2023 Bills that fell short in New York State
These bills were not elected into law in 2023. The sponsors hope that many of them can be passed next year.
Bill (Senate ID# Sponsor/Assembly ID#/Sponsor)
Absentee Ballot Illness Expansion (A3291 Dinowitz)–This bill would make permanently change the definition of illness for purposes of absentee voting to include in cases where the voter is unable to appear personally because of a risk of contracting or spreading illness.
Bigger Better Bottle Bill (S237 May/A6353 Glick)–This bill would expand the Bottle Bill passed in the 80s to include wine, spirits, hard cider, and most non-carbonated beverages. It would also increase the deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents and use revenues to support recycling equity.
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act (S4246 Harckam/A5322 Glick)–Would require companies to reduce their packaging by 50% in 12 years, make the remaining packaging truly reusable or recyclable, get certain toxic chemicals out of packaging, and pay to clean up their packaging waste by reimbursing municipalities and taxpayers for the collection and processing of those materials.
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act Database (S657 Myrie/A885A Walker)–Allows for the regulation of public data maintained by county and city boards of elections; establishes the New York voting and elections database and institute to maintain a statewide database of voting and election data.
Same Day Voter Reg. Constitutional Amendment (S178 Gianaris/A181 Carroll)–Removes the ten-day advance voter registration requirement. This bill would restart the constitutional amendment process on this issue.
Climate Superfund Act (S2129 Krueger/A3351 Dinowitz)–Establishes the climate change adaptation cost recovery program to require companies that have contributed significantly to the buildup of climate-warming greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to bear a share of the costs of needed infrastructure investments to adapt to climate change.
Reproductive Freedom & Equity Program (S348B Cleare/A361A Gonzalez-Rojas)–Establishes the reproductive freedom and equity program to ensure access to abortion care in the state by providing funding to abortion providers, government entities and non-profit organizations whose primary function is to facilitate access to abortion care.
Fair and Timely Parole (S307 Salazar/A162 Weprin)–Relates to findings of the state board of parole necessary for discretionary release of incarcerated persons on parole. It would provide a fully staffed Parole Board guidance on criteria in deciding parole release for eligible incarcerated people. The standard for release consideration would be centered on a person’s rehabilitation and growth while incarcerated and not on the original crime.
Elder Parole (S2423 Hoylman-Sigal/A2035 Davila)–Relates to parole eligibility for certain incarcerated persons age fifty-five or older. It would provide incarcerated people 55 years and older that have served 15 years or more of their sentence an opportunity for parole release consideration.
Fair Pay for Homecare (S3189 May)–Relates to increasing the base wage for home care aides.
Medical Aid in Dying (S2445 Hoylman-Sigal/A995 Paulin)–Relates to the medical aid in dying act; relates to a terminally ill patient’s request for and use of medication for medical aid in dying