Helene Weinstein, as Chair of the NYS Assembly Judiciary Committee, co-sponsored a hearing with the Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee on the forced mandatory arbitration of consumer disputes. Due to language in most sale and service contracts, consumers are being forced to participate in arbitration—a less formal legal process—instead of using the courts, and many, via unfair requirements in the law and deceptive terms set by the sellers.

As a result of these hearings, the Assembly passed measures drafted by Helene Weinstein designed to protect consumers and employees from manifestly unjust arbitration requirements

• Requiring arbitrators to follow the law: Existing law does not require arbitrators to follow the law when rendering arbitration decisions. This measure would allow an arbitration award to be vacated in court if the arbitrator demonstrated a failure to follow existing law.
• Allowing consumers a reasonably convenient place of trial: Consumer contracts frequently require consumers to arbitrate or litigate disputes in a far flung venue. This bill gives consumers the ability to arbitrate or litigate in the county of their residence, notwithstanding any boilerplate contract language to the contrary.
• Requiring arbitrators to set forth a basis for their decisions: Arbitrators are presently not required to explain the basis for their decision. This measure would require arbitrators to do so, thereby allowing consumers to determine whether they have legal grounds to challenge the decision.

The 2017-18 State Budget makes a substantial investment in SUNY and CUNY colleges and helps expand access to higher education through scholarship and opportunity programs.

NYS has provided funding to establish the Excelsior Scholarship, a first-of-its-kind initiative to make SUNY and CUNY schools tuition-free for eligible New Yorkers who earn less than $125,000 annually. Students who attend a private college in New York and earn less than $125,000 annually would also be eligible for a scholarship award of $6,000. Other higher education highlights include:

• $8 million to help SUNY and CUNY develop online educational resources to help alleviate the high cost of textbooks;
• $3.1 million for a new scholarship program for part-time students with jobs and/or families who wish to complete school on their own schedules;
• $100 million for SUNY and $60 million for CUNY in capital funding for maintenance and expansion purposes;
• $450 million for SUNY and $224 million for CUNY for critical maintenance.

Assemblywoman Weinstein has been working hard to sponsor legislation that helps our homeowners remain in their homes:

Stronger Protections for Reverse Mortgages
Helene Weinstein’s bill (now law) ensures that the elderly facing foreclosure of their reverse mortgages have equal protection under our foreclosure laws, such as receipt of pre-foreclosure notices and entitlement to mandatory foreclosure settlement conferences.

Homeowner Financial Relief
A new law, sponsored by Assemblywoman Weinstein, could make the difference between a person being able to stay in their home or having to sell it because it is no longer affordable. It increases income eligibility, allowing homeowners making $50,000 (with a sliding scale up to $58,400) to apply for the Senior Citizen Homeowner Exemption and the Disabled Homeowner Exemption. Call our office for more information.

Increased protections for homeowners
Many homeowners are falling victim to scam artists who essentially steal homes by fraudulently signing deeds and other legal documents. Assemblywoman Weinstein’s bill closes existing loopholes in the law to not only prevent deed fraud and mortgage scams, but to also increase the likelihood that a victim will have the opportunity to seek recovery in court.