MAYOR DE BLASIO AND TASKFORCE ON RACIAL INCLUSION & EQUITY ANNOUNCE EXPANSION OF NYC CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO ADDRESS DISPARATE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON PEOPLE OF COLOR

Citywide NYC Care expansion means guaranteed health care for all New Yorkers; New mental health supports will reach 10,000 more residents

  Mayor de Blasio, Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity co-chairs First Lady Chirlane McCray, Deputy Mayor J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor Dr. Raul Perea-Henze, and Executive Director Grace Bonilla today announced immediate action to expand access to primary healthcare providers through NYC Care. The program will now offer neighborhood-based mental health services to communities of color that have suffered disproportionately during the COVID-19 crisis.

"Our mission to bring affordable, quality healthcare to every New Yorker has never felt more urgent," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “COVID-19 exposed our city’s most painful disparities, including access to medical care. By expanding NYC Care, we are tackling these inequities head on, and bringing affordable healthcare and mental health resources to the communities that need them the most.”

“In this time of economic uncertainty and civil unrest, it is more critical than ever to get mental health resources and high-quality health care into communities of color to help stabilize families for generations to come,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “I want black and brown New Yorkers living in these communities to know that your city sees you and we will not rest until your neighborhoods are healthier, stronger, safer and fairer now and after this crisis.”

The Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity brings an equity-based approach to COVID-19 response and recovery efforts in the city's hardest-hit communities. The Taskforce will remain involved in program implementation in the weeks ahead, continuing to leverage community voices that inform ongoing engagement and developing long-term strategies to support community health and safety.

The services and supports are tailored to meet the unique challenges of New Yorkers in communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. City agencies conducted a survey with community members from these neighborhoods. Nearly 300 responses were received, and this feedback helped to inform the issue areas of the taskforce’s work.

  

The Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity is committed to the work that all of us who serve have been committed to for decades. We hear our communities loud and clear, we need to do better to make sure that systems that are meant to serve New Yorkers are responsive today and always with the dignity and respect New Yorkers deserve,” said Grace Bonilla, HRA Administrator and Executive Director of the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity. “By addressing the challenges faced by the hardest-hit neighborhoods that have been most impacted by decades of disparities and by working with our community leaders, we are taking the first steps towards healing together.”

Health Care Connections

By September, every New Yorker in the hardest-hit communities will have access to guaranteed health care through the expansion of NYC Care to Queens and Manhattan. This includes hiring 26 providers to ensure a new primary care appointment within two weeks, public education materials, financial counseling services, and expanded pharmacy hours. New York City Health + Hospitals will also release a Requests For Proposals to engage community-based providers for community outreach and enrollment. The program has already launched in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island as part of the Mayor’s Guaranteed Care commitment, offering quality health care services at low or no-cost to New Yorkers who do not qualify for or cannot afford health insurance based on federal guidelines. To date, 22,705 New Yorkers have enrolled in NYC Care.

The City will also open three COVID-19 Centers of Excellence (COEs) by September 2020 to ensure increased access to primary care in some of the neighborhoods hardest-hit by COVID-19 in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. More specifically, COEs will help New Yorkers treat and recover from COVID-19 outside of the hospital and prevent hospitalizations through testing and preventive care.

Mental Health Support

Communities with the highest mental health needs may be the least likely to access mental health resources during and after the pandemic. This need is intensified by the tragic deaths of black men and women at the hands of law enforcement. Respondents to the City’s community survey articulated concerns like processing grief and loss, dealing with anxiety around job insecurity, managing social isolation, and other pandemic-related traumas.

The City will redirect mental health first aid (MHFA) staff to conduct a phased approach to deliver mental health disaster response and coping sessions to target populations. These sessions and trainings are projected to serve 10,000 residents in the hardest hit communities from July-December 2020 and will engage community and faith-based organizations across hardest hit communities to reach residents. More specifically:

Conduct 1-hour community (virtual) sessions on mental health disaster response and coping to community members, starting July 1st.

• Assemble lists of community organizations by neighborhood and recruit organizations (such as faith-based, non-profits, community organizations) to advertise availability of sessions to residents.
• Adapt DOHMH existing materials for community groups.
• Train existing MHFA staff to deliver sessions virtually and co-sponsor sessions with local community groups.

Develop and deliver a 2-3 hour, interactive session (virtually or in person), in hardest-hit communities starting this fall called "Taking Care of Yourself, Your Neighbor, and Your Community: An Equity-Centered Anti-Racist Mental Health Response to COVID-19". This session will innovate previous mental health disaster response approaches, which do not center issues of racial equity. More specifically:

• Incorporate scientifically-proven disaster response information/skill-building, adapted from psychological first aid.
• Incorporate analysis of structural racism -- as a root cause of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color -- with skill-based approaches in restorative and healing practices.
• Offer participants information/skills to increase ability to care and cope for themselves and others.
• Demystify common mental health challenges to encourage help-seeking behavior and empathy.
• Provide participants with information about local mental health support, treatment, as well as NYC Well availability 24/7 for crisis support and counseling and referral to mental health treatment.
• Develop staff training to conduct train-the-trainer sessions with staff from organizations in hardest hit communities.

Two Defendants Charged With Gunpoint Robbery Of Manhattan Jewelry Store While Impersonating NYPD Officers

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that ISMAEL IGARTUA, a/k/a “Ismeal John,” a/k/a “John Igartua,” and JOSE RODRIGUEZ have been arrested for their participation in an armed robbery of a jewelry store in Manhattan on Saturday, June 6, 2020. IGARTUA and RODRIGUEZ were apprehended shortly after the robbery and were presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated:  “As alleged, the defendants participated in a brazen daytime robbery, in which a victim was threatened at gunpoint and tied up.  The defendants’ alleged scheme – impersonating NYPD officers and asking to check the victim’s firearm due to recent incidents of looting – took advantage of uncertain conditions in our community, preying on the fears of a small business owner and his trust in law enforcement.  This alleged criminal conduct is intolerable, and thanks to the work of the NYPD and the FBI, the defendants face significant federal charges for their alleged crimes.”

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said:  “Posing as police officers to prey on a city business during an international pandemic, as alleged, is dangerous to civilians and law enforcement officers.  Arrests like these highlight the indispensable work of our NYPD detectives, and federal partners, in ensuring justice for New Yorkers.”           

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “Well done to the detectives and agents who worked to solve this quickly and bring justice to a business owner in the community.  It speaks highly of the work done by the NYPD’s 19th Precinct Detective Squad and the FBI-NYPD Joint Major Theft Task Force that the only jewelry these men will wind up with are metal bracelets.”

According to the allegations in the Complaint[1]:

On the afternoon of June 6, 2020, IGARTUA and RODRIGUEZ robbed a jewelry store located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  While dressed as and identifying themselves as NYPD officers, IGARTUA and RODRIGUEZ asked for permission to enter the jewelry store and requested to examine the store owner’s properly permitted firearm, claiming that, due to the recent looting of commercial establishments in New York, firearms were at risk of being stolen. Once the store owner gave IGARTUA and RODRIGUEZ his firearm, the robbers, who were armed with two firearms of their own, restrained and tied up the store owner, and stole his firearm and jewelry valued at over $150,000.  IGARTUA and RODRIGUEZ were apprehended a short time later in a subway station several blocks from the jewelry store.

IGARTUA, 59, of Queens, New York, and JOSE RODRIGUEZ, 59, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of robbery conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of brandishing a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI-NYPD Joint Major Theft Task Force and the NYPD’s 19th Precinct Detective Squad.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Governor Cuomo Announces Intent to Sign Criminal Justice Reform Introduced by State Legislature

Governor Cuomo: "People are saying enough is enough, and it is enough. It is enough. It's been the same point over and over and over again. Bring reforms to the criminal justice system. Bring reforms to policing. We've seen the same situation happen 20, 30, 40 times. How many times do you have to see the same situation before you act?"

Cuomo: "We worked with the legislature over the weekend. I think we have an agreement on the bills that are going to be introduced. If they pass the bills that we discussed, I will sign the bills and I will sign them as soon as they're passed. I want to thank both of them for their leadership."

Cuomo: "This is not about what an individual state can do. It's actually broader than that. New York State will take this legislative action— and I hope it then becomes a model for other states to follow. We've done that in New York a number of times. We did it with marriage equality, we did it with free college tuition, we did it with raising the minimum wage. New York acts and then it provides a spur for progressive action by the rest of the country."

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced his intent to sign a set of bills on criminal justice reform introduced by the New York State Legislature. The reforms will include:

• Allow for transparency of prior disciplinary records of law enforcement officers by reforming 50-a of the civil rights law;
• Banning chokeholds by law enforcement officers;
• Prohibiting false race-based 911 reports and making them a crime; and
• Designating the Attorney General as an independent prosecutor for matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians caused by law enforcement.

As New York City Enters Phase One of Reopening Today, Governor Cuomo Announces New York City is Now Eligible for Elective Surgery and Ambulatory Care

State is Opening 14 New Temporary Testing Sites at Churches Located in Communities Particularly Impacted by COVID-19 in Partnership with Northwell Health and SOMOS

Mid-Hudson Valley Expected to Enter Phase Two Tomorrow and Long Island Still on Track to Enter Phase Two Wednesday, June 10th

Launches the 'It's Up to Us, New York' Campaign on MTA Buses and Trains

As New York City Reopens Today, MTA Continues to Take Unprecedented Steps to Keep Riders and Workers Safe

State is Deploying Over One Million Masks & 25,000 Gallons and 500,000 2-oz. Bottles of Sanitizer to the MTA for Reopening 

Confirms 702 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 378,799; New Cases in 36 Counties

Governor Cuomo: "New Yorkers always rise to the occasion. Always. They rose to the occasion after 9/11. In many ways, New Yorkers - I think - represent courage and unity and when things are tough, New Yorkers are tougher and that's what they did here. I'm so proud to be Governor of New York and I'm so proud to be a New Yorker."

Governor Cuomo: "People are saying enough is enough. And it is enough. It is enough. It's been the same point over and over and over again. Bring reforms to the criminal justice system. Bring reforms to policing. We've seen the same situation happen 20, 30, 40 times. How many times do you have to see the same situation before you act?"

  As New York City enters phase one of reopening today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo earlier today announced that New York City is now eligible to resume elective surgeries and ambulatory care. The Governor previously announced that the state will allow elective outpatient treatments to resume in counties and hospitals without significant risk of COVID-19 surge in the near term. 

Governor Cuomo also announced the state is opening 14 new temporary testing sites at churches located in communities particularly impacted by COVID-19, in partnership with Northwell Health and SOMOS Community Care. The state is continuing to focus efforts on reducing the infection rate of COVID-19 in New York City hotspot neighborhoods that have been impacted the most by the virus.

The Governor also reminded New Yorkers who have participated in recent protests to get tested for COVID-19. There are now more than 240 testing sites in New York City, and the state is prioritizing 15 testing sites across the city for individuals who have participated in recent protests. More information on where and how to get tested for COVID-19 is available at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov. 

The Governor also announced the MTA is accelerating construction on $2 billion in capital projects during this period of reduced ridership caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The projects include:

• Launching the rehabilitation of the F Train's Rutgers Tube with the contract awarded in July - four years ahead of the original schedule;
• Accelerating 11 ADA stations, including adding 24 new elevators;
• Rehabilitating the 138th Street Grand Concourse Station, which will be completed one month early in October 2020; and
• Accelerating repairs of steel and concrete defects and leaks within the 2/3, 4/5 Train's Eastern Parkways Line in Brooklyn and shaving 10 months off the project by increasing work up to 25 percent during overnight closures.

Governor Cuomo also announced the launch of the 'It's Up to Us, New York' Campaign on MTA buses and trains and billboards across the region as well as on billboards throughout the state and through an integrated social media campaign to remind New Yorkers to do their part to continue fighting the COVID-19 virus. The Governor also reminded New Yorkers that masks are mandatory when riding public transportation systems and that New Yorkers should follow all guidelines and protocols when riding, including maintaining social distancing to the extent possible, using hand sanitizer and observing decal guidance.

No. 202.39: Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency

No. 202.39

E X E C U T I V E  O R D E R

Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency  

WHEREAS, on March 7, 2020, I issued Executive Order Number 202, declaring a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York; and 

WHEREAS, both travel-related cases and community contact transmission of COVID-19 have been documented in New York State and are expected to continue;

NOW THEREFORE, I, Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to temporarily suspend or modify any statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation, or parts thereof, of any agency during a State disaster emergency, if compliance with such statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster emergency or if necessary to assist or aid in coping with such disaster, do hereby continue the suspensions and modifications of law, and any directives, not superseded by a subsequent directive, made by Executive Order 202.15, through 202.21, and including 202.29, as contained in Executive Order 202.29 until July 7, 2020, and further, I hereby temporarily suspend or modify, for the period from the date of this Executive Order through July 7, 2020 the following:

• Sections 2018-a and 2018-b of the Education Law, to the extent necessary to allow any absentee ballot for an election held on June 9, 2020 and received by mail in the office of the clerk of the school district or designee of the trustees or school board not later than June 16, 2020 to be canvassed for such election.  No ballots for such election shall be accepted by the clerk of the school district or designee of the trustees or school board after 5 p.m. on June 9, 2020 except those received by mail in accordance with this provision. Any receptacle used for hand delivery of absentee ballots in such election shall be closed and removed at 5 p.m. on June 9, 2020; The ballots therein shall remain unopened pending delivery of mailed ballots, and shall be removed and canvassed after 5 p.m. on June 16, 2020;

• Section 3012(d) of the Education Law and Subpart 30-3 of Title 8 of the NYCRR, to the extent necessary to exempt school districts from completing annual professional performance reviews of classroom teachers and building principals during the 2019-20 school year without withholding any apportionment of funds for the general support of public schools for which a school district is otherwise entitled; and

• Sections §§2509, 2573, 3012 and 3014 of the Education Law, to the extent necessary to allow a board of education or the trustees of a common school district, only upon specific agreement, to appoint on tenure those classroom teachers and building principals recommended by the superintendent of schools who are in the final year of the probationary period, have received the previous requisite annual professional performance review ratings pursuant to §3012-d of the education law and would have been in their discretion qualified for appointment on tenure based upon past performance, notwithstanding that their annual professional performance review had not been completed and they had not received the necessary effectiveness rating for the 2019-20 school year, or to allow such board of education or trustees of a common school district to extend such determination for an additional year. 

IN ADDITION, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to issue any directive during a disaster emergency necessary to cope with the disaster, I do hereby issue the following directives for the period from the date of this Executive Order through July 7, 2020: 

• The directive contained in Executive Order 202.38, that allowed a restaurant or bar to serve patrons food or beverage on-premises only in outdoor space, provided such restaurant or bar is in compliance with Department of Health guidance promulgated for such activity, is modified to explicitly limit such activity to those regions that are in Phase 2 of the re-opening. . 

• The directive contained in Executive Order 202.4, as extended, that required local governments to allow non-essential personnel to be able to work from home or take leave without charging accruals, and required such number of non-essential personnel to total no less than 50% of the total number of employees across the entire workforce of such local government or political subdivision, is hereby modified to apply only to local governments that have not met the prescribed public health and safety metrics to be eligible for Phase Two reopening, provided such local governments in Phase Two regions may bring non-essential employees back to work beginning two weeks after such region meets the metrics to reopen Phase Two.  

G I V E N   under my hand and the Privy Seal of the State in the City of Albany this seventh day of June in the year two thousand twenty.

BY THE GOVERNOR          

Secretary to the Governor

Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation Extending the Deadline to Submit Absentee Ballots to the Day of the Election

Issues Executive Order Extending the Deadline to Submit School Budget Ballots

Governor Previously Issues Executive Orders Allowing All New Yorkers to Vote Absentee in June 23rd Primaries and Ensuring Every New Yorker Automatically Receives a Postage-Paid Absentee Ballot Application

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation (S.8130-D/A.10516-A) extending the deadline to submit absentee ballots until the day of the election. To be counted, primary ballots must be postmarked by June 23rd. The Governor previously issued Executive Orders allowing all New Yorkers to vote absentee in the June 23rd primary elections and ensuring every New Yorker registered to vote receives a postage-paid absentee ballot application in the mail.

The Governor also announced he will issue an Executive Order extending the deadline for school districts to receive school budget ballots. To be counted, school budget ballots can be accepted by hand delivery through 5pm on June 9th and received by mail through June 16th by the school district. 

"The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world, and while we are making great progress and the numbers keep going down, no New Yorker should have to choose between their health and their right to vote," Governor Cuomo said. "Extending the deadline to submit absentee ballots builds on our previous Executive Orders to make it easier for New Yorkers to vote absentee in the upcoming primary election and it will help to increase voter participation as we continue to fight this virus."

No. 202.38: Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency

No. 202.38

E X E C U T I V E  O R D E R

Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws

Relating to the Disaster Emergency

WHEREAS, on March 7, 2020, I issued Executive Order Number 202, declaring a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York; and

WHEREAS, both travel-related cases and community contact transmission of COVID-19 have been documented in New York State and are expected to continue;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law, do hereby continue the suspensions and modifications of law, and any directives, not superseded by a subsequent directive, made by Executive Order 202 and each successor Executive Order up to and including Executive Order 202.14, as continued as contained in Executive Order 202.27 and 202.28 until July 6, 2020; and

IN ADDITION, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to issue any directive during a disaster emergency necessary to cope with the disaster, I do hereby issue the following directives for the period from the date of this Executive Order through July 6, 2020:

• Consistent with Center for Disease Controls and Prevention and New York State Department of Health Guidance, commercial building owners, retail store owners and those authorized on their behalf to manage public places within their buildings and businesses (collectively “Operators”) shall have the discretion to require individuals to undergo temperature checks prior to being allowed admittance.  Further, Operators shall have the discretion to deny admittance to (i) any individual who refuses to undergo such a temperature check and (ii) any individual whose temperature is above that proscribed by New York State Department of Health Guidelines.  No Operator shall be subject to a claim of violation of the covenant of quiet enjoyment, or frustration of purpose, solely due to their enforcement of this directive.  This directive shall be applied in a manner consistent with the American with Disabilities Act and any provision of either New York State or New York City Human Rights Law.

• The directive contained in Executive Order 202.3, as extended, that required any restaurant or bar to cease serving patrons food or beverage on-premises, is hereby modified to the extent necessary to allow a restaurant or bar to serve patrons food or beverage on-premises only in outdoor space, provided such restaurant or bar is in compliance with Department of Health guidance promulgated for such activity.

• Executive Order 202.35 which continued the directive of Executive Order 202.33 is hereby modified to permit any non-essential gatherings for houses of worship at no greater than 25% of the indoor capacity of such location, provided it is in a geographic area in Phase 2 of re-opening, and further provided that social distancing protocols and cleaning and disinfection protocols required by the Department of Health are adhered to.

• Upon the resumption of on-premises outdoor service of food and beverages at the licensed premises of restaurants and bars, to facilitate compliance with social distancing requirements in connection with such service, notwithstanding any provision of the Alcoholic Beverage Control law, restaurants or bars in the state of New York shall be permitted to expand the premises licensed by the State Liquor Authority to use (a) contiguous public space (for example, sidewalks or closed streets) and/or (b) otherwise unlicensed contiguous private space under the control of such restaurant or bar, subject to reasonable limitations and procedures set by the Chairman of the State Liquor Authority and, with respect to (a) the use of public space, subject to the reasonable approval of the local municipality, and all subject to the guidance promulgated by the Department of Health.
• 
  

G I V E N   under my hand and the Privy Seal of the State in the City of Albany this sixth day of June in the year two thousand twenty.

BY THE GOVERNOR      

   

Secretary to the Governor

Attorney General James’ Price Gouging Authority Strengthened After Governor Cuomo Signs New Bill Into Law

New Law Will Expand AG James’ Ability to Go After Price Gouging Targeting NYS, Hospitals, and Small Businesses

   New York Attorney General Letitia James today applauded Governor Andrew Cuomo signing into law legislation that will substantially strengthen New York State’s price gouging statute to prevent excessive price increases on essential goods and services, as the state continues to battle the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The new price gouging law — S.8189, sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman (SD-27), and A.10270, sponsored by Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (AD-25) — expands protections against price gouging beyond consumer goods to include any products or services that are vital or necessary to the health, safety, and welfare of consumers or the general public, extending protection against price gouging beyond only consumers to small businesses, hospitals and other health care providers, and even the State of New York, as they purchase products or services for the benefit of the public. The law will also protect a broader scope of products and services — including medical supplies and equipment, such as ventilators — which are critically needed during the current public health crisis.

“New Yorkers can rest assured that our office will fight every day to ensure they are not taken advantage of during the coronavirus pandemic or any other emergency our state may face in the future,” said Attorney General James. “Since this pandemic began, we have received over 7,000 price gouging complaints related to COVID-19 and gone after the bad actors behind these unlawful acts, but today’s law will vastly expand our efforts to protect New Yorkers’ wallets, as well as the bottom lines of small businesses and taxpayer dollars. We are focused on protecting all New Yorkers now and in the future. We applaud Governor Cuomo for signing this bill into law, and Senator Hoylman and Assemblywoman Rozic for their support and partnership in passing this important legislation so that our office can continue its work protecting New Yorkers.”

“From the beginning of this pandemic we’ve seen too many instances of retailers taking advantage of this dire situation and charging exorbitant prices for critical medical supplies,” Governor Cuomo said. “By banning price gouging on personal protective equipment, we are helping to ensure our health care workers — who have been working tirelessly to save lives at great personal danger to themselves — and the public have access to these supplies, while holding these unscrupulous retailers accountable for attempting to capitalize on the fear of others.”

“Pandemic profiteers need to get the hell out of New York,” said Senator Hoylman. “It's outrageous that these lowlifes have tried to make a quick buck off of our state’s valiant efforts to save the lives of COVID-19 patients and protect frontline medical workers from infection, so I’m glad our bill, signed into law today, will significantly expand New York's price gouging statute to allow Attorney General Tish James to crack down on price gougers. I’m grateful to have worked with Attorney General James, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Sponsor Nily Rozic to craft this bill. I applaud Governor Cuomo for signing our legislation today, and thank Consumer Reports, AARP, and NYPIRG for their support.”

“This legislation strengthens and expands the New York State price gouging statute after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed glaring flaws in the law,” said Assemblywoman Rozic. “This new law will ensure that New Yorkers have access to the products and care required without paying excessive and unreasonable prices. As we face new challenges to contain the pandemic, we must protect consumers when they are particularly vulnerable. I thank Governor Cuomo for signing this essential legislation into law and providing the Attorney General the tools to make certain that no one can prey on consumers’ fears and cause widespread panic during this health crisis.”

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, consumers, small businesses, health care providers, and the state have all faced steep price increases for critical medical goods and other essential items, such as hand sanitizer, face masks, and disinfectant spray. New York hospitals have paid up to 15-times more than the normal price for gloves and masks, while the state estimates total coronavirus-related expenses will exceed $15 billion due to bidding competitions with other state governments and high prices from suppliers. Under the existing price gouging statute, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has been limited in its ability to take action on certain types of items not typically deemed consumer goods, such as medical supplies. The legislation signed into law today will allow the OAG to take action against those seeking to profit off the health and safety of the general public.

Attorney General James has been focused on protecting consumers and vulnerable communities since the onset of the pandemic. In response to more than 7,000 complaints of excessive prices, the OAG has issued more than 1,565 cease-and-desist orders to businesses that stand accused of violating the current law.

Separately, last month, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against wholesale grocery distributor Quality King Distributors, Inc. for illegally increasing the company’s wholesale prices for the sale of Lysol disinfectant products to neighborhood grocery and discount stores in New York. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Quality King allegedly gouged prices of more than 46,000 cans of Lysol, even though the company did not incur increased costs for the products. The stores purchasing Lysol products from Quality King then passed on those increased prices to customers, forcing them to pay far higher prices for Lysol products than they did before the pandemic. Consumers were charged as much as $16.99 for one can of Lysol, which was previously sold at a retail price range of $5.00 to $8.00.