Photo Courtesy of Sen. Addabbo’s Office
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr.
By Forum Staff
State senators and members of the Assembly recently approved a package of bills designed to provide relief and assistance to residents and businesses throughout the state that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) announced Monday.
Several bills will provide immediate relief to communities include:
- S.8113A (Co-sponsored by Addabbo): Aims to prevent utility corporations or municipalities from terminating the services of residential customers enduring financial hardship because of COVID-19.
- S.8138B: Allows a local taxing jurisdiction to defer property taxes due to the COVID-19 pandemic or separate taxes into as many installment payments as necessary without liability to the county.
- S.8181A (Co-sponsor by Addabbo): Provides for financial assistance from Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) to businesses or not-for-profits to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and other fixtures needed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- S.8243C (Co-sponsored by Addabbo): Requires banks and state-regulated mortgage services to grant 180 days of mortgage payment forbearance to residential mortgagors who are behind in payments or have applied for loss mitigation and demonstrate financial hardship during the NYS On PAUSE period.
Other COVID-19 legislation passed:
- S.7996B (Co-sponsored by Addabbo): Provides that school districts be entitled to an apportionment of State aid for the closure of schools in response to the coronavirus.
- S.8119C: Ensures paratransit services continue operating and observe public health and safety measures for the benefit of workers, paratransit users, families and the general public.
- S.8122B: Extends the deadline for the filing of applications and renewal applications for real property tax abatement programs.
- S.8130D: Increases options for qualified voters to request an absentee ballot in light of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency by recognizing requests through electronic means.
- S.8182A (Co-sponsored by Addabbo): Authorizes licensed pharmacists to administer an approved vaccine for COVID-19.
- S.8189 (Co-sponsored by Addabbo): Updates NY’s statute regarding the price gouging of consumer goods by expanding it to cover essential medical supplies.
- S.8192B (Co-sponsored by Addabbo): Tenant Safe Harbor Act helps keep residential tenants in their homes following the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing only money judgments, and not evictions, for unpaid rent that comes due while restrictions are in place due to COVID-19.
- S.8236A (Co-sponsored by Addabbo): Allows local governments the ability to extend the expiration of building permits for 120 days.
- S.8245A: Requires the Department of Health to conduct a study on the health impacts of COVID-19.
- S.8251B (Co-sponsored by Addabbo): Ensures volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers receive credits toward their length of service award programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- S.8410 (Co-sponsored by Addabbo): Provides public libraries with an additional 12 months to complete capital projects that were unable to meet the 3-year statutory time limit.
- S.8419: Provides emergency tenant and landlord relief to those who experienced an increase in a financial burden because of a loss of income as a result of the COVOD-19 pandemic.
- S.8427: Provides accidental death benefits to the statutory beneficiaries of all public employees (state and local) who worked on or after March 1, 2020, contracted COVID-19, and died of COVID-19 on or before Dec. 31, 2020.
