Retirement Security

September 25, 2016

2016 New York Legislative Session Results on Senior Issues

The following is a list of NYSARA Priority Bills and their descriptions.  See how your Assembly member and Senator Voted on these most important Senior bills by clicking on the links at the bottom of this article.

2016 New York State Session Bills Passed Both Houses and/or Signed Into Law

  1. Paid Family and Medical Leave (Chapter 54)
    (S.6406-C / A.9006-C)
    Passed as part of the state budget this April, NY’s paid family and medical leave law provides 12 weeks of paid family leave for caring for a new child, caring for a family member with a serious illness, or relieving family pressure when a family member, including spouse or domestic partner, parent or child are called to active duty service. When fully phased in by 2021, it will require employers to provide 67% of weekly pay for up to 12 weeks.
  2. $15 Minimum Wage Law (Chapter 73)
    S.8159 (Flanagan) / A.10741 (Rules/Farrell)
    Also passed as part of the state budget this year, the minimum wage increase will be phased in over the next 5 years, rising to $15 in NYC by 2018, to $15 by 2021 in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties and $12.50 for the rest of the state by 2021.  Some 2.3 million New Yorkers will benefit from these increases. Seniors are being forced to work longer both in service and in retirement due to our weakened economy. This increase will effect hundreds of thousands of seniors.
  3. Military Service Credit (Chapter 41)
    S.7160 (Larkin) / A.9531 (Paulin)
    Provides that veterans may claim for time served in the armed forces regardless of when or where military service was rendered. Military service credit has been traditionally been restricted to service during periods of conflict. This law honors veterans buy allowing the purchase of service credit regardless of time or place of military service.
  4. Protecting Senior Housing (Passed Both Houses)
    S.3342-A (Lanza) / A.8140-A (Wright)
    Requires the NYC Housing Authority to provide a notice of opportunity to meet to discuss possible termination of tenancy when the occupant is over 62 years of age.
  5. Coordination of Senior Services (Passed Both Houses)
    S.5999 (Parker) / A.7628-A (Barron)
    Establishes an interagency council for the purposes of planning and coordinating services for older adults. The council will assess current services across state agencies and consider current and future needs.
  6. Spotlighting Financial Literacy and Elder Abuse Education (Chapter 131)
    S.8098 (Persaud) / A.9712-A (Richardson)  
    Adds financial literacy and elder abuse education to the list of services provided by state or not for profit agencies in community settings.
  7. SCRIE and DRIE Safety Net (Chapter 31)
    S.6427-A (Lanza) /A.9194 (Simotas)
    Authorizes the surviving members of household to apply for a transfer of head of household benefits under Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs in NYC. This change will maintain affordable housing for many of our most vulnerable seniors in NYC.
  8. Collective Bargaining Protection for Health Insurance Buy-Outs (Passed Both Houses)
    S.7120 (Golden) / A.9715 (Abbate)
    This bill clarifies that a participating employer in NYSHIP is allowed to have a health insurance buyout program with its employees through collective bargaining and prohibits the Commissioner of Civil Service from invalidating a buyout program or establishing any rules or policies that
    would prohibit health insurance buyouts.
  9. Enhanced Safety Net for Hospital Rates (Passed Both Houses)
    S.6948-A (Hannon) / A.9476-A (Gottfried)
    This bill requires the Commissioner of Health to establish a supplemental rate of Medicaid assistance to hospitals that serve disproportionally large numbers of Medicaid recipients or uninsured.
  10. Notice of Change in Retirees Health Insurance (Passed Both Houses)
    S.2448-A (Farley) / A.639-A (Abinanti)
    This bill requires the governing board of a public corporation to vide 90-days’ notice prior to the adoption of a contract for health insurance or to any amendments to an existing contract for health insurance for retired employees.

Bills Passed One House (Assembly)  Senate Refused to let this come to the floor

  1. Safe Staffing For Quality Care Act (Passed Assembly)
    S.782 (Hannon) / A.8580-A (Gunther)
    This legislation requires acute care facilities and nursing homes to implement direct care nurse to patient ratios in all nursing units and provides penalties for violations of these ratios. The legislation would greatly improve the health and safety of all patients by providing lower patient to caregiver ratios in healthcare and skilled nursing facilities.

Click Below to See Voting Records on These 11 Issues by your Elected Representatives

2016 NYS Assembly Voting Record

2016 NYS Senate Voting Record

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