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Senate Finance Committee moves a broad set of bills to the floor; highlights include drug‑checking, housing and language access measures

Senate Standing Committee on Finance · March 24, 2026

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Summary

The committee moved a long calendar of bills to the Senate floor, including a drug‑checking services program, housing portal and language‑access requirements; most measures passed committee votes with limited debate.

The Senate Finance Committee advanced a series of bills to the floor after staff read titles and members either moved or seconded the measures. Highlights include:

• S56B (Fernandez): Establishes a Department of Health drug‑checking services program and public‑health surveillance of the unregulated drug supply. Committee vote recorded two 'nay' votes; bill moved to the floor.

• S403a (Myrie): Creates a SNAP and cash assistance fraud victims compensation fund; moved to the floor with bipartisan consent noted as 'without rec.'

• S614a (Rivera): Provides presumptive eligibility for medical assistance for people released from correctional facilities for at least 60 days; committee recorded three 'nay' votes but moved the bill to the floor.

• S2707 (May): Directs DHCR to develop a common application web portal for certain housing funds, tax credits, loans and grants; moved without substantive debate.

• S5535 (Baskin): Requires certain documents and forms be provided in the 12 most common non‑English languages for recent immigrants; moved to the floor.

The committee also advanced the Manufactured Home Community Preservation Act (S3835), updates to building and energy code enforcement (S4534), a mercury‑thermostat EPR update (S6765), and several ceremonial or designation measures. In most cases staff read the bill summary and a senator moved the bill; where recorded, votes and 'without rec' notations were included in the committee record.

The committee asked central staff to compile pro and con memoranda for bills that drew substantive comment so members can review competing arguments prior to full Senate consideration. Measures will now be scheduled for floor debate in the coming days or weeks.