Senator's point is well-taken. We've done a lot in this body on the types of plastics that can be used in docks. I think you, Senator, had a good bill, Senator May has had a good bill. So we continue to do work on that. And it's up to the people who promulgate the rules to come up with best practices and best technology.

Senator Walczyk on the bill.

Thank you, Senator Walczyk. Senator Helming, why do you rise?

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President, no. The Finger Lakes are not manmade lakes.

Senator Helming --

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Yeah, there's a difference between a -- the definition of floating solar and what the grant program is for. The grant program, Senator -- through you, Mr. President -- all right, here we go -- would be grants for the development of floating solar on sites that are constructed on canals, reservoirs, commercial and industrial ponds and any other artificially created body of water. So it's a very precise definition. The Finger Lakes would not fall into that, nor would the Great Lakes.

Senator Helming on the bill.

Thank you, Senator Helming. Senator Chan, why do you rise?

Certainly. Senator Harckham, do you yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Mr. President, no.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.