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

With just days left in 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul has acted on all but two of the 805 bills that lawmakers passed in the last legislative session. One of the two bills that she has yet to act on is the Climate Change Superfund Act, which would make the state’s top polluters play into a climate change remediation fund and has been a top priority of environmental advocates. The other relates to reimbursement of after-school busing fees. Neither bill has been delivered to Hochul yet, so they are likely to lapse into the new year. 

If the governor does not act on those final two bills before 2025, she will have 30 days to make a decision on them, rather than the usual 10 days, minus Sundays. At the end of those 30 days, inaction results in an automatic veto – referred to as a pocket veto – rather than automatically becoming law after the usual 10 days. Since taking office, Hochul has not had any pocket vetoes, but has allowed a small number of bills to carry over into a new year.

Hochul offered staff an early holiday present by acting on every bill on her desk on Saturday, ensuring that people can enjoy the holidays without worrying about pending legislative action. For many of the bills, the governor technically had until Christmas Eve to take action, and for a few others, until New Year’s Eve. 

The governor received some praise for bills she signed over the weekend that would expand protections for workers, including legislation to improve warehouse worker safety and to expand labor protections for models in the fashion industry. She also signed a bill to update how Middle Eastern and North African New Yorkers are counted in demographic data, which was a priority bill for the state Senate’s second in command.

The weekend actions also included notable vetoes like the Grieving Families Act, which Hochul rejected for the third year in a row. While advocates denounced the fresh rejection, opponents of the bill – including physician and hospital groups – applauded the governor for keeping the state’s wrongful death statute as is for now. In her veto memo, Hochul cited “higher costs of living due to inflation” before once again discussing potential unintended consequences like higher costs for insurance premiums, bringing her recent affordability rhetoric into the latest veto.

Hochul has touted affordability recently, including when she signed a bill that will require insurers to cover EpiPens, while capping out-of-pocket costs at $100. “By signing this bill, we are putting people over profit and giving New Yorkers peace of mind by ensuring equitable access to this lifesaving emergency treatment,” Hochul said in a statement last week. The governor also recently claimed victory when Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reversed a plan that would have placed limits on insurance coverage of anesthesia.

But Hochul has received backlash from lawmakers and childcare advocates for her rejection of legislation that would have removed a minimum salary requirement for low-income parents to qualify for state assistance with childcare, and a similar bill that would have removed minimum work hour requirements. She also notably vetoed legislation that would have prevented insurance companies charging patients higher costs for physical therapy. Both vetoes come as Hochul has touted ways to make New York more affordable, including by reducing patients’ healthcare costs. 

All told, Hochul has signed 678 bills so far this year and vetoed 124 bills. (Lawmakers also passed one constitutional amendment, which the governor does not act on.) Here is some of the notable legislation still awaiting action from Hochul and significant items that she has already acted on. This list was last updated on Dec. 23.

PENDING BILLS

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. 

After-school busing fees (S9349/A10274)

This legislation from state Sen. Julia Salazar and Assembly Member Simcha Eichenstein aims to increase the reimbursement rate for the state’s “after 4 p.m.” bus program, which is meant to provide transportation to students whose days end later than others. As it stands, the state reimburses school districts at a rate of $16 per student, per day. But according to a memo from the sponsors, New York City is spending over twice that much to provide the bus services. So the bill would permit an increase of $1 per student, per day, and then tie future increases to the personal income growth index. Lawmakers estimate that it would cost the state an additional $2.5 million a year. 

VETOED BILLS

Grieving Families Act (S8485/A9232)

This past legislative session was the third time that lawmakers passed this bill, which would update the state’s 177-year-old wrongful death statute to allow families to sue for emotional damages. Hochul 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 still did not go far enough to convince Hochul to get on board. Assembly Member Helene Weinstein spent three decades trying to update the state’s wrongful death law – but Hochul vetoed it for a third time, as Weinstein prepares to retire at the end of the year. Although in past years, Hochul pitched lawmakers a pared back version as a compromise, she did not indicate she offered such a compromise this year in a veto memo. “For the third year in a row, the Legislature has passed a bill that continues to pose significant risks to consumers, without many of the changes I expressed openness to in previous rounds of negotiations,” Hochul wrote. She concluded that “further deliberations are needed.” The bill has received significant opposition from the state’s powerful hospital lobby, which warned that expanding the wrongful death law would significantly increase already high costs for hospitals and practitioners.

TREES Act (S8898/A9711)

Krueger and former Assembly Member Kenneth Zebrowski tried – and failed – 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 amended last year’s New York Deforestation-Free Procurement Act to address some of the concerns that Hochul cited in her veto. The bill was meant to ensure that anyone the state contracts with does not contribute to the deforestation of rainforests. In a veto memo, Hochul acknowledged that the sponsors had made changes to the legislation but said that “many fundamental problems remain.” She said the certification requirements would have placed “significant burdens” on especially small businesses. The veto was denounced by advocates and the bill sponsors. “The climate crisis is a central driver of the affordability crisis, and New Yorkers can't afford inaction,” Kruger said in a statement, adding that she is “committed to seeing this bill become law.”

Prevailing wage at brownfield remediation sites (S5868/A749)

A bill from state Sen. Peter Harckham and Assembly Member Harry Bronson would have brought prevailing wage requirements to brownfield remediation work completed under a private contract. Brownfield remediation work is often eligible for public subsidies and property tax benefits, but – unlike many other types of privately contracted work eligible for public benefits – there are currently no specific labor standards for brownfield decontamination projects. This legislation would have changed that by mandating that in order for a brownfield remediation project to receive tax benefits, workers must be paid the prevailing wage – though there’s an exception for projects that build affordable housing. The bill was one of the last of the year to get sent to the governor, and while she expressed support for the intention of the bill, Hochul ultimately vetoed it. She said that adding additional requirements to the voluntary brownfield cleanup program could disincentivize participation, harming communities. Hochul cited her support for strong labor standards, pointing to labor requirements in a New York City affordable housing tax credit, but said she couldn’t come to a compromise with lawmakers. “I remain open to finding ways to pay workers on BCP projects a prevailing wage, including in future legislation or action in the

Fiscal Year 2026 Budget,” Hochul wrote in a veto memo.

Jury of Our Peers Act (S206/A1432)

The state has done a lot to reinstate formerly incarcerated people’s rights upon their release from prison, but Hochul rejected state Sen. Cordell Cleare and Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubry’s attempt to return one major right that people with felony convictions currently 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 have returned 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 have joined 21 other states and Washington, D.C., in allowing people with past felony convictions to serve on juries. However, Hochul vetoed the legislation, “technical and operational challenges that would make implementation difficult” in a veto memo. Criminal justice advocates expressed disappointment in the rejection. “Governor Hochul chose to reject what would have been an enormous stride towards racial equity, justice, and fairness within our state’s democratic system,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Specialized state police pension (S8472/A8918)

Hochul’s first veto of the year gained some attention, as the governor rejected this 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. And union leaders charge that a top aide to the governor threatened the veto if the billboards didn’t come down. It’s also the fourth time that Hochul has rejected the legislation, even if this latest action had the appearance of political motivation. “This bill has been vetoed four times over the past five years because this pension enhancement would impose substantial unbudgeted costs on the State,” she wrote in a veto memo.

Downstate casino licensing acceleration (S9673/A10572)

This bill from state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Assembly Member J. Gary Pretlow was more than a little moot when Hochul issued her veto. It would have sped up the bidding process for three new downstate casino licenses, requiring all applications to be submitted by Aug. 31. In theory, it was possible that Hochul could have negotiated 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 have made the regulatory decision binding in statute, or created a different deadline. But Hochul rejected that idea in her veto memo. “I cannot support a bill that aims to change the rules in the middle of the process,” she wrote.

Task forces and commissions

As she implied with the pension veto, Hochul does not like bills that will impose unbudgeted costs on the state. So she has a habit of blanket vetoing large batches of bills that would create various task forces and commissions that carry with them a fiscal burden not included as part of the state budget. This year, Hochul vetoed 29 bills that fall under that umbrella with a single veto memo. “I share a strong desire in addressing the problems and issues identified in this legislation, and I commend the Legislature for seeking to address such a broad array of problems,” she wrote. “However, enactment of this package of legislation would collectively cost the state approximately $24 million.” Hochul noted that this is the third year in a row that she has vetoed dozens of similar bills.

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 have created 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. She has now vetoed the legislation, citing the earlier package of bills in a veto memo. Hochul called the bill “well intentioned,” but cited financial concerns as the reason for not signing it. She said it “would be more appropriately considered” during budget negotiations.

Horseshoe Crab Protection Act (S3185A/A10140)

A priority for Assembly Member Deborah Glick, chair of her chamber’s Environmental Conservation Committee, this legislation aimed at protecting horseshoe crabs even scored the enforcement of a big-name conservationist. In November, Jane Goodall wrote a letter to Hochul urging the governor to sign the bill. Why should we care about horseshoe crabs? As environmentalists point out, the species has been around for over 350 million years but is now endangered in New York state due to commercial fishing.  The legislation would have made it illegal to take horseshoe crabs from New York waters for commercial or biomedical purposes. Despite support from environmentalists, Hochul vetoed the bill. She said in a veto memo that the regulation of marine life is “better left to the experts” at the state Department of Environmental Conservations, citing measures the agency has already taken to combat the overharvesting of horseshoe crabs.

Child care assistance expansion (S4924/A1303)

Under current law, parents and caregivers need to earn the equivalent of minimum wage in order to qualify for state assistance with child care. This legislation from state Sen. Jessica Ramos and Assembly Member Sarah Clark would have removed that minimum salary requirement, opening eligibility to parents who are gig workers or earning less than the minimum wage who are currently being excluded. Hochul vetoed the legislation, citing her commitment to expanding the child care assistance program in the state while saying that such a change will have significant costs and therefore should be decided as part of budget negotiations. The governor’s decision drew swift backlash from legislators and child care advocates. “We have done so much excellent work with the first mom Governor to

expand child care access to more middle class families, which makes this veto profoundly disappointing,” Ramos said in a statement.

Child care assistance expansion, pt. 2 (S8152/A8878)

Hochul also vetoed, for a second time,a bill that would have decoupled child care assistance from the number of hours the parents work. State Sen. Jabari Brisport and Assembly Member Andrew Hevisi introduced the legislation to clarify a 2022 law meant to decouple to the two, which they said has been interpreted too narrowly. In a veto memo, Hochul wrote that she had “significant fiscal and operational concerns” about the legislation. The sponsors wrote in a memo that they had amended the bill to have a May 2025 effective date in order to address the fiscal impact in next year’s budget – but the tweak was not enough to get Hochul’s support.

Caps on physical therapy insurance costs (S1470/A6345)

State Sen. Neil Breslin and Assembly Member David Weprin introduced legislation meant to address high cost-sharing amounts that insurers charge New Yorkers seeking occupational and physical therapy. Although state law requires that health insurers cover physical and occupational therapy, a memo from the sponsors asserts that companies use a loophole to shift the cost to patients through high co-payments and co-insurance costs that can at times exceed the reimbursement rates for the actual services. The bill would have capped co-pays at 20% of the reimbursement rate, no higher than the co-pays or co-insurance for similar services from a primary care physician or osteopath. Hochul rejected the legislation, writing in a veto memo that while she supports “the goal of protecting consumers,” the bill “would prevent health plans from designing their plans in a way that encourages insureds to seek care first from their primary care provider or osteopath.” In a statement, Weprin said he is “disappointed” with the veto because the bill was a “top priority” for him last session. “A high co-pay can be cost-prohibitive and result in New Yorkers forgoing these medically necessary services,” he said.

SIGNED BILLS

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. In an approval message, Hochul said she and lawmakers came to an agreement on changes to ensure that state agencies have the time needed to implement those changes in the law. Gonzalez-Rojas and Gianaris both celebrated the signing. “It is past time that these communities are accounted for and better understood and represented,” Gonzalez-Rojas said in a statement.

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. It would enact new baseline transparency and accountability requirements for management companies that hire models, closing a loophole that currently allows those companies to avoid the regulations that govern talent agencies. In an approval message, Hochul said that she and lawmakers agreed to changes to “clarify the duties of model management companies and brands to ensure they engage in contract transparency.” The sponsors celebrated the signage. “Now that the Governor has signed this bill into law, models working in our state will finally receive the labor protections that they are entitled to, making New York the fashion worker protection capital, as well,” Hoylman-Sigil said in a statement.

AI oversight (LOADinG Act) (S7543/A9430)

New York will become a national leader in AI regulation thanks to this legislation from state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez and Assembly Member Steven Otis gets signed. The Legislative Oversight of Automated Decision-making in Government (or LOADinG) Act would limit and regulate how state agencies can use AI when making decisions and require disclosure by any agencies using such technology. It would also prohibit the replacement of human workers with AI. Although other states have passed laws regulating the use of AI decision-making in the private sector, New York will be the first to approve such oversight for the public sector. Hochul signed the law, with some tweaks to certain provisions of the law relating to workforce protection and “disclosures  regarding the use of automated employment decision-making tools.” Despite the changes, lawmakers and bill advocates applauded the legislation becoming law.

Natural disaster-related tax abatements (S7515/A7748)

This is a rare piece of legislation sponsored by state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, as legislative leaders are usually not the prime sponsors of bills unless they impact their district directly. In the lower chamber, the bill is sponsored by Assembly Member MaryJane Shimsky, who like Stewart-Cousins represents Westchester. The legislation would allow municipalities to offer property tax abatements to homeowners who have suffered damages from natural disasters. It’s meant to give localities the flexibility to move more quickly to assist homeowners as devastating climate events become more common without needing to wait for event-specific action from the state Legislature. Hochul signed the bill, stating in an approval message that she supports “efforts to address the impact of climate change” but the bill needed “technical amendments” that she and lawmakers agreed to.

Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act

With the rate of warehouse injuries on the rise in New York, Ramos and Bronson introduced this legislation meant to increase safety for the workers and reduce musculoskeletal injuries on the job through additional oversight and regulation. It would build on the previous Warehouse Worker Protection Act, which Hochul signed in 2022. The governor signed this legislation as well, with some changes she alluded to in an approval message. That included allowing other trained professionals other than ergonomists to review workplace safety plans. The signing was applauded by the sponsors and labor advocates.

Legalizing adultery (S8744/A4714)

It may come as a surprise, but adultery was technically illegal in New York up until Hochul signed this legislation. 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 happily married governor (40 years and counting) said it was “somewhat ironic” for her to sign the bill, but said the statute was “silly (and) outdated.”

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. Hochul included a chapter amendment to the legislation to authorize their use from state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member Tony Simone. Specifically, she said that the language of the law will be updated to clarify that the boxes can be used for both absentee and early mail-in ballots, which are technically two separate ways to vote.

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. Hochul agreed with the idea, signing the bill without any chapter amendments.

Melanie’s Law (S6288/A6026)

Hochul held a bill-signing ceremony with the mother of Melanie Chianese, for whom the legislation is named, on Nov. 25. The new law will permit courts to issue orders of protection for family and household members of named victims regardless of the person’s age. The impetus for the legislation was the murder of Chianese by her mother’s abusive ex-boyfriend after he pleaded guilty to a domestic violence felony, but had not yet been sentenced. While her mother Cheryl – the victim – and her son – permitted due to his age – were granted orders of protection, Chianese was not. The newly signed bill from state Sen. Michelle Hinchey and Assembly Member Brian Cunnhingham aims to close the loophole to prevent similar future tragedies.

Coverage for EpiPens (S7114/A6425)

Hochul celebrated her signing of legislation from state Sen. Gustavo Rivera and Assembly Member Danny O’Donnell that will require health insurance companies to cover EpiPens, while capping out of pocket costs for patients at $100. The cost of the emergency allergy medicine has skyrocketed in recent years, a phenomenon that has received significant media attention across the country. Hochul framed her decision to sign the bill as part of her affordability agenda for New Yorkers, announcing it in a press release bearing her new “Money in Your Pockets” slogan that she has been using recently. According to an approval message from Hochul, she and lawmakers agreed to “technical changes” to the legislation in the form of a chapter amendment to “prevent limitations on policies that currently provide more generous benefits.”

Limiting classroom temperatures (S3397/A9011)

A priority for teachers unions, Hochul signed legislation from state Sen. James Skoufis and Assembly Member Chris Eachus that will set a maximum temperature of 88 degrees in classrooms, with requirements for schools to relieve heat-related discomfort starting at 82 degrees. When classrooms get too hot, schools will need to have plans to either mitigate the heat or remove students and teachers from the environment. “Children simply can’t learn when temperatures reach as high as 88 degrees, and at worst can suffer from a health crisis,” Eachus, a former teacher, said in a statement. According to an approval message from the governor, lawmakers will enact “technical changes” at the start of the new year to provide school districts with greater flexibility to develop their response plans.