With the holidays now upon us, this is a time to reflect and take stock of the past year and look forward to the new year. Though 2019 was a very difficult year at our state Capitol, I would like to close out the year by sharing with you some important new laws that I helped to enact. These laws will impact our community and are examples of lawmakers coming together across the aisle to get the people’s business done.

Many constituents have contacted my office about abandoned or neglected properties and the impact they have on neighbor’s property values and our community spirit. To address this, I voted in support of legislation (A.1859) that tackles these “zombie properties” by allowing municipalities to compel a mortgagee to complete a mortgage foreclosure or discharge the property as abandoned. This would allow our local governments to end the limbo of zombie properties lingering for years and find new owners faster.

To safeguard children, I voted in support of legislation (A.29-A, A.4421) that would require furniture and electronics at child care centers to be anchored and require furniture retailers to sell anchoring devices with furniture purchases. This would prevent furniture or appliances from tipping over onto children, which is a leading cause of emergency room injuries for children in our country. The new law will only cost a few dollars to implement and will ensure that children are kept safer every day. I also voted to keep infants safer by banning the sale of crib bumper pads, an item that the American Academy of Pediatrics has long urged parents not to use (A.217). Using bumper pads increases the risk that an infant will suffocate or get strangled, and I am pleased that New York state is going to help reduce this risk by banning the sale of bumper pads so there is no longer confusion with well-intended parents or gift-givers regarding their safety.

I also proudly voted in support of a measure known as Shannon’s Law (A.5502-A). This new law will require that insurance companies pay for annual mammograms for New Yorkers age 35 or older. With breast cancer remaining a leading cause of death in women, early detection is vital. Younger women, who were not previously covered for mammograms, have a higher rate of death from breast cancer. But because of this new law more lives will be saved with earlier detection, and I am so proud to have helped book this law on the books.

A growing concern across our state has been an increase in nuisance calls, despite many people having registered their phone number on the Do Not Call Registry. Across our nation in 2018, we received 16.3 billion nuisance calls in just the first five months of that year – with roughly 4.4 billion robocalls reported in September 2018 alone. This was because the Do Not Call Registry did not originally ban live telemarketing calls, only prerecorded messages. That’s why I was proud to vote in support of the Nuisance Call Act (A.2224) that will increase protections to consumers against unwanted telemarketing calls by closing that loophole once and for all.

While there are many other bills I helped to enact into law this year, I would like to close by highlighting one that I was very proud to sponsor (A.4654-A). This bill will extend Operation Recognition to provide all veterans the opportunity to receive high school diplomas. Though it is not as common of a practice today, it was a very common practice for individuals to enlist in the armed forces prior to graduating from high school – especially in times of turmoil in our nation’s history. Many veterans of the Korean War, Vietnam era, and even those deployed in Operation Desert Storm, Iraq or Afghanistan did not have the opportunity to finish their high school degree before being shipped out. For their bravery and heroism, we can never say thank you enough. That’s why this new law is so important. Not only does it show our veterans how much we value and appreciate their service, but it will also help them get back into the workforce or achieve their degree regardless of their present age or circumstances.

This holiday season; please join me in saying thank you to all our veterans and active military. Let’s show our appreciation for the nurses, doctors and emergency services workers who will be at work and on call throughout the holidays. Thank you to the law enforcement and road crews who help keep us all safe. Thank you to all the volunteers and organizations that fill us with community spirit. It’s a wonderful time of year to take stock of everything that makes our community such a great place to call home, and it is my deep honor and pleasure to serve you. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!