ALBANY, N.Y. (WKBW) — It’s been a busy year in Albany as City and State New York reports that lawmakers approved 805 bills.
Now, Governor Kathy Hochul has about 200 bills left to decide on before the end of the year.
One of the major bills heading her way is the Grieving Families Act, which would update the state’s nearly 180-year-old wrongful death statute, allowing families to sue for emotional damages. The act has been amended to expand the list of eligible people who can file wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of their loved ones.
Bernadette Smith, who lost her 2-year-old granddaughter, Raelynn Huber, in a reckless driving accident in Wheatfield in May 2022, spoke about the bill with 7 News.
“She should be here right now. She was just a happy, whimsical, sweet little girl with her entire life ahead of her, and it was taken away,” Smith said.
Governor Hochul has vetoed this bill twice. In her veto memos, she expressed support for changing the statute but raised concerns that the bill, as written, could have "significant unintended consequences."
“We are completely falling apart, and this law from the 1800s is inadvertently discriminating against children, the elderly, minorities, and women," Smith said.
Lawmakers have made additional changes this year, hoping to gain Hochul’s approval.
Another bill under consideration focuses on Down syndrome. It would require healthcare providers who order tests for pregnant women or infants to screen for Down syndrome to also provide information about physical, developmental, and educational outcomes, along with resources from national and local Down syndrome organizations.
Once Governor Hochul receives these bills, she has 10 days to either sign or veto them.
