It is often difficult to ensure that worthy legislation passes both houses of the New York State Legislature. However, this year I am proud to announce that more than thirty of my bills have passed the New York State Senate and the Assembly. These bills will be helpful to our community, and I would like to share some of them with you.

The Senate and Assembly also passed my bill (S6668A) to help address flooding and manage water levels in the Oswego River Basin. The bill allows the New York State Canal Flood Mitigation Task Force to develop solutions to the serious problem of flooding in the basin and provide valuable recommendations. My bill will also establish a citizen advisory board. I believe that the active participation of those who live in the basin will be crucial in helping us to implement a plan that will effectively address water level issues.

The Legislature passed my bill (S7585C) to establish the Silver Alert system to help locate missing senior citizens and ensure that they are returned safely to their families. The Silver Alert system will operate similar to the Amber Alert system, which helps law enforcement officials locate missing children. The system will also expand upon the protection we are already providing in Onondaga County through Project Lifesaver, which places personalized radio transmitters on individuals with Alzheimer disease, Down Syndrome, Autism and other Related Mental Dysfunction Disorders so that caregivers and local officials can quickly locate and rescue a lost person. Together these efforts will help to assist Central New York families in locating their loved ones.

Issues regarding taxes are often complicated and many of my constituents have discovered that they need assistance in navigating difficult tax related matters. My bill (S6664A) to establish the Office of Taxpayer Advocate passed the Senate and the Assembly this year. This legislation will create the Office of Taxpayer Advocate to assist individuals in their dealings with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Currently there are thousands of boarded up homes in the City of Syracuse. This session the Legislature passed my bill (S7816A) to address the problem. The bill will establish a property tax exemption in the City of Syracuse for the rehabilitation of certain vacant residential structures. This should help to reduce the number of vacant homes within our city and improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods. It will also be an essential tool in achieving success for the Near Westside Initiative.

These are just a few of my bills which have passed the Senate and the Assembly. I believe that more work still needs to be done in Albany, but I am pleased that several pieces of legislation I have been advocating have been successful. I am confident that the Governor will sign these bills into law and they will begin to help Central New Yorkers.