Session Ending, Lawmakers Got To Work
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

ALBANY — Lawmakers handled several measures during the hectic last days of the 2008 legislative session.
Here are some of them:
* The Marine Transfer Station on Manhattan’s Gansevoort Peninsula will be reactivated. This key component of the city’s solid waste management plan will allow Manhattan’s recyclables to be shipped to processing facilities by barge instead of by truck, cutting 30,000 truck miles per year from city streets.
* Victims of various forms of domestic violence don’t have to be married to their abuser to seek protection through New York family courts. The bill will allow victims to obtain a civil order of protection instead of having to go through the criminal justice system.
* Workers for companies that self-insure and then default will be able to retain worker’s comp benefits. The new bill will require regular, independent reviews of trust finances, increased penalties for misconduct, and new procedures to ensure that underfunded trusts are fully funded.
* Lawmakers agreed to pass a series of reforms to protect children and adults in residential care. The changes will more clearly define what abuse is, give parents and guardians more time to seek records on the care of a family member, and prohibit withholding food or drink as a method of discipline.
* More children will be able to receive care at home instead of being placed in an institution, despite not qualifying for the current financial standards. A Medicaid waiver will be available for more children with physical disabilities who require the level of care normally found in nursing facilities or hospitals.
* In response to high profile violent crimes committed by people with mental illness, lawmakers agreed to pass a bill that would create multi-agency mental health “incident review panels” to investigate violent incidents. The idea is to deliver better mental health care and eliminate safety risks from those who fall through the cracks during the treatment process.
* The Legislature decided not to extend or amend a law that for years gave nonprofit groups access to low-cost industrial development agency funding. Industrial development agencies were created by local governments to provide tax-free financing and other tax breaks to attract and retain employers, but have been criticized for not delivering on promised jobs and providing tax breaks to politically connected companies.