New York Capital Brief:

Happy New Year – Greetings from Albany, NY

As we turn the page on the past year, this newsletter offers a snapshot of the 2025 legislative session – summarizing key actions and setting the stage for what is on the horizon in 2026.

But first, we would like to pause and take a moment to honor and reflect on the impact and legacy of our dear colleague and friend, Ginger Lynch Landy, former President and Partner at Hodes & Landy. We would like to personally thank you for your kind thoughts and support this past year, particularly during December.

Ginger has been part of the Hodes & Landy team for 25 years and will always be remembered for her dedication, kindness, strong leadership, and passion for this work. We intend to honor Ginger’s legacy and persistence and assure you that the level of Hodes & Landy services and commitment to our clients will continue, just as they have before. We appreciate that she personally chose the Hodes & Landy team to carry on her remarkable legacy, and we are sincerely thankful for the opportunity to serve our clients.

We look forward to working with you in 2026 – it is shaping up to be quite a busy year ahead!

2025 Session Wrap Up

During the 2025 legislative session, 856 bills were passed by the NYS Legislature and delivered to the Governor. Governor Hochul vetoed 140 of these bills.

Here is a brief synopsis of final actions of the high-profile bills that were acted on this past year:

Signed

  • Prison Reform Omnibus: Expands oversight and transparency in NYS prisons.
  • FAIR Business Practices Act: Expands current protections against “deceptive” business practices.
  • RAISE Act: Requires AI development companies to include safety precautions against misuse of the technology.
  • Horseshoe Crab Protection Act: Establishes a three-year transition period for phasing out the commercial harvest of horseshoe crabs.
  • NY HEAT: Eliminates the 100-foot rule, mandatory subsidies to cover new gas hookups.
  • Shield Law 2.0: Protects providers offering reproductive and gender-affirming care.

Vetoed

  • NY Health Information Privacy Act: Would have regulated the collection and sale of health information. Raised scope and compliance concerns.
  • Contraception Insurance Coverage: Would have required insurance companies to reimburse for birth control without a prescription.
  • Grieving Families / Wrongful Death Act: Would have allowed family members to sue for emotional distress in a wrongful death case. Raised financial concerns.
  • Prompt Contracting: Would have required changes to the prompt contracting law to address nonprofits’ challenges with delayed state contract payments.
  • Freedom of Information Request Timelines: Would have shortened the deadline from 180 days to 60 days for state agencies to respond to FOIL requests.
  • Keep Police Radio Public Act: Would have limited encryption of law enforcement radios.
  • NYC Ballot Questions: Would have adjusted the NYC Mayor’s scope.
  • Grocery Delivery Pricing: Would have required food retailers to identify pricing differences for in store vs online purchases.
  • Freedom to Read Act: Would have prevented the banning of books in schools.