1. Bills Awaiting Action
This past session, 805 bills were passed by both houses of the State Legislature. Since the end of session in June, Governor Hochul has acted on 424 of them. This leaves 381 bills that are awaiting the governor’s signature or veto, including four CSEA priority bills:
- S.6357/A.7341, which would allow child protective services workers to complete certain trainings virtually through distance learning methods freeze.
- S.4040/A.7532, which would require that every Industrial Development Agency (IDA) board include at least one representative of a local labor organization and one member of the local school board.
- S.3397-A/A.9011-A, which would set a maximum temperature for school buildings and indoor facilities.
- S.7543/A.9430, which would regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the public sector and prohibit public employers from replacing employees with AI.
2. Legislative Victory: Employee Notifications
This week, we’re highlighting S.5500/A.8934, which ensures that all public employees are provided with notice whenever an employer responds to a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request for an employee’s disciplinary record.
Disciplinary records can contain sensitive personal information and employees should, at minimum, be made aware that this information is publicly available. This legislation establishes a straightforward yet important requirement – agencies must notify an employee if they are responding to a request for such employee’s disciplinary record. Providing notice after records are released is a modest, commonsense step to respect employee privacy rights.
This bill went into effect on September 4, 2024.
3. Election Highlight: Tom Suozzi
CSEA is proud to endorse Tom Suozzi in his bid for New York’s 3rd Congressional District. Suozzi has had a long relationship with CSEA, particularly with members in Nassau County. He has been a champion for working families throughout his entire career in public service, including during his time spearheading the House Labor Caucus. Tom has always stood with CSEA members and his work in Congress demonstrates his support for public employees. He is a strong advocate for unions and will be a powerful voice for the workers of the 3rd District.
You can find all of CSEA’s endorsed candidates by region here.
4. Project 2025: Impact on Education
The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is a policy playbook for the next Republican administration that would fundamentally alter the way our government functions. This week, we’re highlighting some of the document’s proposals that would hurt our education system, including parents, students, teachers, and staff. According to the document:
- “The federal Department of Education should be eliminated” [p.319]
- “Families should be able to take their children’s taxpayer-funded education dollars to…a private school” [p.347]
- “Over a 10-year period, the federal spending [on education] should be phased out” [p.350]
This is just one of the many negative impacts that Project 2025 would have. In each issue, we’ll be highlighting additional areas of concern. To read the full document, click here. You can also view and share our Project 2025 fliers here.
5. CSEA Legislative Toolkit
We’re encouraging members to get the word out about our legislative successes. Click the icons below for informational documents that you can print, share, and post on social media to spread the news. You can also check out CSEA’s summary of the 2024-2025 Enacted Budget here.
Tier 6 Reform:
Updating Civil Service Exams:
Counting Provisional Time Toward Promotions:
Employee Notice of Records Disclosure:
Minimum Age & Education Requirements for Exams: