The Mom Squad, a group of legislators who are parents, has gained some recognition as a bloc this budget cycle, which is the largest group of mothers in the State Legislature’s history.

Legislative Priorities: 

• As legislators and mothers, we are intently focused on the safety, and mental and emotional well-being of our children and future generations.

• Pass the SAFE for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act, which would rein in addictive feeds that negatively affect our children’s mental health

• Against $420 million in cuts to public education

• A permanent Child Care fund to increase child care worker compensation

• We need to expand of the Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) program to more adequately cover paid sick or medical leave for working New Yorkers

• NY Child Data Protection Act - prohibits websites from using, selling, or otherwise processing minors’ data without parental or guardian consent

• #Meals4AllNY - universal school meals (and now the Comptroller has released a report on NY having high child poverty particularly upstate)

• Expansion of the Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) program to more adequately cover paid sick or medical leave for working New Yorkers

• No funding included for a pilot program to provide targeted guaranteed income to low-income parents who are pregnant (despite being included in both one-house bills)

LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Fought back cuts to school aid and the elimination of the hold harmless provision

• Sponsored a law with Senator Brouk to provide continual health coverage in Medicaid or CHIP from birth to age 6

• The Empire Child Tax Credit is now $175 million

• Appropriates approximately $2.036 billion for child care assistance 

• Provides $6.1 million for a 5% Early Intervention rate increase

• Sammy’s Law to improve street safety and save lives