Here are the major bills awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature

During the past legislative session, state lawmakers approved 805 bills in both chambers. With about a month and a half left in the year, Gov. Kathy Hochul still needs to take action on 346 pieces of legislation.

Right now, 144 bills are currently in the governor’s office. That means that the state Legislature has delivered the legislation to Hochul, kick-starting a 10-day clock for the governor to act on them. If Hochul doesn’t take action within 10 days – excluding Sundays – the bill will automatically become law. So she will likely take imminent action on that most recent tranche of bills.

That still leaves 202 pieces of legislation that legislative leaders have not yet delivered to the governor. She has until the end of the year to either sign or veto each of the bills. Or at least, for the most part. Legislation can lapse into the new year, in which case she will have 30 days to act on the bills. At the end of that period, anything she hasn’t taken action on will automatically get vetoed, referred to as a “pocket veto.” Hochul didn’t make any pocket vetoes at the start of this year, signing all three bills that were leftover from 2023.

In total, Hochul has so far signed 457 bills and vetoed only one. The single veto this year did gain some attention, as the governor rejected (for the fourth time) a bill that would have amended the retirement system for various law enforcement officers to align with those for most other police agencies in the state. The veto came shortly after the union representing those officers put up billboards critical of the governor.

The governor has already signed a number of high-profile bills, including one expanding red light camera programs, but several more are still awaiting her approval or rejection. Here is some of the notable legislation awaiting action from Hochul.

Grieving Families Act (S8485/A9232)

This past legislative session is the third time that lawmakers have passed this bill, which would update the state’s 177-year-old wrongful death statute to allow families to sue for emotional damages. Hochul has vetoed it twice before, citing concerns over unintended financial consequences on health care facilities. After the first veto, lawmakers made changes to the bill meant to address some of the governor’s reservations, but she rejected it a second time. This year, legislators made additional changes, but they may still not go far enough to convince Hochul to get on board. Assembly Member Helene Weinstein has spent three decades trying to update the state’s wrongful death law, and this is the last chance for her to see that happen before she retires from the Legislature.

Climate Change Superfund Act (S2129/A3351)

A major priority for climate activists, especially with the incoming Trump administration, the legislation would require major polluters to pay a combined $3 billion a year into a fund to pay for resiliency projects for the next quarter century. It passed at the end of this year’s legislative session as lawmakers debated a series of high-profile environmental measures. Bill sponsor state Sen. Liz Krueger recently told City & State that she is “cautiously optimistic” that it will get signed. As it stands, the state is struggling to hit its statutory climate goals as advocates push for measures that will help move projects along quicker.

Legalizing adultery (S8744/A4714)

It may come as a surprise, but adultery is technically still illegal in New York. It’s one of those laws passed in the distant past that still technically exists. Krueger and Assembly Member Charles Lavine wanted to change that with this legislation, which passed nearly unanimously in both chambers. A handful of naysayers voted to keep adultery illegal in New York, but overall lawmakers were ready to turn the page on criminalizing cheating. The bill was sent to Hochul on Nov. 15 and is currently on her desk.

Parole Board qualifications (S126/A586)

The state Board of Parole is pretty consistently missing members, putting an enormous amount of work on the board members who are serving as they make crucial determinations on the futures of incarcerated individuals. This bill from state Sen. Sean Ryan and former Assembly Member Kenny Burgos aims to widen the pool of potential candidates by introducing alternate qualifications. Right now, appointees to the board need at least an undergraduate degree along with five years of relevant experience. The legislation would allow people without a degree who instead have 10 years of relevant experience to become eligible candidates for nomination as well. The bill has been sent to the governor’s office.

Absentee ballot drop boxes (S610/A7243)

After failing to pass in the Assembly last year, both chambers approved a bill that would authorize secure drop boxes for absentee and mail-in ballots during elections. Drop boxes are used in other states with widespread mail-in voting options. They’ve been in the news recently after fires were set in ballot boxes in Washington and Oregon during the presidential election, raising concerns about the security of drop-off locations. The legislation to authorize their use from state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member Tony Simone has been delivered to the governor.

Downstate casino licensing acceleration (S9673/A10572)

This bill from state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Assembly Member J. Gary Pretlow is more than a little moot now. It would have sped up the bidding process for three new downstate casino licenses, requiring all applications to be submitted by Aug. 31. It obviously is well past the end of August now, but it’s possible that Hochul could negotiate chapter amendments to put in place a new deadline that would actually be effective. The state Gaming Commission set an application due date of June next year, with December 2025 as the deadline for the commission to make its final decisions. Amending the legislation could make the regulatory decision binding in statute. The bill was sent to Hochul for action on Nov. 15.

Lithium-ion battery safety (S6809/A6811)

Following a spate of deadly fires attributed to lithium-ion batteries, state Sen. Cordell Cleare and Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia introduced legislation meant to curb such fires as e-bikes become increasingly common in New York City. The bill would create a “safety program” to allow New Yorkers to exchange old and potentially faulty batteries for new ones or rebates. Hochul signed a series of bills in July meant to improve e-bike and lithium-ion battery safety, but this one was not included. It’s possible that Hochul and lawmakers have been discussing possible chapter amendments to the bill over the past several months, or negotiating more generally over whether the governor would sign it.

TREES Act (S8898/A9711)

Krueger and former Assembly Member Kenneth Zebrowski are trying again to get Hochul’s approval on a bill she vetoed last year, this time with a handy new acronym name. The Tropical Rainforest Economic and Environmental Sustainability – or TREES – Act amends last year’s New York Deforestation-Free Procurement Act to address some of the concerns that Hochul cited in her veto. The bill is meant to ensure that anyone the state contracts with does not contribute to the deforestation of rainforests.

MENA disaggregation (S6584/A6219)

A priority for sponsors state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris and Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, this legislation would require the state to collect separate demographic data for Middle Eastern and North African New Yorkers. Right now, the community is grouped together with white residents in state data. The intent of the legislation is to better serve the historically underserved group with the aid of improved state data.

Fashion Workers Act (S9832/A5631)

New York is a labor state, and the fashion industry is no different. The Fashion Workers Act from Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member Karines Reyes aims to extend labor protections to models working in the fashion industry. Namely, it would close a loophole for management companies that hire models and other creatives in the field that allows them to avoid the regulations that govern talent agencies.

Jury of Our Peers Act (S206/A1432)

The state has done a lot to return the rights of formerly incarcerated people upon their release, but Cleare and Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubry are looking to return one major right that people with felony convictions don’t have. Right now, anyone who has been convicted of a felony is banned from serving on a jury for the rest of their life. The Jury of Our Peers Act would return that right to those who have served their sentence and completed all of their post-release conditions, such as probation. If signed, New York would join 21 other states and Washington, D.C., in allowing people with past felony convictions to serve on juries.