NY Governor Paterson Signs 60 Bills Into Law

Focusing On Improving Child And Family Safety, Expanding Health Coverage And Promoting Hospital Accountability; Vetoes 18 Bills Representing $28 Million in Savings Over Next Two Years

September 17, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson today signed 60 bills that together will improve the safety of families and children; increase access to, and quality of, health care for New Yorkers; and increase accountability among government contractors. Additionally, he vetoed 18 bills that, if signed, would have cost State taxpayers $28 million dollars over the next two years.

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The signed bills include A.1242-B / S.1362C, which allows New Yorkers to enroll in a free e-mail service that will update them when certain sex offenders move into their neighborhood or near their children’s school.

“The laws I have signed will equip our citizens with the tools and knowledge they need to keep our kids and families safe,” Governor Paterson said. “Parents have the right to know where sex offenders live, and we’re making it easier for them to get that information.”

The Governor also signed into law a number of bills that will ensure more New Yorkers receive quality health care, including A.7949 / S.4602-A, which creates a demonstration program of reasonably priced health coverage for temporary, part-time, freelance or self-employed individuals who are not currently covered. He also signed the Nursing Quality Protection Act (A.1752A / S.3527), which requires hospitals to disclose certain nursing quality indicators, including the number of licensed and unlicensed personnel providing direct care to patients and the methods hospitals use to determine and adjust staffing levels.

“New Yorkers have the right to the best health care in the world, and I will do everything in my power to make sure they have access to it,” said the Governor. “I am proud that New York State is leading the charge to insure our citizens and I am pleased that we are holding hospitals accountable to provide our patients with qualified nursing care.”

In addition, the Governor signed into law A.4092 / S.1787 requiring contracting agencies to post minority- and women-owned business (MWBE) utilization plans on agency websites. Posting these plans on agency websites ensures better oversight of the statewide MWBE program and helps identify any discrepancies between planned and actual utilization.

The complete list of bills signed by the Governor includes:

* A.903 / S.3842: Provides for review by the department of health of policies and practices regarding HIV, AIDS and HCV at correctional facilities.
* A.1242-B / S.1362C: Allows N.Y. State residents to receive changes or updates in subdirectory of level 2 and 3 sex offenders by e-mail in specific locality at no charge.
* A.1396 / S.3771: Makes technical amendments to 2008 chapter permitting use of certain parkland by the city of Elmira.
* A.1627C / S.3331-B: Prohibits any person, firm or corporation from deceptively soliciting vehicle warranty policies by written solicitation or telemarketing to owners of motor vehicles.
* A.1752A / S.3527: Enacts the Nursing Care Quality Protection Act.
* A.2234 / S.1001: Relates to the past service costs associated with the membership of certain Haverstraw police officers in an optional 20-year retirement plan.
* A.2819 / S.4436: Includes eligible businesses in certain areas designated under the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000 in the Excelsior Linked Deposit Act loan program.
* A.3078A / S.867-A: Authorizes the city of Oneonta (Otsego Co.) to offer an optional 20-year retirement plan to fire chief Robert S. Barnes.
* A.3367A / S.5990: Makes provisions for primary care givers to vote in general elections and school elections by absentee ballots.
* A.3378 / S.4077: Allows social services districts to inform applicants and recipients of public assistance of their option to receive information regarding victims of sexual assault.
* A.3843A / S.5036: Prohibits compelling domestic abuse victims to contact their abusers.
* A.4092 / S.1787: Requires agencies to post contractor utilization plans on the agency website.
* A.4703A / S.1757-A: Authorizes Saratoga Co. to discontinue for reforestation purposes the use of certain lands and to convey such lands.
* A.4811 / S.1800: Authorizes the village of Cambridge (Washington Co.) to offer an optional 25-year retirement plan to certain police officers.
* A.5753 / S.5551: Provides that the term “mortgage” shall also include a loan owed to a bank secured by a second lien on a fee simple or leasehold estate in real property located in the state.
* A.5877B / S.2501-B: Establishes the state energy planning board.
* A.6153A / S.3631-A: Authorizes the village of Scarsdale to offer an optional 20- year retirement plan to police officer Matthew A. Miraglia.
* A.6472A / S.3758-A: Authorizes the village of Airmont, town of Ramapo (Rockland Co.), to file an application for an exemption from real property taxes for a certain parcel of land.
* A.6718B / S.4135-A: Allows dental residents to satisfy the ethics and jurisprudence educational course requirement during their dental residency.
* A.6731 / S.2903: Authorizes the village of Ilion (Herkimer Co.) to offer an optional 20-year retirement plan to police officer Louis P. Romano.
* A.6732 / S.2961: Extends the date for certain filing requirements for the reopening of the optional 20-year retirement plan in the city of Oneida (Madison Co.).
* A.6772A / S.4944-A: Broadens the definition of summer day camp.
* A.7122C / S.3325-B: Extends the time for filing a claim against a public corporation for injuries from participation in World Trade Center rescue, recovery or cleanup.
* A.7509 / S.4127: Allows hunters in Schuyler County to hunt deer by the use of a rifle.
* A.7711A / S.4522-A: Authorizes Shannon Brett and James DeFilipps to obtain service credit for service as deputies in Orleans County.
* A.7741A / S.2900-A: Relates to the applicability of the uniform fire prevention and building code to children's overnight camps.
* A.7840A / S.4862-A Fitzpatrick -- Authorizes the town of Smithtown (Suffolk Co.) to discontinue the use of certain park land and lease the land for a cellular communications tower to Site Tech Wireless, LLC.
* A.7858 / S.4972: Authorizes the village of East Hampton (Suffolk Co.) to offer an optional 20-year retirement plan to certain police officers.
* A.7938A / S.4573-A: Provides for the transfer of land from the Village of Victor to the Town of Victor (Ontario Co.).
* A.7949 / S.4602-A: Authorizes the superintendent of insurance to approve a demonstration program where an eligible insurer issues group health insurance policies to eligible associations.
* A.8018A / S.5998: Relates to the commercial production credit.
* A.8020A / S.5397-A: Authorizes the Village of Nichols (Tioga Co.) to discontinue the use of certain lands as parklands.
* A.8043 / S.4796: Provides that certain newspapers in Richmond County may charge the regularly established classified advertising rate for publication of legal notices.
* A.8097 / S.5763: Permits the Mount Olivet Baptist Church to file an application for a real property tax exemption.
* A.8114A / S.5436-A: Provides that Fordham Preparatory School, Inc. be eligible for participation in financing and construction options available through the Dormitory Authority of New York.
* A.8131 / S.4845-B: Authorizes New York City to provide a biotechnology credit to be taken against the general corporation, unincorporated business and banking taxes.
* A.8132 / S.5362: Authorizes the funding of the sanitary sewer system in the hamlet of Hemlock in the Town of Livonia (Livingston Co.).
* A.8286 / S.5490: Authorizes the Village of Port Dickinson (Broome Co.) to offer an optional 20-year retirement plan to Sean Crouse and Paul Buttacovoli.
* A.8342A / S.4980: Authorizes Shavi Uma Ganesh Mandir to file an application for a real property tax exemption.
* A.8355 / S.5554: Allows the district attorney of Schenectady County to appoint a grand jury stenographer residing in Schenectady County, Albany County or any other county of the 3rd judicial district.
* A.8356 / S.5556: Relates to a real property tax exemption for cold war veterans in the town of Oyster Bay (Nassau Co.).
* A.8368A / S.5899: Relates to the election of park commissioners of the Mattituck park district.
* A.8370 / S.5581: Authorizes the Union-Endicott central school district to discontinue the use of certain parklands.
* A.8371 / S.5557: Removes limitations pertaining to certain retirees earnings.
* A.8492 / S.4243: Relates to the qualifications used by the board of elections for establishing the minimum number of voting machines.
* A.8518 / S.5578: Makes standards for various on premises liquor licenses consistent.
* A.8527 / S.5448-A: Relates to ballots which are counted by machine and states the manner in which ballots are to be delivered; repealer.
* A.8599A / S.5810-A: Authorizes the Dormitory Authority to finance certain facilities for the Reece school.
* A.8600 / S.5602: Authorizes the Village of Monroe to offer an optional 20-year retirement plan to police officer Anthony T. Amatetti.
* A.8661 / S.5735: Authorizes the Town of Austerlitz (Columbia Co.) to discontinue the use of certain lands as parklands.
* A.8669 / S.5703: Exempts the Pocatello and Washington Heights fire districts from the residency requirements for the membership of their volunteer firefighters.
* A.8674 / S.4428: Authorizes Long Island Youth Mentoring, Inc. to file an application for a real property tax exemption with the assessor of the Town of Islip.
* A.8729A / S.5769-A: Provides that Friends Academy in Glen Cove (Nassau Co.) is eligible for participation in financing and construction options available through the Dormitory Authority.
* A.8768 / S.5830: Relates to construction and financing of facilities by Dormitory Authority for InterAgency Council of Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc.
* A.8774 / S.5816: An act to authorize the Village of New Berlin to discontinue the use of certain parklands.
* A.8789 / S.6037: Relates to orders of custody involving a parent activated, deployed or temporarily assigned to the military.
* A.8815 / S.5903: Provides a residential membership exemption for volunteer firefighters in Rockland Lake fire district in Rockland County.
* A.8967 / S.5951: Legalizes, validates, ratifies and confirms certain actions taken by the Village of Hammond (St. Lawrence Co.) with respect to a certain serial bond note.
* A.9017 / S.55306 / S.5031-A: Enacts provisions relating to domestic violence; requiring attorneys for children to receive training or education in domestic violence.
* A.9040 / S.6050 / S.53302: Relates to clean energy initiatives of New York Power Authority.

The complete list of bills vetoed by Governor Paterson includes:

* A.250 / S.1608: Requires entities applying for or receiving certain state economic development grants to commit to first considering New York companies as primary suppliers.
* A.584A / S.1058-A: Requires polling places to be accessible to physically disabled voters.
* A.781B / S.5396: Clarifies the scope of protections against discrimination on the basis of disability in services provided by public entities.
* A.3173 / S.4946: Creates the Westchester County workforce housing incentive program.
* A.3193 / S.5639: Creates the micro business outreach center assistance program and micro business outreach center.
* A.3409 / S.2460: Redefines overlimit charge under retail installment credit agreements and under installment obligations to exclude interest charges and other fees in determination.
* A.4106B / S.5098-A: Removes residency requirements for members of the auto trades employed by New York City and the counties of Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland, or Putnam.
* A.4343 / S.3508: Limits the use of subcontracting by public authorities or other entities when it would duplicate services of certain employees of the authority.
* A.4613A / S.868-A: Authorizes the Fredonia central school district to receive state aid for certain approved capital funded projects.
* A.4629B / S.5042: Requires training regarding sexual assault for police officers and child protective services workers.
* A.6349 / S.5208: Establishes felony offenses relating to endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person.
* A.6700 / S.2737: Provides for the recalculation of school aid payments to the Marlboro central school district as a result of certain tax certiorari proceedings.
* A.7144A / S.5737: Enacts provisions providing protection to employees from retaliatory actions by employers where such employees report illegal business activities.
* A.7288: Authorizes the comptroller to pay the proceeds of the estate of Howard J. Geyer to certain persons.
* A.7581A / S.6057: Allows for rifle hunting in Ontario County.
* A.8146 / S.4804: Authorizes the Bolivar-Richburg central school district to repay certain state aid overpayments over three years.
* A.8245A / S.5446-A: Defines tuition for the 2010-2011 school year.
* A.8555A / S.3285-A: Enacts the New York State Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise Opportunity Act.

Source: New York Governor