Senate Finance Committee advances slate of bills, including lithium‑ion battery study and veterans database
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Summary
The New York State Senate Finance Committee on March 5 voted to send a broad package of bills to the floor, approving measures to study lithium‑ion battery fires, create a veterans resources database, require annual housing data reporting and designate commemorative days.
The New York State Senate Finance Committee advanced a package of bills to the Senate floor on March 5, moving measures that range from a study of lithium‑ion battery fires to new reporting requirements for local housing data, the committee chair said.
Committee chair Liz Krug opened the meeting and said members would use the session to move several bills while budget hearings continue. "We're close to it on March 5 and this is the Senate Finance Committee meeting," Krug said as the committee began its agenda.
Among the bills the committee approved were:
- A Martinez bill authorizing a study of lithium‑ion battery fires and prevention that directs an examination of fire causes, the effectiveness of fireproof blankets and current fire department safety measures, with a required report to the governor and legislature. The committee voted to advance the bill.
- A May bill (S919A) requiring local boards and the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to submit residential housing and zoning information annually to the Department of State and for that information to be published on the Department of State website; the committee approved the measure and sent it to the floor.
- A measure directing the Department of Veterans' Services to create and maintain a searchable database of veterans resources on the department website; the committee moved the bill for floor consideration.
- A NYSERDA program bill to provide reduced‑cost or no‑cost lithium‑ion batteries for powered mobility devices, set battery standards and require annual reporting; the committee advanced the measure despite some recorded nays.
- A bill to establish Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution on January 30. A committee member recalled Korematsu's refusal to be detained during Japanese American internment and urged the committee to move the bill in both houses this year, noting the historical injustice. "We have not honored someone like him," the member said.
- A Kruger bill to create the offense of defrauding the government in the first degree and expand related conspiracy and tax‑fraud provisions; committee members emphasized the importance of pursuing white‑collar tax fraud to protect public revenue and deter lawbreaking.
The committee also advanced bills addressing emergency municipal repair authority for hazardous code violations, redirecting certain fines to a conservation enforcement account, expanding the Fresh Connect program to supermarkets, restricting contracting during a hiring freeze, strengthening recordkeeping for notaries and commissioners of deeds to deter property fraud, permitting retirement beneficiary changes where a beneficiary is convicted of a family offense, and a redeposit placement program for state monies.
Several motions were made and seconded on the record and the committee recorded routine voice votes or recorded nays where noted. In several items the chair or floor reader moved the bill and the committee agreed to send the measures to the full Senate for further consideration.
The chair closed the meeting after completing the agenda and noted that finance meetings will be scheduled more regularly while the Legislature proceeds with budget work.
