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New York Assembly adopts series of bills including limits on single‑use styrofoam and expanded screenings for incarcerated people
Summary
On Feb. 3, 2025, the New York State Assembly adopted a slate of resolutions and passed multiple bills on the consent calendar, including measures described on the floor to restrict single‑use polystyrene (styrofoam) and to expand breast‑cancer screening access for incarcerated individuals; roll calls were unanimous or near‑unanimous on the items reported.
The New York State Assembly convened Feb. 3, 2025, took up a series of ceremonial resolutions and advanced a package of bills on the consent calendar, adopting measures that floor members said address environmental, public‑health and veterans issues.
Assemblymember Epstein, explaining his recorded vote on a measure described on the floor as restricting single‑use polystyrene (commonly referred to as Styrofoam), said: “I think this is really an important environmental step for the state to take those out of the waste stream, those single use coolers.” The Assembly took a recorded vote on that item and the clerk announced the result as Ayes, 144; Noes, 0.
Other items on the consent calendar advanced with little debate but with brief member explanations. Assemblymember Torres, speaking after passage of her bill to amend the correction law, said she was “proud to both vote in favor of this bill, my first bill, to be passed in this chamber and to carry it because it addresses a critical healthcare gap for incarcerated individuals, ensuring equitable access to lifesaving breast cancer screenings and diagnostic testing.” The clerk recorded that vote as Ayes, 146; Noes, 0 for that item as announced on the floor.
Assemblymember Cruz spoke when her veterans‑related bill was recorded, noting the measure honors the memory and service of military members and provides pathways toward citizenship for family members affected by service‑related immigration issues. The Assembly adopted that item by voice or roll call with the results announced on the floor.
Beyond the consent calendar votes, the Assembly read and adopted multiple legislative resolutions including memorializing the governor to proclaim Feb. 3, 2025 as Canadian Heritage Day and designating February 2025 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month; those resolutions were adopted by voice vote.
The day’s proceedings included ceremonial introductions: a visiting Canadian delegation introduced by Assemblymember Jones, workforce and displaced homemaker organizations introduced by Assemblymember McDonald, a Kosovar‑American delegation introduced by Assemblymember Fall, and former New York City Councilmember Ina Vernikov introduced by Assemblymember Yeager. The floor extended privileges of the chamber to those guests.
The Assembly’s consent calendar also included a range of technical and policy bills reported under the rules—covering insurance, banking, finance, veterans services and amendments to the environmental conservation, executive and public‑service laws. The clerk’s readings for those items repeatedly recorded unanimous or near‑unanimous ayes (announcements on the floor showed tallies reported in the 140s for successive items).
The House adjourned following a motion by Miss Peebles Stokes to reconvene at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Members were asked to convene an immediate majority conference in Hearing Room C after adjournment.
What’s next: The Assembly did not leave major contested debate on the floor during this session; most substantive policy changes were moved as consent items with brief member explanations. Any steps that require gubernatorial action or regulatory implementation will depend on subsequent executive review or agency rulemaking.
