Assemblywoman Amy Paulin is pleased to announce that twenty of her bills passed in the Assembly during the 2009 Legislative Session. Of these bills, three were also passed in the Senate, and one was signed into law by the Governor.

“The power struggle in the Senate made the end of the legislative session very tumultuous, and prevented many bills from being voted on and signed into law” noted Paulin. “However, I am proud of the progress my colleagues in the Assembly and I made and I hope the Senate is able to reach an agreement soon so that they can vote on these important bills,” she added.

Below is a brief summary of each of Paulin’s bills.

Fighting Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence:

To protect victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, Paulin’s legislation will:

• Prohibit employers from discriminating against victims of domestic violence in hiring or employment practices, thereby protecting the economic viability of domestic violence victims and supporting their efforts to gain independence from their abusers (A.755A).
• Make the aggravated sexual abuse statutes consistent with the criminal sexual act statutes. This will eliminate the need for traumatized child victims to testify in excruciating detail about the graphic nature of their assaults (A.8781).
• Establish that criminal orders of protection begin at sentencing, ensuring that victims are aware how long they will be protected under an order of protection (A.8807).

Promoting Responsible Gun Ownership:

To fight illegal gun ownership and ensure that guns stay in responsible hands, Paulin has passed legislation which will:

• Require all gun owners to renew their firearm licenses every five years, which will help prevent tragedies like what happened in Binghamton earlier this year (A.801-A).
• Require gun shops to keep detailed records and report gun sales to prevent sales to criminals (A.1093).

Protecting Our Children:

To ensure that our children remain healthy and well protected, Paulin’s legislation will:

• Ensure that parents of children between 6 months and 18 years of age, who are in child care or school, receive up to date information about the benefits of the influenza vaccine (A.775A).
• Protect our children by ensuring that summer camps which conduct activities indoors are held to the same safety requirements as other summer camps (A.6772A).
• Reduce underage drinking by encouraging those who sell alcoholic beverages to attend alcohol training awareness programs which have proven to be effective at decreasing incidences of serving alcohol to minors (A.8645A).

Minimizing Tobacco Use:

To discourage smoking, especially among youth, Paulin has worked to pass legislation which will:

• Ban the sale of flavored cigarettes which promote youth smoking and lead to young, occasional smokers becoming daily users (A.777A).
• Help New Yorkers make more informed decisions about smoking by requiring cigarette manufacturers to disclose additives and product design characteristics used in their cigarettes (A.806A).

Protecting the Environment:

To promote clean air, soil and water and reduce or eliminate pollutants, the Assemblywoman’s legislation will:

• Promote the use of alternative energy by adding renewable energy resources such as thermal and wind energy to the list of factors a town must consider when creating its zoning and planning regulations (A.626).
• Safeguard the health of our children by requiring the Department of Environmental Conservation to consider the environmental impact of building projects on sensitive populations (A.779).

Helping People with Disabilities:

To provide additional assistance for people with disabilities, Paulin’s legislation will:

• Require gas stations to provide pumping assistance, at no extra cost, to patrons who present a parking permit for handicapped persons, ensuring that those who need assistance are able to receive it (A.629).
• Require any government facility, such as a courthouse, legislative office, or police station, to provide reasonable accommodations and modifications to ensure that individuals with disabilities are not excluded from activities, services or programs (A.781B).

Protecting Those Who Protect Us:

In honor of the brave work done by our veterans and police officers, Paulin has passed legislation which will:

• Increase property tax exemptions for Cold War veterans who stood at the ready when combat seemed imminent, bringing their exemptions in line with those offered to other veterans (A.7422A).
• Ensure that the Village of Scarsdale can properly implement the retirement plan already in place for police officers (A.6153A).

Budget and Election Reform:

To ensure free and fair elections and make the budget process more efficient, Paulin’s legislation will:

• Allow voters to use abbreviations or initials when signing their names on absentee ballots. This bill has been signed into law (Chapter 40).
• Provide that a voter who mistakenly goes to the wrong polling location be advised of his or her proper voting location by the poll clerk or election inspector. This bill will help to ensure that everyone is able to vote (A.1002C).
• Establish a pilot program in Westchester whereby bonds will be sold electronically, leading to savings in administrative and paper costs (A.4617).

Animal Rights:

To provide for the humane treatment of animals, Paulin has passed legislation which will:

• Ensure that when it is necessary to euthanize an animal, it is done in the most humane manner possible (A.999B).