Assembly advances consent calendar, adopts American Heart Month resolution and passes multiple bills including kratom regulation

The New York State Assembly moved through a broad consent calendar, advancing and passing multiple senate and assembly bills on public health, education, insurance and business law, and adopted a resolution asking Gov. Kathy Hochul to proclaim February 2026 American Heart Month.

Clerk calls on several consent items on page 5 and page 26 during the session. Several measures were advanced and read for the last section; where recorded, clerks announced votes (for example, "Ayes 136, Noes 0" on one public health measure and numerous unanimous records elsewhere). In one recorded explanation, Assemblymember Walsh described bipartisan support for regulating kratom, saying the Assembly is "taking a hard look at this substance and doing appropriate steps to regulate" and dedicated her affirmative vote to the family of Nicholas Scribner, who she said died after using kratom. Walsh stated in support that an age minimum of 21 and warning labels were appropriate safeguards.

The House advanced and passed bills ranging from amendments to the General Business Law and Public Health Law to measures affecting education and insurance statutes; several acts were slated to take effect immediately or on defined future effective dates (for example, one act to take effect 01/01/2028 was recorded). Some bills were laid aside for later consideration as noted on the floor (for example, the bill amending racing and wagering law was laid aside).

Other activity: the Speaker called Higher Education Committee members to the Speaker's Conference Room for off‑floor consideration; members announced immediate Republican and Democratic conferences to follow adjournment; and the House adjourned until Friday, February 6, with a reconvening planned at 2 p.m. on February 9.

Votes at a glance (selected items as read on the floor): - Assembly number 9444 (rules report 72): senate bill advanced and laid aside on consent. - Assembly number 90 4 71 (rules report 73): amendment to the Public Health Law; read and the act to take effect immediately; recorded vote announced (Ayes 136, Noes 0). - Assembly number 9472 (rules report 74) and 9474 (rules report 75): public health law amendments advanced and passed; one measure to take effect immediately, another on the ninetieth day, as read into the record. - Assembly number 4677 b: insurance law amendment; read for last section and set to take effect 01/01/2028; recorded vote announced (Ayes 140, Noes 0).

The consent calendar procedure means most measures were passed without extended floor debate; members provided brief explanations or dedications where they felt it appropriate. Where the clerk recorded a numeric vote on the floor, that tally is reported in the record; for measures adopted by voice, the clerks reported vocal affirmation rather than a roll‑call tally.

Next steps: Passed bills will be enrolled and sent to the governor where required; items laid aside will be brought back according to the Assembly's calendar.