Senate Floor Session — Regular Session

The Senate will come to order. I ask everyone 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. 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. Senator Gianaris.

Good morning.

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 11:33 a.m.) (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at 11:42 a.m.)

Madam President, there's a report of the Rules Committee at the desk. Please take that up.

Senator Stewart-Cousins, from the Committee on Rules, reports the following bill: Senate Print 9999, by Senator Serrano, an act making appropriations for the support of government. The bill reports direct to third reading.

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

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

The Secretary will read.

Is there a message of necessity and appropriation at the desk?

I move to accept the message.

Opposed, nay. (Response of "Nay.")

Lay it aside.

Please go to the reading of the controversial supplemental calendar.

Calendar Number 822, Senate Print 9999, by Senator Serrano, an act making appropriations for the support of government.

Thank you, Madam President. Will the sponsor yield for some questions?

Yes.

Thank you, Senator. Here we are, April 22nd, now more than three weeks late on this budget, and we're taking up our sixth extender of the season. This extender, I believe, takes us into Monday. What is this extender -- what are we extending with this to get us to Monday? And how much new spending is there?

Thank you, Senator. Madam President, if the Senator will continue to yield.

Yes.

Thank you. Senator, are we any closer to a final budget today than we were Monday?

Thank you, Senator. Madam President, if the Senator will continue to yield.

Yes.

Senator, we have a joint budget conference committee set up that we're supposed to follow in the budget process. Are there any joint conference committees scheduled?

Through you, Madam President, if the Senator will continue to yield.

Yes.

Have any table targets been set for the various budget subcommittees to have something to work with on maybe not the major items of the budget?

Madam President, will the Senator continue to yield.

Yes.

Senator, on the major issues that at least we've been reading about in the news, since we really get no information here, the issues holding it up -- modifications to the CLCPA, auto insurance reform, SEQR process, New York for All, and the ever present pressure to increase taxes -- are any of those major issues solidified in agreement yet?

Thank you, Senator. Madam President, will the Senator continue to yield.

Yes.

Senator, this morning I saw on the Empire Reports news website, attributed to the Governor, that she thought we would have a budget on May 19th. There was really no -- no -- attribution to where that came from. Are you aware of the Governor having taken this position that we're still a month away from the budget?

Okay, thank you. Madam President, on the bill.

Here we are, 22 days late on the budget for the fifth year in a row. It's a concerning process. I really see or feel no sense of urgency on getting this budget wrapped up as close to the constitutional required deadline of April 1st to get a budget done. You know, we continue to just extend spending, although the Conservative Party of the State of New York, its chairman Gerry Kassar has expressed his gratitude to us because we're not spending any more and there's really no likelihood or expectation that this budget is going to spend less than last year overall or probably in any specific category at all. Spending will be greater. So the Conservative Party at least feels, you know, we're a month late, we're a month less of extra spending in the state. But we really do need to get this budget done. As I talked about earlier in the week, our school budgets -- our school districts have to come out with their budgets to put to the voters in the middle of May. The time for putting those together is rapidly approaching. And that's just a big problem for our districts, and it will only result in perhaps unnecessary property tax increases, not knowing what the state aid is going to be for these districts. So we really need to get moving here. And if the Governor is really saying that it's going to be May 19th, you know, that's another month away. And we're getting no information here from the Majority on where any of these major issues, the sticking points, where they stand, what's being proposed, whether there's any language, whether there's any resolution on anything. And that's just -- it's concerning. So I just implore the majorities and the Governor to -- let's get together and nail this thing out and do what we're supposed to do, our most important job of the year as elected representatives in the State Legislature, to get this budget done. Thank you, Madam President.

Section 15. This act shall take effect immediately.

Senator Gianaris.

On consent, the bill is restored to the noncontroversial calendar. Call the roll. (The Secretary called the roll.)

In relation to Calendar Number 822, voting in the negative: Senator Weik. Ayes, 57. Nays, 1.

Okay, let's move back to motions and resolutions. We will begin with previously adopted Resolution 1699, by Senators Sepúlveda and Stavisky. Please read that resolution's title and call on Senator Stavisky.

Resolution 1699, by Senator Sepúlveda, memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 14, 2026, as Bangla New Year Day in the State of New York.

Yes, thank you, Madam President. And thank you to the leader and to Senator Gianaris for bringing this resolution up today. As was said, April 12th is the New Year for the people from Bangladesh. And we have a long history of folks from Bangladesh, starting in the late 19th century, coming to the United States, particularly to New York City, and to Queens County in particular. In fact, the number that is cited is 10,000 people per year. And when they arrive in our communities, they very quickly become leaders in both the business community and education, in technology, in healthcare, in arts and literature, et cetera. And they make an incredible contribution to not only the business, the economy, but also the cultural life of living in New York City's communities. And in fact I was interested to learn that Bangla is the sixth-most-spoken language in the world. And that is an incredible number of people who have had a very significant impact on life in the United States. In 2023, with redistricting, my lines changed, and I represent many people from Bangladesh. And I don't want to leave out a community, but many live in Queens Village, in Floral Park, in Hollis, et cetera. And they have made not only a significant impact on the community in various areas, but I have found them to be so welcoming. And they have quickly become my friends. We work together on many issues. And when I mention this to my colleagues, they all shake their heads and say, "Yes!" And that is a quality that is sorely needed. So we're joined here today in the gallery by a number of leaders in the Bangladesh community, and the foundation -- I apologize -- Muktadhara, known as NRB, led by their leader and founder Saha, who I know is in contact with my office on many occasions, and we work on many issues together. So Madam President, I hope that you will extend a warm welcome to our guests and extend all of the privileges to which they are entitled. Thank you, Madam President.

The resolution was adopted on March 10th. Senator Gianaris.

The Secretary will read.

Senator Liu on the resolution.

Thank you, Senator. To the members of the Bangla Chamber of Commerce, I wish you continued success. I welcome you on behalf of the Senate. We extend to you the privileges and courtesies of this house. Please, again, rise and be recognized. (Standing ovation.)

Madam President, next up is previously adopted Resolution 1816, by Senator Stec. Read that resolution's title and call on Senator Stec, please.

Resolution 1816, by Senator Stec, congratulating the Bolton Central School Boys Varsity Basketball Team and Coach Cody Kober upon the occasion of capturing the Class D State Championship.

Thank you, Madam President. Again, it's always wonderful to greet guests here in the chamber, especially young guests that have reached a significant achievement as a sports team. The Bolton Boys Class D State Champions are here with us today. Bolton, for those of you that don't know, is a small town on the west shore of Lake George in Warren County, just up the road from where I live. A lot of you know -- a lot of the basketball fans here know that most of the time the state championship games are played in Glens Falls. Unfortunately, if there's one downside to this, it's that instead of getting to play in front of a hometown crowd, the championship happened this year in Binghamton. But they amassed a 26-and-1 record for the year, very impressive. And in the championship game they defeated the Sackets Harbor Patriots, 66 to 49, so it wasn't even close, another North Country team -- right, Senator Walczyk?

But anyways, it's great to have you all here, and your coaches. A tremendous achievement. In that championship game, one of their players, Jace Hubert, scored his career 1,000th point, and that's impressive. But also as impressive is that he joined two other teammates that also scored a thousand for the season, Jaxon Egloff and Liam Foy. So, you know, it just -- it takes a team. And certainly those individual accolades are nice, but I know that those boys also recognize that they didn't get there alone. And just briefly, the team that's with us here today: Lance Corey, Jaxon Egloff, Abram Figueroa, Liam Foy, Sam Foy, Jacob French, Will Hens, Jace Hubert, Andy Morehouse, Brendon Pagan, Jack Pfau, Teddy Phelps, John Roemer; Varsity Boys Coach Cody Kober; Assistant Coach Angel Figueroa; Athletic Director Mark Andrejkovics, as well as School Superintendent Chad Shippee. Chad, don't worry about your budget, we're going to get those numbers to you soon so that you're ready for your budget vote. But to the boys, again, congratulations on the wonderful season. This is something that you're going to remember for the rest of your lives: How you got there, the work that you put in, the achievement, the thrill of victory. I think the only defeat you had was to the Syracuse Orangemen, I heard? (Laughter.)

To the Bolton Central Boys Basketball Team, congratulations. And to the 1,000-point scorers, congratulations on that feat. We welcome you on behalf of the Senate. We extend to you the privileges and courtesies of this house. And to your coaches, also, we welcome you. Please stand and be recognized. (Standing ovation.)

Next up, previously adopted Resolution 1395, by Senator Persaud and Senator Harckham. Please read that resolution's title and call on Senator Harckham.

Resolution 1395, by Senator Persaud, commemorating the 56th Annual Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2026.

Thank you, Madam President. And thank you for sponsoring this important resolution. Happy Earth Day, everyone. I want to thank Madam Leader for bringing this resolution forward as well. You know, Earth Day is a day of renewal. It's a community day. We come together to express our shared and common humanity in projects to clean the environment. Our local communities pick up trash, do plantings. It's really just a great educational, community-bonding day. And yet in this chamber we have, I believe, a more serious responsibility on Earth Day. It's our job to set policies to address the challenges we face, which are many. You know, we talk a lot about emissions, we talk about PFAS, we talk about water quality and water infrastructure funding. We talk about emissions. There are a lot of things that we address in this chamber and have done so in a bipartisan way on many of these issues. And yet serious issues still remain. The American Lung Association came out with a report yesterday, I believe. And just after having taken a quick look at it, 2 million seniors and children in New York State live with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Two million vulnerable seniors and children in the State of New York still live with dangerous air pollution on a daily basis. And yet while we should be making progress, here in New York we've canceled NY-Sun, we've put on hold the All-Electric Buildings Act, we've put on hold the 100-foot rule, we've put on hold cap-and-invest. And now we're talking about rolling back our signature climate law, the CLCPA. And so I just want to remind folks on this Earth Day that when we talk about these issues -- the CLCPA is not an accounting document. It's a public health document. And we're talking about these 2 million children and seniors who are breathing unhealthy air, and that's why we passed that law. And so there may be changes to that that come through the budget, I recognize that. But let us all be cognizant, please, that while we have made great progress in this great state and we have a lot of work that we can be proud of on a bipartisan basis, we have so much more work to be done. And let's not take our focus off what this is about, and that's public health of our children. I vote aye. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President. All of us celebrated last week when the crew of the Artemis came back from the moon and we saw the beautiful photographs that they took. And it kept reminding me of that photograph from Apollo 17, in 1972, that's known as the Blue Marble, that beautiful image of the earth taken from space. Which was a very, very powerful image at the time to remind people living on this planet that it is a small planet and what we do here in our communities, in our backyards, has an impact on people in every corner of our planet. Our atmosphere is a small atmosphere. It is very thin. And we absolutely depend on it for our survival, for agriculture, for any kind of stability that we have in terms of understanding what our climate -- what to expect from our climate and how to live our lives and produce food and have homes that are safe. And so the work that we're doing to try to address the climate crisis is about everyone living on this earth and protecting that tiny film of atmosphere that we all need to be responsible for. I'm very proud of some of the work we did yesterday here, and the work that we are trying to do, and I join Senator Harckham in saying we've got to keep working on this as if our lives depended on it, because they do. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank the sponsor. And I want to thank -- you know, I want to thank all the people back home who each and every year take the opportunity to do cleanup on Earth Day. You know, as you all know, I represent a district that encompasses the North Shore of Nassau County from the Queens line to the Suffolk line. So we have a concerted effort to not only maintain our communities, but specifically those coastal areas that are most impacted. You know, and it's really beautiful to watch the community come together in that way. And we should celebrate that in each of our districts. And then in a broader sense, Madam President, to the point that our colleague just made, yes, we have a responsibility to the environment. I think we all agree to that. We all do. We all live on the same planet, we all breathe the same air, we're all impacted by what happens in other places. There are no boundaries that limit our exposure to what happens somewhere else. But I also think we should celebrate the progress that this state has made over time, that our residents have made because of policies that have been in place for decades. This isn't just a new process where we decided to begin to move in the right direction. It's been taking place literally for decades, where we are at a point where our carbon footprint as a state is small. It can be smaller, but it's small. So let's celebrate the successes that we've had as a state, and then let's remember that we need to do more. My concern, Madam President, is that we place artificial dates on things and then we trigger certain consequences. Now, I would say that our first responsibility in this chamber to our residents is to make sure that they're safe -- make sure that they have heat in the winter, make sure that they have access to energy and electricity, and that when we have natural disasters, storms, hurricanes, nor'easters, that they have access to energy so that they can keep themselves safe. So in the context of moving forward and continuing our efforts collaboratively, in a bipartisan way, to reach the end goal, let's not lose sight of what the real issue here is. We will get there together as long as we don't set artificial dates that aren't going to be met for the purpose of virtue signaling that we are somehow doing something beyond what we are able to do. Because our responsibility is, first and foremost, to make sure that those who are most vulnerable in our societies continue to have access to safety in their homes and for their families. So yeah, we're heading in that direction, and that's the great news. Now, I just read a statistic that we are 15 percent below our carbon footprint just over the last 30 years. So we're getting there. And we'll continue to get there together. But let's not forget that it can't come at the expense of the safety of our residents. Let's celebrate Earth Day. Congratulations. Thank you to the sponsor. I vote aye.

Thank you, Madam President. It is good that we take a day where we speak of the earth, our shared heritage, and we say the things that we need to ensure that we're making it work. We're celebrating at a unique time, of course, where we're -- some are talking about weakening the goals that we have set. And it puts a strange place for us to be celebrating Earth Day. I want to remind people that there is no Plan B. There is no Planet B. If we don't get this one right, all of these words that we've used of -- that we'll be a little slower, we'll get there, may ring very hollow to our children and grandchildren when they say, Why didn't you go with science? Why didn't you accept that the conditions are moving faster than you anticipate? I also want to take a moment to thank the people of my district who have come out and they did a beach cleanup. From one end of the Rockaways to the other end, we did a beach cleanup. I had every intention to be with these people. I did not know that we would be struggling with the budget at that time. But they're doing excellent work with trying, at a local place, to ensure that we do our part for the earth. Thank you, Madam President. And to all my fellow earthlings, bless you, Science.

Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank the sponsors for this resolution. I would say that every day is Earth Day. And that it started on April 22, 1970, Madam President. And as we've heard in the chamber today, and we'll continue to hear, we've done a lot and there's a lot of work to be done to help this earth. But I wanted to preface my comments today, Madam President, on all the great work that is done throughout this great state, but in the 39th District where there are Earth Day cleanups going on continually in the next week or so. And the fact that we're teaching our children about Earth Day and understanding what it means every day. And I'm a little bummed because I didn't bring the book that I bought for my granddaughter Alena in the gift shop, which says "My Very First Earth Day," which I'm going to give her this weekend so she can understand what Earth Day means at age 4. And we have that responsibility to teach. We also have the responsibility to clean up and to do the things that make our neighborhoods and communities look better, feel better. And as Senator Harckham talked about the statistics that we have in this state when it comes to all the issues related to health, especially in children -- and we have those issues in Dutchess County with asthma rates. It is something that we need to continue to focus on, because of the prevailing winds from the New York metropolitan area that affect Dutchess more than Ulster. Most people don't know that. But again, getting back to the 39th District -- and I'm just going to throw this out to my colleagues today -- we started something called the 7-minute cleanup. I'm just going to leave with this. You can clean a lot in 7 minutes, and we've encouraged people to do that in front of their homes, in front of their stores. Seven minutes can keep a block, a street, and a neighborhood clean. So we're going to be talking more about that 7-minute cleanup. But on Earth Day, again, I wanted to thank the sponsors of this, I want to thank this chamber for the work that they do. And again, Madam President, every day is Earth Day. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President. I rise to thank the sponsors of this resolution for bringing this forward to celebrate Earth Day, but to also give us an opportunity to talk about the incredible things that we are doing in this chamber to support our planet for generations to come. The Hudson Valley was the birthplace of the modern environmental movement. Before it was in the lexicon of everyone's discussion, people were doing the work to actually elevate the importance of protecting our planet and our waterways and our soil and our air. People like Manna Jo Greene, who I had the honor of honoring for Women's History Month through the LWC this year. People like Pete Seeger and Riverkeeper and Clearwater, the folks who founded those two great organizations. People who were battling corporate greed for the betterment of our communities, our societies, and for that next generation. If you talk to younger people today, high school students, Gen Z, they'll tell you one of the major reasons why they feel completely disaffected from government, from politics, is because of the state of the climate and the planet. That's what they say. They feel like they won't have a planet to live on. They're not even sure if they can plan for a family. They don't know if they can have kids in the future because we don't know what Planet Earth will look like in 15, 20 or 100 years from now. These are the conversations that people are having today. And while it might feel strange and uncomfortable that that's the reality and it's easier to dismiss that as just people being hyperbolic, that is true. Many of us are concerned about what the future is going to hold. And so while Earth Day is a day where we can all stand up together and support the incredible work that we do on a bipartisan basis, it's also really important to recognize that these are real fears that people have. The work that we do, whether it's through the CLCPA or trying to shift to a clean energy economy that actually makes things cheaper, energy cheaper for folks -- I actually was just meeting with the head of a large financial institution who, unprompted, told us that renewable energy was cheaper and they were actually helping invest in that because it's better for their clients. When we actually push those things forward, we have to understand what we're actually fighting for here. It's not virtue-signaling to our constituents and to advocacy groups. We're actually trying to make sure that we have a planet and a future to live for. So I thank the sponsors of this resolution. And I am hopeful that through the rest of this session and beyond, we can really understand what people are facing in this moment when we're talking about the climate crisis. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President. Let's move on to previously adopted Resolution 1927, by Senator Salazar, read that resolution's title and call on Senator Salazar.

Resolution 1927, by Senator Salazar, memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 19-25, 2026, as Crime Victims' Rights Week in the State of New York.

Thank you, Madam President. This resolution marks this week as Crime Victims' Rights Week in the State of New York consistent with National Crime Victims Rights Week. It is a recognition that represents our renewed commitment to every New Yorker who has been harmed, who has sought justice, and who deserves to be heard. This year's national theme is Listen, Act, Advocate. I want to emphasize those words for a moment, because they cannot be abstract. They must be a call to action. What do we mean by "listen" in this context? Far too often, survivors of crime are spoken about, rather than spoken with and heard. They navigate court systems that were not designed with them in mind. We have processes that make it complicated for victims to access the support they need, whether that is legal support, financial, psychological, or medical support. Survivors are asked to relive the worst moments of their lives in cold, bureaucratic settings. They are told their cases have been closed, their perpetrators released, their benefits exhausted, with little explanation and without compassion. Listening means building systems where survivors have a real voice, not just a case number. To act. Awareness without action is hollow. Action looks like investing in services, streamlining access, and removing every barrier between a survivor and the support they are owed. An aspect more difficult for our society to reckon with is how often incarcerated individuals are survivors of crime themselves, now part of a cycle of violence. Providing responsible parties, when a crime is committed, with rehabilitative opportunities is critical to ensuring that they properly heal, transition back into society, contribute positively to our communities, and end these perpetual cycles of harm. We've made progress as a state in our efforts to address the needs of New Yorkers impacted by crime. In 2019 we passed the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. However, we've seen many cases in which this important law has not been applied as intended to support survivors. That same year, we also passed the Child Victims Act, modifying the statute of limitations for New Yorkers who survived sexual abuse as a minor. This year, the Fair Access to Victim Compensation Act went into effect, eliminating certain arbitrary barriers that survivors faced in seeking financial compensation. To advocate is needed because there's clearly so much more for us to do. It is the responsibility of each of us in this chamber to advocate for change. Change like through the Survivors First Act, which would remove even more obstacles that victims face when seeking compensation to recover from harm they've experienced. Legislation that would improve the level of support provided to survivors during the interview process by law enforcement. We must also step up to empower our victim services organizations. Currently many of them are being threatened by the federal government, punished for their work specifically in serving certain communities -- namely, immigrant survivors of crime and LGBTQ individuals. Many have already seen their federal funding cut. New York must reject these blatant attacks and instead take opportunities to fill those funding gaps. It is what is required of us so that victims of domestic violence, of sexual assault, of hate crimes, of gun violence, and especially those of them who are of marginalized identities will no longer feel alone. To every survivor who might hear these words, you deserve a system that sees you. You deserve to have your voice centered in our pursuit of justice. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and, more importantly, to carry its spirit into the legislative work ahead of us. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Madam President. And I thank Senator Salazar for bringing this resolution to the floor. Some of the words in the speech -- I didn't write a speech for this because I think if there is ever a subject that should come from the heart, I think it's this. I think it's how we look at, think of, deal with victims of crime. Let's look at the two sides when there is a crime. You have the criminal, the one that did the act, a conscious choice to violate someone else. You have the victim, who had no choice. A victim who doesn't want to be a victim, who never would want that. During my colleague's speech just now it was mentioned that some of those in prison now were victims themselves. And that amazes me, because if there was ever someone that should know what impact crime has on a victim, it should be them. And yet they chose to do it anyway. You know, we -- it's Crime Victims' Rights Week. I think, personally, every hour of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year we should be thinking about those victims and how we can help them. We -- let me preface this by saying I don't think anyone purposefully is trying to hurt anyone or does this out of any animosity or anything. I think it's a case where we just don't think about it. So on the agenda today we have a bill that expunges convictions, another one that addresses inmates' efforts to reduce their prison time. Another one, that I actually think is a pretty good bill, that gives vocational training to the inmates. Some would think, Well, what's that have to do with victims? And if you asked that question, then you don't know. If you asked that question, you haven't been listening. You haven't talked to a victim. Because everything we do in this body, every piece of legislation we pass that reduces a sentence or does this or that, or moves parole sooner, impacts those victims. This past Sunday -- every year when National Crime Victims' Rights Week comes up, it's kicked off by vigils that are held all over, and I attend those every year. If I had one wish, it would be that every policymaker and every lawmaker in this state would have to attend that vigil. I attended it this year. And what they'll do is they'll tell their stories. And this particular group was the parents and other survivors of murdered crime victims. When you hear these stories, it breaks your heart. And then you listen to them reading off the names -- 600 names just in the vigil I was at in Suffolk County. Think about that. And every name on that list is not just a name, it's someone that had loved ones, family members, a spouse, children, someone -- or people that loved them, that cared for them. And now they don't have them. Why? Because someone decided to take their life. Someone made the conscious decision to end their life. And they don't -- it doesn't end with the crime. In fact, unfortunately for the loved ones, that's where it starts. That's where the pain starts. It doesn't go away. And so every time the convicted criminal goes for parole and it's denied and then they want to -- we want to give them an appeal. And then we want to move up the next parole hearing. But what you're forgetting is every parole hearing, every time that comes up, the victims have to relive it. And I assure you they don't wake up that morning and say, Oh, I think I'll tell my story today. No. They're putting that testimony together. As my colleague said, they have to go before this cold bureaucratic group of people they don't know and tell the most intimate, painful story of their lives, to fight to keep the person that took their loved one from getting out. What I would say is this. I just ask this, and I just wish this. Just consider them. Every day we should do what this week is about. We should think about the crime victims and the impact that what we do here has on them. Because I promise you, I promise you, it impacts them. I want to thank Leader Ortt and my colleague Senator Rolison. Leader Ortt approved, I guess you would say, us having crime victims roundtables across the state over the past few months, where we met with law enforcement, district attorneys, crime victims, advocates groups. But most importantly, we met with victims and listened to them. And I've got to tell you, it was amazing to hear some of these stories but to also hear some of the things that they say they experienced that never crossed my mind. We didn't even think about it. But it gave us the fuel to move forward. We're going to be releasing a report about all of the information that we got from that. And it's the Victims First Agenda, because the victims need to come first. That should be our first thought: How will it impact them? And I hope we'll read this report, I hope we'll consider what policy changes or what things that we can do here to help give them -- they'll never completely get peace. But to just help a little and to send the message that it's not just Crime Victims' Rights Week, it's every day. Every day we will hear you, we will consider you, we will think of you. So with that, I thank the sponsor again for bringing the resolution to the floor. Madam President, I proudly vote aye.

Madam President, I have nothing left to say. I want to thank my colleague for his thoughts. I think he was extraordinarily eloquent. I add my own comments to his and would just urge our colleagues, when we decide to pass laws in this chamber that sometimes don't prioritize our victims, that we think twice about the opportunities that we have to give justice to victims and their families in the context of other things that sometimes we're trying to achieve. Thank you, Madam President. I vote aye.

I guess my colleague had something left to say after all, Madam President. Next up, previously adopted Resolution 1925, by Senator Hinchey. Please read that resolution's title and call on Senator Hinchey.

Resolution 1925, by Senator Hinchey, memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 2026 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the State of New York.

Thank you, Madam President. If you spend any time outdoors, you know that Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are a major threat. And we have a responsibility to drive up public awareness and promote early detection. While the Hudson Valley has historically been a hotspot for Lyme, we are now seeing it in nearly every corner of New York State, and it's on the rise. Tick submissions have jumped 145 percent in a single year, according to the Upstate Tick Testing Laboratory. And SUNY researchers are predicting an early and tick-heavy season this year because of rising temperatures. And that is true. We're already seeing it -- we're doing this resolution today, in the end of April, because May has become actually too late for Lyme and tick-borne disease awareness for anyone in our communities. Because of the warm weather that we had just about a week ago, ticks were prevalent everywhere. Personally, in one day, I pulled three ticks off my dog as they were running through the woods. If you talk to anyone in our communities, they've already had major run-ins with wood ticks and deer ticks, kind of in every corner of our state. And this year is going to be especially bad because of the winter that we had. Some people may think that because of the freezing temperatures it would actually be a better year with fewer insects and fewer ticks. But because of the amount of snow that we had, it actually insulated the ground -- which means this year we are going to have even more bugs, more insects, and more ticks than we would in any other season, or we have in seasons past. We have to be aware of what happens and what we're looking for when we're spending time outside. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We want to enjoy our forests and our parks, we want to spend time outdoors with our pets. We need to be able to keep each other and ourselves safe. In New York, our state averages over 17,500 new Lyme cases a year, and many of them are actually undetected. And it's not just Lyme anymore, it's other tick-borne diseases as well. We just saw the rise of something called alpha-gal that our agencies are looking into. It feels like we're constantly being bombarded with new tick-borne illnesses. A study by the Cary Institute found that more than 38 percent of tested ticks were carrying pathogens for at least one of these diseases. And nearly 11 percent of tested ticks were positive for both Lyme and babesiosis at the end of that study. Prevention right now is the best protection for tick-born diseases and prevention, and that starts with awareness. So if you are spending time outside, make sure that you're wearing long pants, that you're wearing bright colors. Don't wear black, because the ticks will blend in. And always do a tick check when you come in from outdoors. Also check your pets. And if you do find a tick, make sure to remove it immediately. And you have to really dig in there and get the head because otherwise it stays. Ticks are really -- really disgusting. So make sure that you're checking your pets and yourself. Monitor the area, if you find a tick, for 30 days. And make sure that you are spreading this information to your friends and neighbors so we can keep more people safe from Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses across our state. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Senator Hinchey, for bringing this resolution forward. I rise to support May as the Lyme Awareness Month, certainly a time to raise awareness, encourage prevention, and support so many New Yorkers who are dealing with this very terrible disease. Obviously Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness. But here in New York it's something that tragically too many families know firsthand. So as Senator Hinchey pointed out, prevention is key. But we also want to recognize the people who are living with Lyme disease and the challenges that they face every day getting diagnosed, treated, and hopefully recovering. So earlier this season the Senate passed my bill, Senate Bill 4816, to help ensure that workers exposed to tick-borne illness on the job can access the care that they need. And I'm certainly optimistic and hopeful that the Assembly will pass that bill so we can continue strengthening the support for those that are the greatest at risk. And lastly, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the hard work being done back home in the 50th Senate District by the hardworking group at the CNY Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Alliance. Thank you. I vote aye.

Thank you, Madam President. Now let's move to previously adopted Resolution 1864, by Senator Rolison, have that resolution's title read and call on Senator Rolison.

Resolution 1864, by Senator Rolison, memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2026 as Pet Cruelty Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month.

Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank the chamber for allowing me to introduce this resolution on a topic, quite frankly, that is heartbreaking. Like many of you, we watch TV. And when my wife and I are watching TV, of course our dog Madison is with us. And most of you know how we feel about our dog. We adore her, we love her, and she is so important to Lori and I. And invariably there's always advertisements and public awareness of cruelty to animals on TV -- asking for help, asking for funding. And we have to change that immediately; I cannot look at those animals that they are showing us who don't have it like our dog, who are not cared for, who are abused and neglected. And so when we talk about Animal Cruelty Month, there are people that are actually doing the work to help these animals. And animal cruelty, Madam President, is defined as the infliction of unjustifiable pain, suffering or death upon an animal, either through intentional abuse or neglect. It includes physical violence, starvation, abandonment, chronic tethering, lack of proper shelter, and organized fighting. I know that goes on, Madam President, but I have an extremely hard time in accepting it at all. And there are individuals who are dedicated to the protection of animals who do that as their work, as their career. We need to acknowledge them for what they do, because quite frankly most of us could not do that. But we want them to do that, Madam President. And without their dedication -- and that's a love of animals, individuals that do this work, whether in the shelters, ASPCA officers, animal control officers, individuals who take animals in to foster them. They're doing the work that our communities need. On April 10th I had the opportunity to visit a facility that was built in my district in the Town of Pawling. And it's the ASPCA New York Operations Recovery & Rehabilitation Center, which opened last fall. This facility cost $38 million to construct. It is the primary shelter for abused dogs that come out of New York City through the NYPD. Currently it has 60 dogs there. It can handle 80, and at some point they will have 80. And these are all part of animal cruelty cases, active animal cruelty cases by the NYPD and other agencies. This center employs 67 individuals. It has a veterinary clinic and all medically available services for those dogs. Now, it was designed and constructed using the latest technology infrastructure by specialized architects that only do this work. It is an amazing, amazing place for those dogs. And, Madam President, I got to tour that facility and to see the work that they're doing. And I met a dog in one of the staff rooms, and her name was Coco. And Coco had been seized by the NYPD in an animal cruelty case. And I don't know the specifics, because of course I didn't want to know. But she was underneath like a cubicle in a staff office, intently looking at me because she didn't know who I was. And you tell through her eyes that she was looking at me sort of suspiciously: Who is this guy? And all the staff people, of course, she knows them. And she's with them because they are working on getting her to a point where she can be with other people and maybe someday can be adopted. And just -- and I'll end with this, Madam President, is that the love and the care that I saw that day in Pawling was so heartfelt. And when I left there -- as difficult as it may have been to go in, walking out I felt pretty darn good, because those dogs are being cared for and rehabilitated. And they have seen unspeakable horrors. And they can't stand up for themselves, Madam President. They need others to do that. So with this resolution, and this particular month, we are saying thank you to the individuals that do that work and will continue to do the work. And I am also very proud of this chamber and the members who support that. We have passed bills in this chamber to protect animals, and that is something that we all can be proud of. Thank you, Madam President. And of course I proudly vote aye on this resolution.

Thank you, Madam President. I want to thank my friend Senator Rolison for bringing this resolution to the floor to recognize April as National Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. There's a lot of common themes here today. We just heard about ticks and checking our pets for ticks, which is a serious issue, especially where I live. And then we also have to acknowledge the fact that there's a connection between cruelty to animals and domestic violence, cruelty to humans. And there's -- so there's a common theme today. I'm very proud of our chamber today for recognizing these issues. I'm a proud cosponsor of this resolution, and I'm even a prouder dog mom to Oreo and Biscuit, who are truly a part of my family. We kind of have a joke at home that if, God forbid, we ever had a fire, my daughters would save the dogs before they saved their sisters and their brother, because that's how important they are to us. It's really remarkable, as Senator Rolison referred to the people that are doing the work. I want to give a shout-out to Posh Pets in Long Beach. Within the last few months they took on 40 or so animals from an abandoned home, and it was well above the number of animals that they could take on. I happened to be in the area, and I stopped by with blankets and sheets and things that they needed. And the director looked at me and broke down and cried and was so happy to see me and support the work that she was doing. And it was a really powerful moment because all I did was show up. She was there taking care of a dog that was horribly matted and in pain. And it took so long to shave this animal that really had been so horribly abused. Animal cruelty is not just an issue of neglect; it's a serious public safety concern. And research shows that connection. The Humane World for Animals said that 71 percent of domestic violence victims in one survey reported that the abuser also targeted their pets. And in another study -- suspected child abuse -- when they were watching those families they said 88 percent of those families under supervision for physical abuse of children were also found to have abused their pets. And that's why this resolution is so important. Because by recognizing it, we're sending a strong message that abuse of any kind will not be tolerated. We need to have stronger protections, enforcement and education. This resolution gives a voice to the voiceless, and that is so powerful. New Yorkers care deeply about the welfare of their animals, whether they be furry, feathery, or even scaly, and we need to make sure that we raise awareness and encourage reporting, compassion, and prevention. So thank you again to the sponsor. Thank you, Madam President. I proudly vote aye.

Madam President, all of today's resolutions are open for cosponsorship.

Please take up the calendar.

Calendar Number 236, Assembly Print Number 3126B, by Assemblymember Lunsford, an act to amend the Executive Law.

Lay it aside.

Read the last section.

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

In relation to Calendar 290, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Skoufis, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 37. Ayes, 21.

Calendar Number 350, Senate Print 985A, by Senator Brouk, an act to amend the Tax Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sales tax quarterly period.

Announce the results.

The bill is passed.

Read the last section.

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

Ayes, 58.

Calendar Number 541, Senate Print 2393, by Senator Persaud, an act to amend the General Business 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 587, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 37. Nays, 21.

Calendar Number 596, Senate Print 1946, by Senator Rivera, an act to amend the Criminal Procedure Law.

Section 2. 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, 58.

Calendar Number 621, Senate Print 4357, by Senator Bailey, an act to amend the Correction 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.)

In relation to Calendar 656, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 37. Nays, 21.

Calendar Number 664, Senate Print 4464A, by Senator Mayer, an act to amend the General Municipal 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, 58.

Calendar Number 683, Senate Print 7974, by Senator Gonzalez, an act to amend the General Business Law.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Announce the results.

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

The Secretary will ring the bell. The Secretary will read.

Senator Rhoads, why do you rise?

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Madam President, yes, that's correct.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Madam President, yes, that's correct.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Yes, that's correct.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Yes, that is correct.

Does the sponsor yield?

The Senator yields.

Through you, Madam President, yes. The form that's required is mail, certified or registered.

Or in person. Sorry.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Madam President. The bill does not prescribe.

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Madam President, the bill does not prescribe. But the Secretary may promulgate regulations that speak to that.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, madam President, there is no exemption in the bill.

Senator Rhoads on the bill.

Thank you, Senator. Senator Martins, why do you rise?

Will the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Madam President, yes.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Madam President, yes.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Madam President, an Article 78 remedy could exist, much as it does with many other similar types of laws.

Does the sponsor yield?

The Senator yields.

Through you, Madam President. On the first, this bill doesn't speak to the first. And there's certainly plenty of other sections of the law that do speak to proper enforcement of the code. This bill, as my colleague knows, speaks simply to notice of resolution. And again, there are no penalties prescribed in this bill. But certainly most of us in this chamber have faith that our municipalities, all of whom have legal counsel, are going to follow this and other municipal laws.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

The intention -- and I believe the bill does read this way -- is to apply to any and all complaints, not just a first of what could be multiple complaints.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

There are two requirements in this bill. One is a copy of the actual complaint, and the second is a resolution. On the first, there is no prescription of timing. On the second, there's no prescription, but certainly if it is speaking to a resolution, it would be subsequent to any determined resolution.

Does the sponsor yield?

The Senator yields.

Through you, Madam President. No specific municipality requested this bill, no.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Madam President. I'll answer that in a little bit of a different way. There are many municipal leaders who are very much aware of this bill, and none of them reached out to me expressing concern or opposition to this bill. And I think I know where my colleague is going with this. Certified mail is about $6. And I thought this line of questioning might have come from the previous debater, and so I looked up Glen Cove. And in Glen Cove there are about 600, maybe a little bit north of 600 annual complaints, building code complaints that are filed with the city. And given, again, there are two notices here, not one, we're talking about 1200 correspondences. And that assumes they're all in mail; they can be, again, in person. And so we're talking about $7200. The City of Glen Cove's budget -- and again, this is representative of all the municipalities around the state that we're talking about here. The City of Glen Cove's budget is about $70 million. And so $7200 over that much larger sum of money amounts to 0.01 percent of the budget. And the reason why this is important -- through you, Madam President -- is that someone who files a complaint in many cases, if not most cases, is filing a complaint because they themselves or their residents -- sorry, they, their families, or their residents are endangered by the alleged issue in the neighboring units or the neighboring property. And we heard yesterday, you know, one of our colleagues expressed interest in Sharia law. In Sharia law, the premise of their building regulations is do no harm. In New York State, our Building Code's premise is certainly to protect those in that residence, to protect first responders who may enter that residence, and to protect the neighbors of that residence. And if there is an illegal natural gas hookup, if there is an overloaded electrical box, if there's hazardous waste on a neighboring property, that does not just endanger the residents of that property, but it could potentially endanger the residents of neighboring units or the neighboring properties as well. And so it is critically important that those who file these complaints do hear back and are provided notice as to whether that potentially dangerous situation and problem is resolved. That's what this bill calls for. Again, it is a minuscule percentage in mailing literally a postage item in any building department's budget, certainly in any municipal budget. And for that reason, it is worth the pennies that it would cost.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Most complaint forms that I've seen do include contact information. And so what this bill calls for I don't think would lead to, would result in, you know, any amendments to existing forms. Maybe there are some that I've not seen around the state that don't. But the ones that I've seen do include a field for contact information. Because oftentimes not only -- even if a municipality, which many if not most do not provide for notice of resolution, oftentimes a building department, code enforcement officers will need to follow up with the complainant for additional information. And so I believe that's why they seek that contact information on those complaint forms.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Madam President, I am aware that some municipalities have even a hotline, if not certainly just a general phone number that people can call in to, to make complaints. My understanding is that many of those municipalities that have that opportunity to file complaints through nonwritten means do still request for contact information when someone does call in. Certainly, you know, I think this bill, if enacted, and the Assembly did pass this bill for the first time this session, may well lead to building departments collecting contact information if they were not already checking contact information. It's a fair question. There's nothing that prevents the Secretary, in promulgating regulations, from redactions or exemptions from FOIL. That is something that your colleague raised in the previous debate that I think is a fair point and one that we can work with the Secretary on following enactment.

Does the sponsor yield?

The sponsor yields.

Through you, Madam President, no.

Senator Martins on the bill.

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

The bill is restored to the noncontroversial calendar. Read the last section.

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

Thank you very much, Madam President. I appreciate my colleagues for the debate. I want to respond to -- my colleague asked to what end are we doing this, to what end are we requiring that what amounts to a rounding error -- again, 0.01 percent of these municipal budgets, why are we requiring this? To what end? If I'm a neighbor and identify that the unit next to mine, the single-family house next to mine has an illegal gas hookup that could lead to an explosion on my street or in my apartment building, and I file a complaint, I want to know how that's resolved on behalf of my family and myself and the safety of our neighborhood, our apartment building, be it what it may. So that is to the end that we're looking to pass this bill. This is a public safety bill. I know, you know, there is the lens by which some of my colleagues across the aisle are looking at this legislation through, through the dollars and cents. And again, we're talking cents, not dollars. But this is a public safety matter. There are families who file complaints. Those complaints are on dangerous matters that could potentially affect not just folks in that unit where the complaint is located, but many others potentially even dozens, if it's an apartment building. That's why I vote yes. Thank you, Madam Leader -- Madam President.

Thank you, Madam President. Unfortunately, this bill should have been tailored, then, to address safety concerns. Because I'm thinking about the 14 villages that I represent, a town, and a city. And having been a former village official, knowing that the building department in my hometown is staffed with two full-timers and two part-timers -- thinking about the Hewlett Harbor Village, where they only have two employees in the entire incorporated village. And now it's not about the cost of the certified mailing. It's the cost of the time of those people that are already burdened with trying to do so much in so little time, and now we're adding to their job. We're taking away from the review of applications. We're taking away from the review of extensions on a home or other things that they could be doing. And unfortunately, we are once again burdening our local municipalities with another requirement. So on behalf of all of those people that I represent, I'm voting in the negative. Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Madam President. I feel compelled to stand to talk about the concept of this being a public safety bill, as if somehow sending a notice to a complainant actually is going to make the building department and the building officials do their job. No. They're going to take the complaint, they're going to act on the complaint, regardless of whether a mailing goes to somebody by certified mail. This has nothing to do with enforcing public safety. This has everything to do with adding bureaucratic layers. Because, Madam President, I assure you that that municipality, from the mayor on down to every person who works in that municipality, is going to ensure that that complaint gets the attention it deserves, including sending people out there to issue the violation. Notice, this bill requires that the notice go out when the building violation is issued. So that issue has already been taken care of. The municipality has issued the violation. This is an afterthought. The idea that this is a public safety bill is a farce. I vote no.

Thank you, Madam President. And I want to thank my colleague Senator Skoufis for this. To me, this addresses a fundamental complaint of our constituents: Government does not work for me. No one is worried about me. I made a complaint based on a fear of something happening or a legitimate safety complaint. I made a complaint to my local municipality, and I want to know what happened. I want to know what the decision is. And no one is willing to tell me. This says: Municipality, this is what people expect of their government. When they make a complaint, they want to know the resolution, the determination. And it makes a lot of sense that a notice would be sent to them providing that information. Thank you for doing this for our constituents. I vote aye.

Madam President, I vote aye. (Laughter.)

Thank you, Madam President. I too will be voting aye on this bill. In my district, I have some of the largest populations of people living in manufactured homes, et cetera. My office often gets calls for assistance because they register complaints -- serious, as was said, public safety complaints, they have issues, and they never get a response. This will help people get that response that they, as has already been said, they deserve to hear back. So I vote yes. Thank you.

In relation to Calendar 236, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Martins, Mattera, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Ayes, 47. Nays, 11.

Thank you, Madam President. I have a motion here. On behalf of Senator Gounardes, on page 22 I offer the following amendments to Calendar 324, Senate Print 8839, and ask that said bill retain its place on Third Reading Calendar.

Is there any further business at the desk?

I move to adjourn until Monday, April 27th, at 3:00 p.m., with the intervening days being legislative days.