Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

12 BILLS PASSED THE FIRST HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING OF 2025

This week, Senator Rivera held the first Health Committee meeting of this session and passed 12 bills, including:

1. Local Input in Community Healthcare (LICH) Act (S1226) - : This bill would require public notice and engagement whenever a general hospital seeks to close entirely, or when a unit providing maternity, mental health, or substance use care is at risk of closing.
2. The New York Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act (S1618): This bill would direct the Commissioner of Health to enter into partnerships aimed at increasing competition, lowering prices, and addressing shortages in the market for generic prescription drugs.
3. Sodium Labeling Bill (S428): This bill would require chain restaurants to label menu items with high sodium content, helping to reduce New Yorkers' daily sodium intake by clearly marking meals that exceed the FDA's recommended daily value for sodium.

The next Health Committee meeting will be held on February 4th.

SENATOR RIVERA RECEIVED A RECOGNITION FROM THE AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION

This week, Senator Rivera received a recognition for his legislative commitment to making our state's drinking water cleaner from the American Water Works Association. Thank you so much for this award!

CHANGES TO THE CDPA PROGRAM: SENATOR RIVERA'S BILL COULD SERVE AS A FRAMEWORK TO ACCOMPLISH A SMOOTHER TRANSITION

This week, Senator Rivera provided a statement to Kate Lisa from Spectrum News1 regarding the ongoing transition to a single fiscal intermediary the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance program is currently undergoing, with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL). It is estimated that more than 12,000 individuals have completed or started the registration process with PPL, representing less than 5% of enrolled New Yorkers, which is a concern due to the looming April 1st deadline to complete this transition.

Senator Rivera expressed his concerns with how slowly the transition is going and emphasized that his bill S.1189, which was reintroduced this week, could return stability to the program by providing the framework to do so while increasing oversight:

“Unless this number increases drastically in the remaining months, this transition will significantly disrupt access to critical long term care services for vulnerable New Yorkers," Rivera said in a statement. "...While there are systems to address someone leaving CDPAP and returning to a traditional agency model of home care delivery, the practical result could be weeks of delay for someone who is dependent on a personal assistant for assistance with daily living activities that keep New Yorkers safe, healthy and residing in their own communities."

Read the full story here.

SENATOR RIVERA PARTICIPATES IN RIVERDALE Y'S MLK DAY OF SERVICE

On Monday, January 20th, Senator Rivera attended the Riverdale Y's Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) Day of Service. The Senator participated in Shift #1 of the Rise Against Hunger event, where he packed food for members of the community.

On #MLKDay, we are reminded that the fight against racial discrimination and for human rights is ongoing. This day calls us to stand strong, speak out, and challenge injustices. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Thank you to Rabbi Scott, Riverdale Y’s Director of Community Affairs, for the invitation to participate in this memorable day with the community!

SENATOR RIVERA JOINS CONSTITUENTS AT THE 52ND PRECINCT COUNCIL MEETING

On Thursday, Senator Rivera joined his constituents at the 52nd Precinct Council Meeting. He shared updates on community and district office initiatives, as well as his legislative priorities for the 2025 session.

TUESDAY 02/11: PARTICIPATE ON A VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING RE: THE KINGSBRIDGE ARMORY

SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM: APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

NYC's Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is the nation's largest youth employment program, connecting NYC youth between the ages of 14 and 24 with career exploration opportunities and paid work experiences each summer. The deadline to submit applications is 02/28

For applications and more information, click here