New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is set to sign legislation creating a new government office to help kids with reading disabilities. It’s one of the more than 150 bills currently awaiting her signature or veto before the end of the year.
The state Education Department’s new Center for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia would create policies on student screening, professional development for teachers and curricula that reflect the latest in reading science.
“This, if done well, will be a game-changer for any kid sitting in a classroom today with undiagnosed or diagnosed dyslexia who's struggling so much and is in desperate need of evidence-based interventions,” said state Assemblymember Robert Carroll, a Democrat who was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child and sponsored the bill.
The Democratic governor said the state was "doubling down on our commitment to ensuring all students, including those with learning disabilities, have the best classroom outcome.”
Her signature comes amid an end-of-year push by advocates to approve, annul and sometimes amend the bills that flow from the Legislature.
“I have to go through with a fine-tooth comb with my team, pressure-test everything, make sure that there's not even technical changes that could be needed,” Hochul said recently. “I’ve decided on a number of them, but I've got until the end of the year. So, this is the sprint of the finish line.”
Hochul’s office requested nearly a fresh stack of nearly 100 bills from the Legislature on Monday, meaning she has a deadline to act on them by Friday, Dec. 19. The governor has already signed 614 and vetoed 78 of the bills, which passed the Democrat-controlled Assembly and Senate earlier this year.
Last month, Hochul signed bills to crack down on people scamming veterans and to prohibit co-pays for asthma inhalers. She once again vetoed a bill that would have allowed the loved ones of people to argue for pain and suffering damages in wrongful death lawsuits.
Like most governors, Hochul has pushed some of the most consequential and controversial measures until the end of the year. Here are some of the most noteworthy bills awaiting Hochul’s pen:
Prison Oversight
State lawmakers passed an omnibus bill increasing cameras and oversight of the prison system in the wake of the beating deaths of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi, two people incarcerated at state prisons.
Hochul’s team is negotiating with legislators over a chapter amendment – an agreement to change provisions of the underlying bill if she agrees to sign it. The potential amendments involve changes to the state Commission on Correction and loosening the camera requirements, two people familiar with the talks said.
Rosemary Rivera, a co-leader of the End Prison Violence campaign, said she hopes Hochul drops her bid for major changes. Tuesday was the first anniversary of Brooks’ death, and advocates used the day to push Hochul to sign the bill without making any changes.
“The bill as-written was a compromise,” said Assemblymember Gabriella Romero, a Democrat from Albany. “The so-called murkiness and darkness of the prison systems will have light literally shed on them.”
Hochul said in a Tuesday statement that her administration has expedited funding to install more cameras in prisons.
“While these investments and safety reforms are needed, there is more to do,” Hochul said. “I am committed to further action to ensure our facilities are safer, and hopeful the Legislature will agree to some common-sense changes to legislation currently on my desk that would allow us to advance reforms together. Public safety is my top priority and I will not stop working to ensure our correctional facilities are safe for all.”
Natural gas hookups
Legislators passed a bill in June to repeal the 100-foot rule, which requires utility companies to assume the cost of extending natural gas services to new homes within 100 feet of an existing service line.
Major environmental groups that support the legislation have said it would reduce costs for existing utility customers, whom the expense is eventually passed along to, and help the state meet its climate goals.
Republicans voted against the legislation, arguing it would increase costs for people buying new homes. A key state lawmaker told Newsday that Hochul is considering an amendment that would delay the effective date of the bill by a year.
Regulating AI
Hochul has a bill on her desk that would impose safety requirements on artificial intelligence models – exactly as President Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order pre-empting individual states’ ability to regulate the emerging technology.
The Responsible AI Safety and Education, or RAISE Act, would require companies to develop safety plans on how they will prevent models from being used to develop chemical, biological or nuclear weapons and ensure models don’t operate without “meaningful human intervention.”
The bill would require developers to report violations to the state and would let the attorney general sue developers for violations of the law by their models.
Tech groups have urged the governor to veto the legislation, saying it would stifle the AI industry and push development to other places. Supporters said it’s important to place safeguards on the new industry, and likened the current regulatory landscape to letting companies test cars without brakes.
Hochul said this week that she opposed Trump’s efforts to preempt regulation.
“We are an AI supportive state,” she said. “We have a lot of ideas on how we want to manage this. It would be devastating if the federal government removed our ability as leaders of our states to protect our citizens.”
Consumer Protections
A consumer bill advocated by Attorney General Letitia James passed after significant amendments. It would broaden the definition of unacceptable business practices for which consumers can complain, and would allow the attorney general to sue firms for infractions.
Consumer advocacy groups said the measure didn’t go far enough because it didn’t give individuals the right to file lawsuits. The Business Council of New York State says it remains concerned about the bill and hopes Hochul agrees to more changes.
“Our members are trying to make sure we meet the needs of the intention of the statute while also making sure it fits within the framework of what businesses are able to do,” said Paul Zuber, executive vice president of the Business Council.
Critical Incident Leave
The union representing state troopers is pushing Hochul to sign a bill that would grant time off for troopers involved in a call when someone is seriously injured or dies.
The bill passed nearly unanimously after it was amended to give the State Police more flexibility in scheduling the leave.
“We know the governor has prioritized mental health overall, and there is no better way we can think of for her to demonstrate her commitment to this important issue than to sign this bill as soon as possible,” New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association President Charles Murphy said.
Requiring subway conductors
One measure on Hochul’s desk could have a big impact on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and any hopes of relying more on automated systems to operate trains.
A bill would effectively require a two-person crew on mass transit trains – meaning New York would be precluded from joining London, Washington and Paris in running subways with just a driver. It passed the Legislature almost unanimously, with only two upstate Republicans objecting in the state Senate.
The Transport Workers United union was the principal advocate for the bill. Its leaders say it protects riders by making sure there are enough trained personnel in place in case of an emergency.
Various leaders of the MTA have repeatedly and unsuccessfully tried to convince the TWU to change work rules to operate trains without a conductor. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber hasn’t officially taken a position, but previously said that he would study its long-term costs.
Medical Aid in Dying Act
A bill to legalize physician-assisted death is one of a handful of measures not yet on Hochul’s desk. Advocates for and against the legislation, which passed in June after considerable debate, are still lobbying her furiously.
New York would become the 12th state to legalize physician-assisted death if Hochul signs the bill. Gothamist reported last week that Hochul is seeking to add restrictions to the legislation, including a requirement that people make a video recording of their request to die.
As written, the bill would authorize physicians to assist patients in ending their lives if the patients have an incurable diagnosis and less than six months to live.
Two physicians must certify that the patient is eligible for the procedure. After a patient requests the lethal prescriptions, two witnesses must sign a declaration saying the request was voluntary and not coerced.
The New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s Roman Catholic bishops, is part of a coalition that has organized candlelight vigils outside the governor’s Albany residence and Manhattan office.
“New York’s self-described ‘Mom Governor’ is right to have doubts about the damage this bill could do,” Bob Bellafiore, a spokesperson for the Catholic Conference, told The Wall Street Journal. “She should trust those doubts and veto this, because once the assisted suicide door is opened, it never closes.”
Compassion & Choices Senior Campaign Director Corinne Carey has been lobbying for the bill. Her group held a recent rally in Times Square and released a video rebutting arguments against the bill.
“Letters from supporters continue to stream in from the governor’s office,” she said. “They continue to make phone calls, even though the number to her Albany office is often busy.”
Similar legislation is also pending in Illinois before Gov. JB Pritzker.