S1811

The New York State Senate passed legislation establishing May 9th as Overdose Awareness Day in New York State, with a vote of 61-0. Senate Print 1811, sponsored by Sen. Fernandez, chair of the Committee on Substance Use Disorder, aims to honor those lost to overdose and raise awareness about addiction services. In remarks before the vote, Fernandez emphasized the continued need to fund harm reduction and recovery programs, break stigma surrounding addiction, and invest in communities most affected by overdoses. "We've seen enough harm, we've seen -- we've felt a lot of pain, we've lost a lot of people," Fernandez said, noting that while overdose numbers remain high, funded services have shown improvements. She called on the body to continue supporting these programs through the budget process and to "utilize the pain into passion into purpose" to reduce overdose deaths.

The New York State Senate passed legislation designating May 9th as Opioid Awareness Day, with all recorded votes in favor. Senate Print 1811, sponsored by Sen. Fernandez, passed on a 56-0 vote. The bill was presented as a commitment to education, prevention, and compassionate treatment of opioid addiction rather than a symbolic gesture. Supporters, including Sens. Webb, Scarcella-Spanton, and Martins, emphasized the personal toll of the epidemic across New York communities and called for treating addiction as a mental health crisis requiring resources and care rather than criminalization. Sen. Scarcella-Spanton spoke from personal experience, noting that Staten Island faces disproportionately high overdose rates and reading the names of individuals lost to the crisis, including close friends. Sen. Martins stated that "we're not going to arrest our way through this crisis," emphasizing the need for treatment resources. The legislation was framed as a foundation for future policy action to combat stigma and support those battling addiction.

The Senate passed Senate Print 1811, sponsored by Sen. Addabbo, an act to amend the General Business Law, on a roll call vote of 59-0. The bill, which was Calendar Number 668, proceeded to a vote without floor debate. The measure will take effect 60 days after becoming law. Sen. Gianaris indicated the chamber would move on to the controversial calendar following passage.

The Senate passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Addabbo to amend the General Business Law on a roll call vote of 62-0. The measure, Senate Print 1811 (Calendar No. 758), proceeded to a vote without floor debate. The bill includes a 60-day effective date following enactment. No opposition votes were recorded.