Year-End Update: 2023 Legislative Summary

During the 2023 Legislative Session, state lawmakers jointly passed a staggering 896 bills through the Senate and Assembly. As of November 28, 727 of these bills have been signed or vetoed by Governor Hochul, and more than 150 are still awaiting action.

NYSAC staff have been tracking the legislation of interest to county governments to keep our members abreast of their status - whether signed, vetoed, or pending gubernatorial action. This includes legislation to reclassify Class C waterways as protected streams, which was vetoed again this year thanks, in part, to advocacy by NYSAC and our members. It also includes “Matthew’s Law,” named in honor of a Westchester County resident who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2020. Signed into law earlier this month, Matthew’s Law will help to stop overdoses before they occur by allowing pharmacists to dispense testing kits to detect drug adulterants like fentanyl.

Members can find a comprehensive overview of these and dozens of other jointly passed bills in NYSAC’s 2023 Legislative Session Summary. We will continue to update the report through December 31, 2023, the deadline by which Governor Hochul must sign or veto the outstanding legislation.