An analysis by the Herald of the legislation passed by the New York State Senate in 2024 shows a significant focus on taxation, with 38 bills related to various forms of taxes, local tax exemptions, and revenue generation. In contrast, social welfare, public assistance and welfare policy saw minimal legislative activity, with five bills passed in these areas.
Among the most common types of legislation passed, several bills focus on local governments’ ability to implement or extend taxes, such as hotel and motel occupancy taxes and sales taxes. For example, the Senate passed 2023-S7887, which allows the town of Cortlandt in Westchester County to levy an occupancy tax, and 2023-S9432, which enables Binghamton to establish hotel and motel taxes of up to five percent. Additional legislation, like 2023-S8095, extends the authority for counties, including Nassau, to impose higher sales or occupancy taxes.
The majority of these taxation bills affect local governments, which will now have expanded ability to increase tax rates or introduce new taxes on businesses and property owners. For communities like Lynbrook and East Rockaway, this could lead to higher operational costs for businesses such as hotels and motels, which may increase prices for consumers. However, the increased tax revenues could also be reinvested into local services, infrastructure projects or education, benefiting residents and businesses in the long term, advocates of the bill say.
Meanwhile, legislation addressing social welfare and public assistance was less prominent. The five bills that did pass mostly relate to administrative changes, such as 2023-S8408, which allows beneficiaries of deceased members to elect to receive death benefits in a lump sum, and 2023-S9343, which requires the state to publicly provide information regarding rental supplement plans. These bills are less likely to directly address the pressing social needs of vulnerable populations in communities such as Lynbrook and East Rockaway.
Although some bills, like 2023-S4548, which automates the identification of affordability program participants, may make accessing benefits more efficient, broader issues like housing affordability, mental health services and unemployment support have not seen significant legislative action.
While some members of the state legislature have worked to address specific tax-related and social welfare issues, the shift in legislative priorities indicates that tax policy and revenue generation are likely to continue to be focal points in future sessions. The relatively small number of social welfare bills passed highlights the limited legislative focus on this area during the 2024 session.