Senate Finance Committee advances more than 20 bills to the floor, including Climate Resilient New York Act and drug-manufacturing measure

Chair Liz Krueger, chair of the New York State Senate Finance Committee, convened a committee meeting at 2:30 p.m. April 29 and reported more than 20 bills to the Senate floor, advancing measures on climate resiliency, drug manufacturing, taxes and public-health topics.

"We are in the midst of continued budget negotiations and yet we hadn't been able to have a finance committee meeting for quite a while," Krueger said at the start of the meeting, explaining the committee had reconvened because "bills were piling up." The meeting consisted largely of committee members moving and seconding bills and recording affirmative votes to send them to the full Senate for consideration.

Why it matters: The committee’s votes move legislation closer to final action in the Senate and affect an array of state programs and regulatory authorities, including climate policy, prescription-drug access, corrections health oversight and tax code changes.

Key measures advanced

Votes at a glance: - S3590 (Harcum) — Climate Resilient New York Act of 2025: Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. Recorded as having three without-records and one opposed in committee. - S1618 (Rivera) — New York Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act (public health law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S3202 (Fernandez) — Preserve access to affordable drugs (public health law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor; committee recorded multiple without-records. - S3560 — Establish a lithium-ion battery safety program (public authorities law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S3204 (Krueger) — Amend penal and tax law to expand definitions of government fraud and tax-fraud acts: Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S2032 (Harkem) — Establish zero-emission vehicle rebate program (public authorities law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S2279 (Webb) — Exclude certain food donations from sales tax (tax law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S2703 (Jackson) — Reporting by the Office of Fire Prevention and Control (executive law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S355 (Rivera) — Amend elder law re: program eligibility for plans comparable to Medicare Part D: Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S360 (Rivera) — Expand review of correctional health services and staffing (public health law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S405 (Myrie) — Add certain properties to definition of qualified historic home (tax law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S561 (Krueger) — Notice regarding rent increase exemption for low-income elderly persons and persons with disabilities (Administrative Code and real property tax law, NYC-specific): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S592 (Hinchey) — Establish New York State Youth in Agriculture and Entrepreneurship Summer Employment Program (Agriculture and Markets Law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S1529 (Parker) — Amend agriculture, tax and environmental conservation laws (details not specified in committee discussion): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S1946 (Rivera) — Expungement of syringe convictions (criminal procedure law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor; the committee noted recorded nay and without-record entries and that advance ballots were submitted for the record. - S3889 (Gonzales) — Publication of information on public meetings (state technology law and public officers law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S4755 (Bailey) — Farm ownership succession planning program (Agriculture and Markets Law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S4859 (Hoylman-Seagel) — State Commission on Judicial Conduct jurisdiction and budget transmission (Judiciary Law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S4950 (Harcum) — Payment for services at addiction treatment centers (Mental Hygiene Law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S6281 (Scarcellus/Spanton) — Role of Commissioner of Veterans Services regarding Veterans' Home Assistance Fund and Military Family Relief Fund (State Finance Law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor. - S6304 (Jackson) — Lung disease presumption for certain correction and sheriff personnel (Retirement and Social Security Law): Moved and seconded and reported to the floor.

Committee procedure and context

Most items were moved, seconded and recorded as "Aye" and sent to the Senate floor for further consideration. Several measures recorded individual opposed votes or members "without recommendation" on the record; in at least one instance the clerk noted that additional advance ballots had been submitted to ensure adequate votes to move bills to the floor. The committee meeting was brief and procedural in nature; extended debate or amendment activity was not recorded in the transcript for the bills advanced.

What the transcript shows

The meeting opened with Krueger noting the ongoing budget negotiations and the need to clear pending bills. The clerk began reading the agenda and, for each bill, members moved and seconded and the chair called the vote. Where the transcript recorded named objections or "without recommendation" entries, the article notes those procedural tallies. The committee did not adopt any substitute language or record passage of bills on final reading; each item was simply reported to the floor for further Senate consideration.

Next steps

Each advanced bill will proceed to the full Senate for further debate, amendment and possible passage. The committee record shows these measures were reported out of committee; final outcomes will depend on floor action and any subsequent Senate or conference activity.