NY HERO Act Safety Plan Extended to Dec. 15th
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The NYS Department of Health Commissioner has extended the activation of the NY HERO Act for the second time. The designation is now set to expire on December 15, 2021.
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Biden Orders Vaccinations or Weekly Testing for Private Sector Workers
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On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced he will order the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to require employees of businesses with 100+ employees to either get vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test result each week. The Biden Administration estimates that the new rule will apply to over 80 million people in the private sector.
Read MoreNY’s Adoption of CDC’s Guidance for Vaccinated people
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The announcement from Governor Cuomo that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in certain settings was a welcome relief for GNYADA members and a hopeful sign that we have turned a corner in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read MoreNew Mandates on Businesses to Develop Plans to Prevent Infectious Diseases
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The Governor is expected to sign a bill this week that would require New York employers to adopt a plan to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the workplace. The bill has already passed in both houses and awaits the Governor signature. The law would also allow employees to sue their employer if they deviate from the plan in a way that creates “a substantial probability” of death or serious harm to their employees; the maximum fee for each violation is $20,000.
Read MoreGNYADA President Urges Restraint on Taxes
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GNYADA President Mark Schienberg joined 250 CEOs this week in calling on top state leaders to not raise taxes this year.
Read MoreFederal Stimulus Doesn't Stop Albany's Push for More Tax Increases
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Despite nearly $13 billion in federal aid made out directly to New York State, Albany lawmakers have proposed new bills that would generate billions in new tax increases for this year’s State Budget.
Read MoreGNYADA Calls for Continuation of NYS EV Rebate Program
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GNYADA President Mark Schienberg met this week with a senior official from the New York Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) to urge the state agency to continue building on its efforts to promote the purchase and lease of Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV).
Read MoreCOVID Response: Paid Time Off For Vaccinations
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The state legislature recently adopted a bill that will give employees four hours of paid leave to get a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill still awaits delivery to Gov. Cuomo’s desk for his review and signature.
Read MoreDMV Quarterly Meeting: Agency Says it Can Fine Unregistered Brokers
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On Wednesday, during our Quarterly Meeting with the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and his top staff, DMV officials addressed GNYADA’s top legislative issue: brokers. DMV informed GNYADA representatives, and New York’s metro dealer associations and the state association who participated in the meeting that DMV can penalize brokers that violate the Vehicle and Traffic Law and General Business Law. The agency told us they have the authority to pursue both registered and unregistered brokers who violate state law by holding a hearing and enforcing monetary penalties.
Read MoreDemocrats to Curb Governor’s Emergency Powers
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On Tuesday, Democrats in the state legislature reached an agreement to reign in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s emergency pandemic powers. The twin nursing home and sexual harassment scandals that emerged last month accelerated their decision as the Governor’s approval rating slid to 38% in the latest polling.
Read More2021 Legislative Priorities
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The Association's Government Affairs Committee met this week to discuss a range of issues on the Association's agenda for the year. This post contains a quick synopsis of the other various agenda items GNYADA is working on: Overhauling the States Titling & Registration System, Lien Release Issues, Auto Brokers, and COVID Vaccines for Essential Businesses.
Read MoreGNYADA Takes on Anti Franchise Bills
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As reported in previous GNYADA Legislative Updates, several pieces of legislation have been introduced this year in Albany to allow direct sales by electric vehicle manufacturers. GNYADA has already made it clear of its opposition to these initiatives. It has made it clear that these bills would be disastrous to the 1000 community based new car dealerships that employ more than 100,000 people statewide.
Read MoreCity Council to Monitor Business' COVID Safety Efforts
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A bill sponsored by New York City Councilmembers; Miller, Rosenthal, Louis, Rivera, and Barron would establish a new board to review the adherence to workplace health and safety protocols.
Read MoreState Finance Disclosure Bill Introduced
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No one asks the furniture salesperson about what their markup is, but two State Senators have proposed a bill that will require just that from New York's car dealers. The bill is modeled after the NYC law that was passed a few years back which requires NYC dealers to disclose their markup on customer financing.
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