PARK STRATEGIES NEWSLETTER JUNE 4TH
INSIDE
Next Week’s Calendar
Legislative session is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Legislative News
No Scheduled Committee Meetings
New June Public Hearing
From the Governor
Indoor Dining Curfew Lifted
Drinking Water Grants
Agency News
AG: Force Kodak CEO to Testify
Comptroller: NYC Construction Jobs Took a Hit
OTDA: ERAP
Portal Open
Rent Relief Portal Opens; COVID-19 retreats
Next week marks the final scheduled four days of the legislative session. Government relations teams will be scouring the active lists, and providing legislators with memoranda and outreach to encourage movement of priorities or holds on bills that negatively impact their clients. The session at this point has almost an anything goes atmosphere where bills that rarely see the light of day may suddenly show up on the floor for a vote and others that seemed to be obvious candidates for passage may remain in committee.
The coming final week is traditionally an intense week of behind the scenes work by lobbyists and interested parties, and yes still virtually all on a virtual platform.
COVID Updates – According to reports from the Governor’s office, the positivity rate hit a single day low on Wednesday at 0.44 percent, with hospitalizations dropping to less than 1,000. As of yesterday, according to the state’s vaccine tracker, 54 percent of adult New Yorkers (18-years or older) have been fully vaccinated.
Pharmacy Vaccinations – The legislature passed a bill to expand the types of vaccines licensed pharmacists may administer to adults and allows administering certain vaccines to children aged 2 years or older. See our “Legislative News” section for more details.
Rent Relief Portal Opens – The Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) has published instruction guidance for landlords and tenants to facilitate their utilization of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) portal. See our “State Agencies” section for details.
Hemp Cannabinoid Regulations – In a follow up to the release of the final regulatory scheme in mid-May, the Department of Health has posted responses to frequently asked questions on its website.
Surge & Flex, PPE Discussed – The Public Health and Health Planning Council’s Codes, Regulations and Legislation committee met on Thursday. On their agenda was a discussion of the current emergency regulations related to surge and flex capacity and personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpiles in hospitals and nursing homes. Committee members and participants raised concerns regarding the current emergency regulations. Webcast here.
Canadian Border – Albeit a federal issue, the reopening of the Canadian border has impacts on businesses across the State. Senator Schumer relayed during recent community meetings that he believes progress is being made to reopen the border.

Legislative news
2021 Legislative Session Days
There are four scheduled session days next week Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You can find the full 2021 Legislative Session calendar here.
Legislative Committees
At publication, there are no committee meetings announced for the Senate or the Assembly. Meetings can be found here: on the Senate website, with the Assembly found here.
Legislative Activity
The Legislature passed 486 bills this week while in session. This included the following measures:
- A3942 (Cusick) / S5762 (Breslin) Passed the Senate and Assembly, removes an onerous requirement for independent adjusters to obtain character witnesses in order to be licensed.
- A3994 (Cusick) / S5761 (Breslin) Passed the Senate and Assembly, removes an outdated bonding requirement for independent
- A6476A (Hyndman) / S4807A (Stavisky) Passed the Senate and Assembly and authorizes pharmacists to provide immunizations which are recommended by centers for disease control and prevention to patients eighteen years or
- A6767A (Woerner) / S4532A (Brooks) Passed the Assembly, which allows claims for benefits for death or disability due to vascular rupture
- A7417A (Santabarbara) / S6332A (Hinchey) Passed the Senate and Assembly and provides that maximum dimension and weight limitations shall not apply to vehicles proceeding to and from a certain portion of the New York state
Public Hearings
- June 16th , Senate Standing Committees on Finance and Social Services; Assembly Standing Committees on Governmental Operations and Social Services. Subject: To discuss the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program.
From the Governor
Governor Cuomo Lifts Indoor Dining Curfew
With COVID-19 positivity rates continuing to trend downward and the reopening of the economy continuing, Governor Cuomo announced the end of the curfew for indoor dining going forward.
Governor Cuomo Announces Grants for Drinking Water
Governor Cuomo announced the approval of $34.2 million in grants, interest free loans, and low-cost loans to support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects throughout New York State.
Governor Cuomo Announced First Ten Winners in SUNY or CUNY Vaccine Scholarship Incentive
Governor Cuomo announced the first round of winners in the 5 week incentive program which randomly selects 10 winners each week among 12 to 17-year olds that received their first COVID-19 vaccination shot. The winners will receive up to 4 years of full-time undergraduate tuition, room, board and allowances for fees, books, supplies and transportation.
Executive Orders
There were no new COVID-19 related Executive Orders released
State Agencies
From the NYS Attorney General
Attorney General James Asks Court to Force Kodak CEO to Publicly Testify on Insider Trading During COVID-19 Pandemic
New York Attorney General Letitia James, announced a new action taken in her investigation of insider trading by the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak). Attorney General James filed a petition with the New York County State Supreme Court to have Kodak CEO Jim Continenza publicly testify about his purchase of more than 46,000 shares of Kodak stock early last summer and Kodak’s subsequent false statements about that trading to investors last month.
From the NYS Comptroller
NYC Construction Industry Took Huge Hit During Pandemic
The loss of 44,400 construction jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was the state’s worst annual decline in the industry in more than 25 years. More than half the losses came from New York City, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Construction was the city’s fastest-growing sector from 2011 to 2019, rising by 43.5 percent, until it was brought to a halt by the pandemic.
From the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance
The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance has launched the portal, starting June 1st , for landlords and tenants to apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). As a reminder, the first 30 days of the program has allowed for regionalization of awards. Landlord instructions can be found here, with Frequently Asked Questions found here.