LiveOn NY Final Look at the 2021 New York State Legislative Session

New York, NY – LiveOn NY is proud to see several bills that we have supported pass the legislature prior to session ending on June 11th. From affordable housing, to investing in the care economy, to combatting elder abuse and food insecurity, each piece of legislation passed marks a meaningful step forward for all New Yorkers as we age.

“These legislative wins are a signal of progress as we move towards a state where New Yorkers of all ages can grow old with the necessary legislation that supports everyone across the lifespan,” said Allison Nickerson, Executive Director of LiveOn NY. “We hope to see these bills signed into law, and to then build on this progress to create a better New York for all ages.”

We at LiveOn NY are committed to continuing this momentum into next year’s legislative session, and we look forward to working with our legislative champions to realize more victories, both legislative and budgetary, for older New Yorkers.

In the immediate, many of the legislative victories below require a signature from the Governor to be enacted, with this in mind, we encourage the Executive Branch to ensure these meaningful bills are swiftly signed into law.

Legislative Victories

  • Investing in Care Act S4652 / A6590 (May/Kelles)

    • Directs the commissioner of economic development, in consultation with the commissioner of health, labor and OCFS to study, develop, and implement a long-term strategy to support the growth of the caregiving industry in New York state.

  • Reimagining Long Term Care Task Force S598 / A3922 (May/Cruz)

    • Creates a task force to study the state of long-term care services in this state”

  • Statewide SNAP Restaurant Meals Program S64 / A1524 (Persaud/Reyes)

    • Establishes a statewide restaurant meals program as part of the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP)

  • Elder Abuse Enhanced Multidisciplinary Team S6528 / A7634 (Persaud/Cruz)

    • Establishes an elder abuse enhanced multidisciplinary team program under the office for the aging consisting of professionals for complex cases of elder abuse, including financial exploitation, physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. This piece of legislation has been a priority for LiveOn NY, AARP NY, Lifespan of Greater Rochester and our partners.

  • 5-Year Housing Capital Plan S2193 / A3807 (Kavanagh/Cymbrowitz)

    • Establishes a requirement for the state to create and fund a 5-year capital plan for the development, preservation, and capital improvement of affordable housing. A long term, sustained commitment to affordable housing from the state is necessary if we ever hope to meet our housing needs. The 5-Year Capital Plan bill has been a top priority for LiveOn NY, the New York Housing Conference and our partners.

  • Affordable Housing Insurance S5231 / A5574 (Kavanagh/Cymbrowitz)

    • Requires the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) in coordination with the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (HCR) to study and report on the recent significant increases in insurance premiums for housing units and to make recommendations to the Executive Chamber and the Legislature to address the causes for such increases.

  • Allowing Compassionate Care-Giving Visitors S614 / A1052 (May/Bronson)

    • An act to create a standardized program to allow personal care and compassionate care visitors at nursing homes.

Work Still to Do

  • LGBT Bill of Rights S85 / A7807 (Hoylman/Bronson)

    1. An act to establish the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender long-term care facility residents' bill of rights.

  • Elder Parole S15 / A3475 (Hoylman/De La Rosa)

    • An act related to parole eligibility for certain incarcerated persons age fifty-five.

  • Fair and Timely Parole S1415 / A4231 (Rivera/Weprin)

    • An act related to findings of the state board of parole necessary for discretionary release of incarcerated persons on parole.

  • Home Care Jobs Innovation Program S4222 / A7540 (May/Kim)

    • An act to establish the home care jobs innovation program and the home care jobs innovation fund.


To learn more about LiveOn NY’s legislative priorities, contact Director of Public Policy, Katelyn Andrews, at kandrews@liveon-ny.org.