Cumbo Bill Educating Women On Issues Gets Signed Into Law
City Council Member Laurie Cumbo (Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) yesterday saw her bill, Intro. 1085, requiring the Department of Consumer Affairs to provide outreach and education on consumer protection issues that affect women signed into law.
Under the measure, DCA will provide information regarding short- and long- term financial planning, including planning for retirement and the navigation of public benefits programs. Additionally, the agency would provide information about the prevalence of gender-based pricing, how to avoid deceptive business practices and predatory consumer and financial products, as well as the availability of counseling services at the city’s Financial Empowerment Centers.
“The City of New York is home to thousands of domestic violence survivors, many of whom are unknown and their stories untold, fearing the stigma that they cannot step into the light because of financial dependency from their abuser. Supported by the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Office of Financial Empowerment, Intro. 1085 will provide women in the city an opportunity to take advantage of valuable resources, through increased awareness, outreach and financial literacy workshops that address some of the unique challenges faced by women, domestic violence survivors and immigrants,” said Cumbo.
“While money does not equate independence, it surely can assist in one’s journey to becoming a confident and whole person again,” she added.
Deutsch Seniors Education Bill Gets De Blasio Signature
City Council Member Chaim Deutsch (Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest) yesterday saw his bill, Into. 1086-A, requiring the Department of Consumer Affairs to provide seniors with outreach and education regarding consumer protection issues, get signed into law.
Under the measure, DCA will provide seniors information regarding telemarketing and internet fraud, Social Security, Medicare, and healthcare fraud, reverse mortgage products, investment schemes, and the services available at our Financial Empowerment Centers.
“Adults over the age of 60 lose billions of dollars each year to fraud. Phone scams plague one in every five seniors,” said Deutsch. “This legislation, which will mandate the Department of Consumer Affairs to do outreach in senior centers and Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities to alert and educate older adults about how to take preventative measures, by recognizing and knowing where to report scams. This is an important step towards empowering those who are often targeted because of qualities that make them more susceptible to those looking to cause harm for personal gain.”
Espinal Educating Immigrants Bills Gets Singed Into Law
City Council Member Rafael Espinal Jr. (Cypress Hills, Bushwick, Oceanhill-Brownsville, East New York) yesterday saw Mayor Bill de Blasio sign his series of bills requiring the Department of Consumer Affairs to provide outreach and education on consumer protection issues that affect immigrants.
DCA will provide immigrant New Yorkers information regarding IDNYC, including how it can be used to open bank accounts, the risks and consequences of using non-bank institutions such as check cashers, money transfer companies and other similar financial institutions, information about state and local laws regulating employment and immigration assistance services, federal and state laws regulating tax preparers, and the services available at the city’s Financial Empowerment Centers.
In the related bills, DCA and the city will do everything it can to protect New York City’s consumers and workers with respect to addressing variety of challenges: from facilitating financial planning and guarding against fraud, in addition to being aware of rights under our City’s expanding labor laws, including the Paid Sick Leave and Commuter Benefits Laws.
“One of my top priorities as Chair of the Consumer Affairs Committee is to empower New Yorkers by giving them the tools they need to make sound consumer related decisions,” said Espinal. “Last year the committee passed a bill creating a consumer empowerment campaign focused on the needs of young adults. The package of legislation being signed today builds upon the success of that campaign by creating additional consumer outreach and education campaigns on issues that are specifically tailored to women, seniors and immigrants; segments of our population that are usually targeted by fraudulent and unscrupulous actors. With the enactment of these bills, we continue to show that we are strongly committed to empowering all New York City consumers.”
Levin Bill Banning Hydro-Fracking Byproducts Becomes Law
City Council Member Stephen Levin (Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Boerum Hill) yesterday saw his measure, Intro. 446-A, banning from the city certain oil and natural gas-related wastes stemming from hydro-fracking signed into law.
This includes distributing any of these wastes into any “surface” body of water in the – including rivers and bays, as well as prohibiting the use of such waste on any city road or real property, and in any city landfill.
“Today, New York City breaks new ground by enacting the first comprehensive municipal ban on the discharge or use of waste products associated with all methods of oil and gas extraction,” said Levin. “This legislation will protect New York City communities from toxic pollutants and ensure cleaner water for generations to come – and I hope that other legislative bodies will follow suit.”
I thank the Mayor for his support, as well as Chairman Constantinides and the advocates who built momentum around this bill. All New Yorkers will benefit from their steadfast commitment to protecting our environment,” said Council Member Stephen Levin.
Schumer, Gillibrand Get Fed Money For Fire Safety
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand yesterday announced the city has received $937,905 in federal funding for the FDNY Foundation Inc.
The money was allocated through the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S) grant program. FDNY Foundation will receive this funding to advance the FDNY Foundation’s New York City fire prevention campaign, “Fire is Everyone’s Fight – Get Alarmed NYC,” to reduce fire and carbon monoxide related deaths in New York City.
Earlier this year, Schumer and Gillibrand wrote to DHS in support of the FDNY’s grant application.
“These federal funds will help provide the FDNY Foundation with the resources it needs to help prevent fire and carbon monoxide related incidents in some New York City’s most vulnerable communities,” said Schumer. “With this funding, the FDNY can continue its life-saving efforts through New York City’s ‘Get Alarmed NY’ by distributing and installing fire and carbon monoxide alarms in 20 neighborhoods throughout the City.”
“These much-needed federal funds will help the FDNY Foundation to help New York City residents better prevent fires,” said Gillibrand. “I wrote to Administrator Fugate and requested this funding for the FDNY Foundation. The additional funding will be used to purchase and distribute carbon monoxide and fire alarms to 20 of the most vulnerable communities in New York City. The lack of working smoke detectors continues to be the single most significant risk factor in fire emergencies. This funding will drastically improve the safety of at-risk communities. I will continue to fight in the Senate to make sure more of New York fire departments have the resources they need to keep our communities safe.”
Marty Dilan Gets High Environmental Protection Score
State Senator Martin Malavé Dilan (Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bed-Stuy) was recently named among 15 New York State Senators earning the highest scores in a recent statewide environmental scorecard and voter’s guide.
This year’s EPL/Environmental Advocates 2016 Environmental Scorecard reviewed and weighed the voting records and legislative action of every legislator in New York State. Those deemed “ready to act to protect our communities, environment, and economy,” received the highest marks.
“Being born in Williamsburg and having grown up in Bushwick, I have a unique perspective on the environment and its importance. Simply stated, North Brooklyn is a victim of a century of industrial negligence and lax oversight. I have made every effort to correct that and I remain committed to standing by each and every community in New York State that finds itself a victim of pollution,” said Senator Dilan.
The EPL/Environmental Advocates 2016 Environmental Scorecard tallies scores based on votes on a wide range of bills. Scores are heavily influenced by a legislator’s support for Environmental Advocates of New York so called Super Bills, the most pressing environmental priorities for the legislature.
Dilan co-sponsored both of this year’s Super Bills, the Child Safe Products Act and a measure to close New York’s Hazardous Waste Loophole. He also voted in favor of each of the advocates’ bills designated as having a positive impact on the environment. Among those bills was a measure to lift the statute of limitations for people exposed to Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in Hoosick Falls to bring personal injury action.
