Bills Helping Veterans Among Legislative Successes for Lavine

ALBANY, NEW YORK –Among the 11 bills sponsored by Assemblymember Charles Lavine (D-North Shore) that passed both houses of the New York State Legislature were two with deep personal meaning. A9645 creates a Veteran Suicide Mortality Review Board within the Department of Health to thoroughly analyze contributing factors and implement effective intervention plans for veterans in crisis, and A10163 relates to pre-release briefings for incarcerated veterans regarding available federal and state benefits. Both bills were subsequently signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. Lavine also sponsored A07657 designating the "Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Flag" as the official state flag for the raising of awareness of veteran suicide and hopes it will pass during the upcoming legislative session. “As someone who lost high school classmates in Vietnam and had a cousin killed in the Second World War, the plight of those who have fought for our country after returning home is especially important to me,” Lavine said. “Veterans face unique risk factors that generic suicide prevention structures alone cannot address. That is why I am honoring the service and sacrifice of New York’s veterans with multiple pieces of legislation to not only help individuals but to break the stigma surrounding the issue of veterans committing suicide.”

Additionally, Lavine sponsored A9497 (signed into law by Gov. Hochul), which increases the accessibility of estate planning to a wider range of New Yorkers by allowing for electronic execution of wills, and A11188, which maintains equitable standards for maritime navigation for vessels transiting the New York State waters of the Long Island and Block Island Sounds.

As Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Lavine also successfully advocated for several inclusions to the FY 2027 Budget, including the preservation of a critical funding stream for nonprofit civil legal services providers; an increase in the Judiciary operating budget to reinforce the courts’ ability to function efficiently and equitably statewide; and support for civil legal services reinforcing New York’s long-standing commitment to ensuring that representation is available particularly for vulnerable populations.

A complete list of all Lavine’s legislation can be found on his official webpage.

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Assemblymember Charles Lavine represents New York’s 13th Assembly District in Nassau County. He presently serves as Chair of the Judiciary Committee and is a member of the Committees on Codes, Ethics and Guidance, Insurance and Rules. Lavine previously served as Chair of the Election Law Committee, Chair of the Committee on Ethics and Guidance, co-Chair of the New York State Legislative Ethics Commission, and as Chair of the bipartisan Task Force that produced the Assembly Speaker’s Policy on Sexual Harassment, Retaliation and Discrimination.