Assembly Action Highlights
March 24-28, 2008

Dan Weiller, Press Secretary

Assembly Passes 16 Small Business-Friendly Bills

The Assembly passed 16 bills aimed at helping small businesses be competitive, productive and profitable in New York State.

A key goal of the package is to create a micro business outreach center to provide firms that employ less than five employees with the knowledge and tools they need to be competitive. Under the bill (A.2766/Weprin), individuals without access to traditional sources of finance could access the centers for information about business plans, loan programs and how to operate a business.

The package also looks to increase the availability of low interest loans to small businesses and authorize credit unions to participate in the state's Excelsior Linked Deposit Program. The program provides incentives for financial institutions to make available business loans at a percentage lower than the prevailing rate. This program is aimed at helping small businesses access capital from a variety of financial institutions (A.3205/Sweeney).

The legislation includes an effort that would address the rising cost of energy to help small businesses become more energy-efficient in order to stimulate growth and create more job opportunities. The bill would establish zero and low-interest-loan programs for energy improvement projects (A.5494/Weprin).

A number of the bills are designed to aid minority- and women-owned small businesses and now await action in the Senate.

Assembly Approves LegislationTo Strength Protections of Child Abuse Victims

The Assembly approved a bill (A.7858-A / Destito) to ensure that child abuse victims and child witnesses receive the trauma-recovery services they need through a well coordinated, multidiscipline approach. The range of critical services that a victim needs to make a full recovery involves the efforts and expertise of such agencies as the district attorney's office, child protective services, medical providers, forensic technicians, law enforcement and others. Without the appropriate coordination, these agencies can further traumatize a victim through miscommunication, inappropriate investigations and other misguided interventions.

This bill would designate the Office of Children and Family Services as the agency responsible for establishing multidisciplinary teams to better protect and serve victims of child abuse. The bill was delivered to the Senate.

Assembly Passes Bill To Crackdown On Sex Offenders Who Fail To Register With State

The Assembly approved a bill (A.1179/ Gunther) that would establish procedures in the event a sex offender fails to mail a signed address verification form within 20 calendar days of receiving the document from the Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Under the bill, violators who fail to register for the first time would be charged with a class E felony and second-time offenders would face a class D felony. The bill was delivered to the Senate.

Assembly Passes Bill Mandating Training For Justices Of Justice Courts

The Assembly approved legislation to require justices and non-judicial personnel who serve in the town and village courts throughout state be trained to effectively perform the duties and responsibilities of the court.

The bill (A.7375, Weinstein) addresses many of the Chief Administrative Judge's concerns, including the need to establish statewide training protocols for Justice Courts, which would be paid for by the state, to educate court personnel about their financial, administrative and other operational duties. The bill was delivered to the Senate.

Assembly Approves The Libel Terrorism Protection Act

The Assembly passed legislation to protect American journalists and authors from foreign defamation judgments that would violate their First Amendment rights and stifle their ability to publish books and stories.

The bill (A.9652, Lancman / S.6687, Skelos) would establish the Libel Terrorism Protection Act to shield authors and reporters from being victimized by defamation claims from foreign courts.

Under the bill, attempts by foreign countries to impose their libel laws on writers in New York would be unenforceable unless those laws carry the same free speech protections that are guaranteed by the constitution and permit New York residents and publishers to have their day in court in New York. The bill passed both houses.