It’s only been a couple of days since 2024 landedand amid the clamor for improvements and programs that help make New York a most affordable placewhich grants protections to workers, poor and middle-income families, immigrants and vulnerable communities, the Governor, Kathy Hochul, announced its first four Government initiatives, which will promote its work agenda in the new year. Protecting consumers and removing financial burdens from the backs of millions of residents of the big Apple and the rest of the State, will be main axes.
This was revealed this Tuesday by the state representativeduring the formal return to work, after mentioning the first proposals that will be next week in the so-called “State of the State 2024”, which he will deliver from Albany, headquarters of the New York Government.
The Governor announced that as part of her “Affordability and Consumer Protection Agenda”, will seek to put a stop to unfair commercial practices, through protection of customers from abusive businesses, as well as the expansion of paid medical and disability leave, which has not changed since 1989, elimination of the co-payment for insulinwhich will save New Yorkers who suffer from diabetes, many of them Latinos, some $14 million dollars. He also revealed that he will expand the state’s hospital financial assistance law to reduce medical debt.
“The first element of the State of the State 2024 is our Affordability and Consumer Protection Agenda, one that combats the effects of disease, disability, unfair business practices and low wages,” he commented the democratic leaderjust one day after the increase in the minimum wage came into effect, contemplated at $16 an hour in the Big Apple.
“If the last two years have been about putting more money in the pockets of New Yorkers, this year is about keeping it there and that starts with safeguarding people’s hard-earned money,” he noted. Hochul.
The announcement generated optimism among representatives of organizations that ensure the well-being of communities, among them, Beth Finkel, director of the New York State AARP organizationwho assured that the new initiatives will have an impact on New York households, which fall victim to commercial actions that affect their finances, especially among older adults.
“Older New Yorkers in particular will benefit from these new laws. We are encouraged by the Governor’s plan to expand consumer protection and protection against medical debt for low-income New Yorkers,” said Frankel, who recalled that other measures such as legislation that guarantees that medical debt does not appear in the report a patient’s credit score and the Prescription Drug Price Increase Transparency Act will help ensure that those most in need do not suffer devastating consequences.
Carolyn Coffey, Director of Economic Justice Litigation at Mobilization for Justice, He stated that the existing weaknesses in the consumer protection statute to date allow vulnerable consumers and small businesses to become victims of exploitative businesses.
“The decades-old statute is in urgent need of an update to fulfill its intended function and keep pace with nefarious and evolving market conduct. “It is time for the State to catch up with more than 40 jurisdictions in this regard and set the highest possible standard for all economic activity in the State and ensure meaningful protections for New Yorkers, especially those in underserved communities,” Coffey said. .
New York State Attorney General Letitia Jameswho from his office has waged a tough battle against abusive commercial agents, warned that the promotion of the new initiatives will give relief to thousands of New Yorkers.
“From confronting the companies responsible for the opioid crisis to stopping price gouging, predatory debt collectors and other deceptive business practices, we have taken on countless companies for harming New Yorkers,” he said. la Fiscal James. “While we have stopped the most egregious actors, this new bill will expand and strengthen our ability to stop unfair and abusive business practices that hurt too many people.”
The chairwoman of the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board, Clarissa Rodriguez, referred in particular to the initiative to increase disability benefits to reach a limit of 67 percent of salarysimilar to New York State’s paid family leave, and said it’s a step forward.
“This means that New Yorkers will have the same financial security whether taking care of a family member or their own health needs,” commented the official, while stating that the measures that Governor Hochul will promote in 2024 will ensure that workers have necessary income when they need to care for themselves or their loved ones.
The Legal Aid Society He also took the opportunity to call on the state government to include among its legislative priorities the approval of a package of reforms to serve tenants, low-income people, newcomers and other vulnerable New Yorkers.
Among the priorities, they asked the Legislature and Governor Hochul to promote measures such as “good cause” eviction, which would provide tenants of unregulated units with basic protections against unfair evictions and exaggerated rent increases, and the Voucher Program Housing Access Program to provide homeless New Yorkers with a path to permanent, affordable housing.
They also call for making Medicaid more accessible and equitable for all New Yorkers, for greater benefits and protections for employees, legislation to increase assistance for basic needs, an increase in the housing subsidy, and an increase in assistance for basic needs. personal and special. They also urged that greater resources be provided to help new arrivals find housing and assist asylum seekers with their applications for temporary protected status and work authorization applications.
“New Yorkers everywhere, but particularly low-income New Yorkers, face a litany of obstacles including a historic affordability crisis, citywide housing shortages, delays in receiving critical public benefits, and more,” he said. Adriene Holder, Senior Civil Practice Attorney at Legal Aid Society.
“Our leaders in Albany have a responsibility to address these concerns by prioritizing legislative measures that will help improve the lives of all renters, immigrants, low-income people and other vulnerable New Yorkers.”
4 proposals from the Governor to improve the lives of New Yorkers in 2024
- Expand the Consumer Protection Law, which has not been touched in more than 40 years, with equity measures in “Buy now, pay later” plans
- Increase Paid Medical Leave and Disability benefits, which have not changed since 1989
- Eliminate health insurance co-pays for insulin, saving New Yorkers an estimated $14 million
- Protect New Yorkers from medical debt by limiting hospitals’ ability to sue low-income patients and expanding financial aid programs
2024-01-02 22:22:51
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