(Long Island, NY) Employees of local design and consulting firm H2M proudly participated in a Sponsor for a Day build with Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk on Saturday, May 18.  To accompany the firm’s donation of $2,500 to Habitat, a group of H2M architects, engineers, and support staff worked alongside a Habitat partner family on the strapping, sheathing, and framing of a new home in East Patchogue.

H2M’s staff volunteers with their Habitat partner family; Putting up the final roof truss

H2M’s staff volunteers with their Habitat partner family; Putting up the final roof truss

“H2M’s staff volunteers with their Habitat partner family; Putting up the final roof trussOur staff’s sense of teamwork was exemplary,” said Kristen Lavelle, Marketing Communications Manager for H2M.  “Everyone was eager to accomplish as much as they could and had a terrific time working alongside our partner family and Habitat’s talented volunteers and staff. They were reluctant to even break for lunch.”

“We cannot do what we do without teams like H2M’s,” said Stephanie Busia, Manager of Partnerships and Communications for Habitat of Suffolk.  “The group worked so hard and so well together that we were able to get all of the roof trusses up that day, when we didn’t expect to start them at all.”

Since its inception in 1988, Habitat of Suffolk has built over 160 houses throughout Suffolk County, providing over 500 people in our community with safe, decent, and affordable housing.  The Sponsor for a Day program provides businesses with an exclusive group work day for their staff members, led by one of Habitat’s construction directors.

About H2M
Melville-based H2M is a full-service consulting and design firm offering the expertise of more than 270 architects,  engineers (water supply, civil/site, structural, M/E/P, wastewater and environmental), planners, designers, inspectors, surveyors and scientists. H2M meets the challenges associated with buildings and infrastructure and has been serving various markets throughout Long Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut for 80 years.  For more information, please visit www.h2m.com.

Regulatory Reform Package Introduced, Bills To Be Acted on Next Week; Public Hearings To Be Held To Identify Worst Red Tape Offenders

(Long Island, NY) Senate Republican Conference Leader Dean Skelos and Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeff Klein today announced that the Senate Majority Coalition will begin an unprecedented initiative to identify and eliminate thousands of costly and unnecessary government regulations that strangle business and job growth and drive up municipal and school property taxes.

“The state’s byzantine rule-making process can tie up businesses in expensive red tape that discourages job creation almost as much as high taxes,” Senator Skelos said. “The impact on local property taxes is just as bad. The Senate Majority Coalition wants to get rid of needless rules, make the regulatory process more accountable, and lessen the burden on taxpayers.”

“Over the past three years, state agencies have proposed almost 800 new rules and regulations, with nearly 95 percent of them ultimately becoming law,” Senator Klein said. “On average, small businesses in New York get buried under more than a hundred new rules and regulations each year. If we really want to make New York more business friendly, that needs to change.”

In addition to high taxes, the burden of regulations and red tape hurts New York’s business climate. This Senate Majority Coalition regulatory reform initiative will make New York more economically competitive and help businesses create new jobs by eliminating needless and costly regulations that limit economic growth. Fourteen bills will be acted on next week, including legislation that would:

• Establish a task force to conduct a complete review of the State Administrative Procedure Act (SAPA) and regulatory review process;
• Eliminate 1,000 burdensome regulations on businesses;
• Give the Senate’s Administrative Regulations and Review Commission more oversight authority in the rulemaking process to ensure state agencies do not overstep their authority in implementing rules and regulations;
• Stop unfunded state mandates on local governments and school districts; and
• Require state agencies to provide more information on the costs and benefits of new rules.

In addition to the reform legislation, the Senate Majority Coalition, led by Senators Patrick Gallivan (R-C-I, Elma), David Valesky (D-Oneida), David Carlucci (D, Rockland/Westchester), and Kathleen Marchione (R-C, Halfmoon), will conduct industry-specific public hearings across the state to listen to businesses and local officials to learn which rules, regulations and mandates are the most useless, most costly, and should be eliminated.

Senator Valesky, Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business, said: “Part of our commitment to creating a more business friendly environment includes easing or eliminating the complicated, unnecessary regulations and mandates that are strangling businesses. This package is a good first step, and I’m looking forward to listening to businesses in the coming months in the hope of developing a long-term solution.”

Senator Gallivan, Deputy Republican Conference Leader for Economic Development, said: “It’s no secret that the biggest challenge facing New York’s families and businesses is the State’s still recovering economy, particularly upstate. This is the result of a myriad of problems, first among them being the state’s suffocating regulatory environment. Regulations in New York are tantamount to death by a thousand cuts for small businesses and large employers alike. I am proud to join with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to eliminate needless red tape and foster an economic environment where existing business can grow and new ones want to locate.”

Senator Carlucci said: “These bipartisan, pro-growth initiatives offer regulatory relief that taxpayers and business owners have been craving for years. For too long, state agencies have been given a blank check to implement unnecessary rules on the backs of our local governments and businesses, driving up overhead costs and saddling taxpayers with increasingly high bills. Enough is enough. I stand ready to work together with my Senate colleagues to pass immediate mandate relief that will protect taxpayers, create jobs, and reduce burdensome mandates.”

Senator Marchione, Co-Chair of the Administrative Regulations Review Commission (ARRC), said: “New York is tangled up in approximately 12 miles of state rules, regulations and red tape – almost enough to stretch from Albany to Halfmoon – that stifles innovation, hurts our economic competitiveness, and sends a message that the Empire State isn’t open for
business. There is no arguing the fact that our state is over-regulated, urgently needs regulatory reform and far greater oversight of unaccountable State Agencies that produce hundreds of new rules and regulations annually. I am proud to be part of this unprecedented effort to rein in State Agency rule-making, get bad regulations off the books, and start cutting bureaucratic red tape that’s strangling our private sector job creators, local governments and taxpayers.”

The following bills are among those that have been introduced and will be acted on by the Senate next week:

• (S5519, Senator Joseph Griffo R-C-I, Rome) Establishes an 11-member joint task force to perform a review and make recommendations relating to the necessity for each rule, regulation and public authority.
• (S5161, Senator Marchione) Gives the Administrative Regulations Review Commission (ARRC) more oversight authority in the rulemaking process and would give ARRC the authority to bring suit against an agency for a regulation that is in violation of state law.
• (S1294, Senator Griffo) Prohibits state mandates on local governments and school districts unless they are fully funded by the state.
• (S5166, Senator Marchione) Directs the Governor to repeal at least 1,000 regulations that are burdensome on economic development and business. This measure was included in the Senate Republican’s “Blueprint for Jobs” economic development plan earlier this year.
• (S3462, Senator James Seward, R-C-I, Oneonta) Proposes a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to invalidate regulations that are not consistent with legislative intent or which are likely to have a substantial unanticipated fiscal impact on the state or local governments.
• (S5657, Sponsored by Senators Gallivan, Marchione and Carlucci) Creates a 19-member joint task force to undertake a thorough review of the 142-page, State Administrative Procedure Act (SAPA) and regulatory review process now that the Governor’s Office of Regulatory Reform has been disbanded for over two years. This law, which sets out the process used by state agencies to establish rules and regulations, was enacted in 1975 and since then there has been no comprehensive review of the law.
• (S1564, Senator Kenneth LaValle, R-C-I, Port Jefferson) Requires the Regents to include certain information with respect to increased costs when altering or amending rules or regulations.
• (S4302A, Senator Patty Ritchie, R-C, Heuvelton) Streamlines the license application and renewal process for supermarket chains and other food chain stores.
• (S5536, Senator George Maziarz, R-C, Newfane) Provides new incentives to facilitate the extension of existing natural gas lines to under-served businesses and consumers to spur economic development and job creation.
• (S5553, Senator David Valesky, D, Oneida) Require state agencies to provide expanded information on the costs and benefits associated with an agency proposal.
• (S1784, Senator Carlucci) Amends SAPA to authorize a group of businesses that are regulated by a state agency or a representative of such businesses to petition a state agency for alternate methods of implementing a regulatory mandate that restricts the conducting or management of a business.
• (S3246, Senator Carlucci) Facilitates electronic submission of documents by allowing state agencies to substitute affirmations for sworn oaths in permit applications.
• (S3245, Senator Carlucci) Eliminates the requirement to provide free hard copies of the State Register to entities that opt to receive a free online version instead.
• (S2160, Senator Valesky) Requires state agencies to actively solicit comments from those who may be adversely affected by a rule proposed by SAPA and seek opinions on the administrative and/or financial burdens it may place on a regulated entity.

(Albany, NY)  Advocates slammed the leadership of the Senate Majority Coalition, Senators Jeff Klein (D-Bronx) and Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), on Wednesday for letting their own chamber politics get in the way of a simple up or down vote – a basic tenet of democracy – on a fracking moratorium.

Senators are scheduled to leave Albany for the year in just nine session days: June 20.

The fracking moratorium – common sense legislation that will allow the state the time it needs to gather science on fracking’s public health impacts – passed the Assembly in March. Governor Cuomo, who has pushed back against the multi-million dollar gas industry propaganda machine, said he believes it will pass overwhelmingly in the Senate, as well.

Unfortunately, Senators Klein and Skelos have not only stood in the way of their colleagues voting on this bill, but have even gone so far as to block other pieces of legislation from moving through the committee process. One bill that would close the loophole which allows for fracking waste to be unsafely disposed of within state lines, remains stalled in the Environmental Conservation Committee despite having 34 senators – a clear majority – signed on as cosponsors.

“Democracy is a fairly simple concept that holds voting at its core. But instead of practicing democracy, the Senate Majority Coalition is blocking votes and protecting their own power at the expense of our health and environment,” said Katherine Nadeau, water & natural resources director at Environmental Advocates of New York. “The test of leadership is not passing a single measure early in the legislative session, patting oneself on the back and heading home. Leadership requires work, every single day, on behalf of the people who pay senators’ salaries. Enough with the excuses: Senators Klein and Skelos have a job to do, and that means letting their colleagues vote.”

“What could be more important than protecting public health? At its heart, this is an issue of whether or not Albany is going to choose safeguarding the interests of New Yorkers or gas companies,” said Sarah Eckel, legislative & policy director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “It is time for Albany to live up to its promises of reform and transparency and bring the bill to the floor for a vote. New Yorkers deserve leadership and a clear signal that the public health is more important than profits.”

“New Yorkers are disgusted that our state has become Pennsylvania’s dumping ground for hazardous drilling waste and they want action. They also want their government to take the necessary time to fully conduct an assessment of fracking’s health impacts,” said Roger Downs, conservation director for the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter. “Inaction on the part of the senate to vote on these critical measures represents a profound failure of leadership. When viewed in the greater context of this year’s anemic legislative session and the backlog of bills left on the table – leaders Skelos and Klein must finally prioritize the people’s business over personal power and the contributions of moneyed interests.”

“By preventing this crucial legislation from reaching the Senate floor for a vote, Senators Klein and Skelos have failed to put the health and safety of their constituents first,” said Kate Hudson, watershed program director at Riverkeeper. “New Yorkers have significant concerns about the potential negative effects of fracking on public health and the environment, a concern that has been appreciated and acted on by members of the State Assembly who have already passed the moratorium legislation which is currently before the Senate. Many Senators stand ready to do the same. Elected officials are charged with acting to protect the well-being and interests of the people, but members of the state Senate cannot perform this duty when two men stand in the way of the democratic process and prevent them from casting votes on behalf of their constituents.”

“There is simply no excuse for this measure – popular with a bipartisan array of legislators and the public both – not to be brought to the floor for a vote,” said Kate Sinding, senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. “As we have been saying for years now, New Yorkers want to be assured that any final decisions on fracking are made on the basis of the most complete and accurate science. This bill would ensure that New York continues down a course that is both deliberative and protective of New Yorkers’ health and environment.”

(Long Island, NY) The New York State Senate passed legislation sponsored by Senators Carl L. Marcellino (R, Syosset) and Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R, Merrick) to increase the safety of roads and drivers by strengthening penalties for teens and other new drivers who text or talk on a cell phone while driving. The bill (S5656), which was submitted as a Governor’s program bill, requires the suspension of licenses for newly licensed drivers if they commit distracted driving offenses.

“For a new driver, the dangerous habit of texting or calling while driving is lethal,” said Senator Marcellino. “Young and inexperienced drivers need to stay focused on the task at hand, driving safely. This legislation is a common sense measure that will help protect lives and send a clear message that cell phone use and driving simply don’t mix.”

“Drivers who pay more attention to their cell phone than the road put everyone’s safety at risk,” said Senator Fuschillo, Chairman of the Senate’s Transportation Committee. “Teenagers are both the most likely to drive distracted and the least experienced drivers on the road; that is a dangerous combination. Suspending teens’ driver’s licenses for committing a distracted driving offense will reinforce how serious and dangerous distracted driving is and give teens another reason to focus on the road, not their cell phone, when behind the wheel.”

Distracted driving is a widely prevalent problem among teenagers. A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control found that in 2011, 45 percent of all students ages 16 and older texted or emailed while driving in the past 30 days. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, distracted drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash than a non-distracted driver. From 2005 to 2011, there has been an increase of approximately 143 percent in cell phone-related crashes in New York State.

In July 2011, New York strengthened enforcement of texting-while-driving violations by giving law enforcement the power to stop motorists solely for using a portable electronic device for activities such as texting while driving. Since this law was passed, there has been a 234 percent increase in the number of tickets issued from 2011 to 2012 for texting while driving in New York State. Also, this year’s state budget increased the fines for distracted driving to a maximum of $400, and the Governor recently increased the penalties on an individual’s driving record from 3 to 5 points.

This bill continues to build upon the State’s efforts to improve highway safety by encouraging young and inexperienced drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.

Teens with a junior driver’s license who commit a distracted driving offense would have their license suspended for 60 days per violation. Teens and other newly-licensed drivers who commit a distracted driving offense within the first six months of receiving their regular driver’s license would face a 60 day license suspension for their first offense. Those who commit subsequent offenses within six months of having their license restored would face a six-month suspension. In each instance, the suspensions would be in addition to any other applicable penalties, including five license penalty points and monetary fines.

The bill has been sent to the Assembly.

(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Edward Hennessey (D-Medford) announced the passage of legislation that establishes a Homeowners Bill of Rights, ensures transparency and holds insurance companies accountable.

The Homeowners Bill of Rights (A.2287) requires insurers to provide property owners with an easy-to-understand disclosure notice detailing their coverage in the event of a catastrophic event. Issues like how and when to file a claim; their rights if a claim is denied or if a settlement offer is insufficient; and where and how to obtain coverage for catastrophic events will need to be clearly disclosed.

“Every homeowner has a right to know what kind of coverage they have and what kind of coverage they would need should another disaster like Super Storm Sandy happen again,” Assemblyman Hennessey said.

Establishing claim and settlement standards for insurance companies to follow when a disaster strikes is another piece of legislation that Hennessey supports (A1092). The legislation also seeks to tighten the timeframe requirements for insurers to respond to claims resulting from disasters and emergencies. Specifically, insurers would be required to begin investigating settlement claims within six days and notify property owners within 15 days as to whether their claim has been accepted or rejected. Finally, if a claim has been accepted, insurers are required to pay it within three business days.

“It is unacceptable for victims of natural disasters to have to wait for the insurance companies to settle their claims,” Assemblyman Hennessey said. “This legislation will make sure that the insurance companies promptly begin their investigation to help the victims move on with their lives.”

The Assembly package also includes bills that would:

• create a task force comprised of the state DFS, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, insurance industry representatives, local disaster response officials, adjusters and consumer groups to examine how insurers respond to disasters (A.1093).
• provide discounts on fire and homeowners insurance after completion of a residential home safety and loss prevention course approved by DFS; such courses would be required to include information on preventing losses caused by weather-related events (A.1475-A);
• require DFS to establish standards for hurricane windstorm deductibles to help clarify which circumstances the insurance coverage applies to (A.2729);
• expedite the process for lawsuits filed against insurance companies that stem from unsolved claims from damage to a property during a declared disaster or emergency (A.5570);
• allow policy holders to take direct action for unfair claim settlement practices when the claim arises from a declared disaster or emergency, making sure insurers are held responsible for unfair claims practices (A.5780);
• limit the number of homeowners policies an insurance company can deny renewal and permanently grant the New York Property Insurance Underwriting Association the authority to expand into additional markets (A.6913);
• stop insurance companies from denying business interruption claims for losses that are covered under the policy because those losses were caused by something that is excluded from coverage (A.7452-A);
• establish clear definitions for terms and phrases commonly used in homeowners and certain commercial insurance policies (A.7453);
• require that insurers, agents, and brokers provide potential customers with copies of homeowners and certain commercial insurance policies before the policy is purchased (A.7454);
• prohibit an insurance company from denying a claim that would normally be covered under the policy solely because a separate flood occurred at the same time or contributed to the loss, but was not covered or was specifically excluded (A.7455-A).

Replenish Mastic Beach/Smith Point Sand Dunes

Thousands of hardworking families in the Mastic Beach and Smith Point area need to be protected from future storms. If another storm hits without replenishing the sand dunes at Smith Point County Park barrier beach, we could lose everything. Join me in calling on the Department of Homeland Security to replenish the sand dunes by visiting my website at http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Edward-Hennessey.

(Long Island, NY) Eastern Long Island Hospital makes patient advances once again by obtaining new pediatric imaging equipment called Pigg-O-Stat funded by the Mattituck Lions Club. A Pigg-O-Stat, though it may have a unique name, is a vital piece of equipment regarding infant care. The Pigg-O-Stat is designed to immobilize and position children (infants to 3 years old) in order to capture quality chest x-rays without undo exposure to parents.

Mattituck Lions Fund New Pediatric Imaging Equipment for Eastern Long Island Hospital. (L to R) Patty Young, Cat Scan Nurse; Doug DeNigris, Chief Radiology Technician; Sue Apicello, Assistant Vice President; Nancy Ryan, X-Ray Technician; Chris Ruroede, X-ray Technician; Laura Qualey, X-ray Technician. (Back Row) William Araneo, Mattituck Lions Club; Paul J. Connor III, President CEO, Eastern Long Island Hospital; Daniel Brisotti, Eastern Long Island Hospital Trustee & Mattituck Lions Club; Joseph Pufahl, Eastern Long Island Hospital Trustee & Mattituck Lions Club.

“Acquiring new pediatric imaging equipment such as the Pigg-O-Stat illustrates to the community that ELIH is here to provide care to all ages in our local community. We are constantly looking for new and improved technology that translates to excellence in patient care.” says Paul J. Connor III, President and CEO. “ELIH would like to thank the Mattituck Lions Club for their generosity and commitment to local healthcare.”

Eastern Long Island Hospital, Suffolk’s first voluntary hospital, was established in 1905. Eastern Long Island Hospital (ELIH) is a 90-bed, acute-care Hospital with a mission to provide essential healthcare services to the residents of the North Fork and Shelter Island. Recognized for excellence again and again, ELIH is the recipient of the prestigious Outstanding Patient Experience Award by HealthGradesTM for three years consecutively. http://www.elih.org/

(Mineola, NY) – Peter J. Mancuso of North Bellmore, an assistant district attorney with the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office with a long career in volunteer community leadership, has been installed as the 111th president of The Nassau County Bar Association (NCBA), the largest suburban bar association in the country, at the Bar’s headquarters in Mineola. Mancuso replaces Marian Rice, whose one-year term ended May 31, 2013. Mancuso is the first attorney who serves as an ADA to be elected president of the Nassau Bar Association since its founding in 1899.

Peter J. Mancuso, assistant district attorney with the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office

In addition, the following attorneys were installed as NCBA officers to one-year terms: President-Elect John P. McEntee, partner, Farrell Fritz, P.C., Uniondale; 1st Vice President Steven J. Eisman, executive partner, Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara & Einiger, LLP, Lake Success; 2nd Vice President Martha Krisel, Chief Deputy County Attorney for Special Projects, Office of the Nassau County Attorney; Treasurer Steven G. Leventhal, Leventhal, Cursio, Mullaney & Sliney, LLP, Roslyn; and Secretary Elena Karabatos, senior partner, Schlissel Ostrow Karabatos, PLLC, Garden City.

Peter Mancuso is a 34 year member of the Nassau County Bar Association.  He is a past Dean of the Nassau Academy of Law, its educational arm.  He has served on the Bar Association’s Board of Directors for the past eight years, the last five as an officer.  During this time he has chaired various Bar Association committees, including Bylaws, Investment, Pro Bono, Dinner Dance and the Committee on Committees.

Mancuso said during his term of office he would continue to add value to the legal profession by increasing the number of active committees and focusing on issues of importance to attorneys who have not traditionally been involved in the Bar. Currently, NCBA offers 51 committees where attorneys can keep current with the law and legal decisions, hear from expert speakers, and assist the Bar Association. He will also continue NCBA’s exceptional charitable activities, including the Lawyer Assistance Program which benefits attorneys and their clients alike.

Mancuso also plans to strengthen the Bar by increasing revenue streams, controlling expenses, and reviewing governance structures and functions in light of best governance practices to make changes to benefit the Bar in the long run. He also plans to develop an overall strategic plan for the future.

Peter Mancuso receives the oath of office from Hon. Colin F. O’Donnell.

Outstanding Public Prosecutor

As a Nassau County Assistant District Attorney, Peter Mancuso is assigned to the Government and Consumer Frauds Bureau, where he investigates and prosecutes a wide variety of white collar crimes and schemes to defraud.  Prior to that, he was assigned to the Public Corruption Bureau, in which he prosecuted crimes of all kinds committed by government officials and public employees.

Mancuso served as the lead prosecutor in the Roslyn School District investigation, which resulted in the conviction of 6 school district officials and related parties for thefts in excess of $7 million. He was also cross-designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney and was a member of the federal-state law enforcement team that obtained the convictions of 9 individuals in connection with a health care scandal in which Nassau County lost $70 million.

During his nearly 27 years as an Assistant District Attorney, Mancuso has also served at various times as Deputy Chief of the Commercial Frauds Bureau and as Chief of the Environmental Protection Unit.  His legal career has also included 8 years in private practice, during which he represented clients in a broad range of civil and criminal matters.  He is also admitted to practice in several Federal jurisdictions.

Community Leadership

Mancuso has been a leader in many other volunteer and community service activities as well.  He is a Distinguished Past Governor of the New York District of Kiwanis International, a Past Director of the New York District Kiwanis Foundation and is now completing his term as the President of the Kiwanis International Foundation, the parent organization’s charitable arm.  He has also served as President of the East Meadow, NY Chamber of Commerce and of the MIT Club of Long Island.

Mancuso is an alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Cornell Law School. His wife Karen is also a Cornell Law School graduate and a member of the Nassau County Bar Association, specializing in elder law. They are active parishioners at St. Raphael’s Church in East Meadow, where Karen is a team leader for the RCIA program. They have two adult children, Stephen and Cathy, who are both engineers.

About the Nassau County Bar Association
Founded in 1899, the Nassau County Bar Association, with a membership of nearly 6,000 private and public attorneys, judges, legal educators and law students, is the largest suburban bar association in the country. NCBA demonstrates its commitment to the community by offering a variety of services for the public, including lawyer referral services, mortgage foreclosure, Sandy recovery and senior citizen free legal clinics, judicial screening, public education programs and support for the Volunteer Lawyers Project, which provides much-needed free legal services for the indigent of Nassau County. The WE CARE Fund, the NCBA’s charitable arm, assists children, the elderly and others in need, through countless projects and donations.

For more information, call (516) 747-4070 (language translation available), email info@nassaubar.org, or visit www.nassaubar.org.

(Long Island, NY) “The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has called Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), the ‘nightmare bacteria,” said Senator Kemp Hannon (R-Nassau). “The CRE issued a report in March calling for rapid action – I immediately introduced legislation to amend the law to treat CRE as a communicable disease and to require general hospitals to identify, track and report on this disease.”

The CDC is referring to CRE as a “nightmare bacteria,” because our strongest antibiotics are ineffective, leaving patients with potentially untreatable conditions. Currently, only six states require medical facilities to report incidences of CRE. Hannon’s legislation will add New York to this list.

“CRE bacteria are difficult to treat because they are resistant to commonly used antibiotics,” said Hannon. “Some CRE bacteria have become resistant to almost all available antibiotics and can be deadly.”

CRE infections are most commonly seen in sick patients with exposure to health care settings like hospitals and long-term care facilities, such as skilled nursing facilities and long-term acute care hospitals. Patients whose care requires devices like ventilators, urinary catheters, or intravenous catheters, and patients who are taking long courses of certain antibiotics are among those most at risk for CRE infections.

“Bacteria are spread by person-to-person contact, mostly via hands,” said Hannon. “The CDC has urged doctors, hospital leaders and public health professionals to work together to implement the CDC’s ‘detect and protect’ strategy to stop these infections from spreading. One such measure is the reporting by medical facilities any instances of CRE.”

This legislation responds to the CDC’s suggested strategies by making mandatory reporting of CRE. Cases of CRE should be reported and tracked by the Department of Health to adequately address incidences and ensure appropriate control measures are being taken.

“New York already has systems in place to track and report other communicable diseases and hospital acquired infections, and is in a good position to add CRE to that process,” said Hannon. “By adopting this legislation, New York will join six other state who require medical facilities to report incidences of CRE. By doing so, we can halt the spread of this potentially deadly bacteria.”

This bill now goes to the Assembly.

(Long Island, NY) “Texting while driving is a serious problem that has negatively impacted far too many lives,” Assemblyman Hennessey (D- Medford) said. “I’m the father of two boys so I face these fears every day my children get into a car. We need all drivers, especially young drivers, to understand that any message they think they need to read or send can wait – their lives, as well as others, may depend on it.”

Currently, probationary and junior licensed drivers face a 60 day suspension for traffic violations such as speeding or reckless driving. If another violation occurs within six months, probationary license drivers will have their license revoked for six months and junior license drivers will have their license revoked for 60 days. This new legislation would impose these same penalties on drivers with probationary and junior licenses for texting while driving (A.7739).

“Using mobile devices while driving is dangerous and can be deadly but there are still some drivers who insist on using their phones, putting themselves and others at risk,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Edward Webber. “The department remains committed to keeping Suffolk County roadways safe and supports an increase in penalties aimed at stopping people from texting behind the wheel.”

From 2005-2011, there has been an approximate 143 percent increase in cell phone-related crashes in New York State. In 2011-2012 there was a 234 percent increase in the number of tickets issued for texting while driving, Assemblyman Hennessey noted.

“By increasing the penalties for texting while driving, we are sending a clear message that drivers must focus on driving, not reading or sending text messages,” Assemblyman Hennessey concluded.

License Holders	Current Law   Cell Phone and Texting Convictions			New Law   Cell Phone and Texting Convictions
	Suspension	Revocation	Points	Suspension	Revocation	Points
Probationary	No	No	3	60 days for first conviction	6 months for subsequent conviction within 6 months of license restoration	5
Junior	No	No	3	60 days for first conviction	60 days for subsequent conviction within 6 months of license restoration	5
All others	No	No	3	No	No	5

Long Island’s Families in Support of Treatment (FIST) Rallies with Anti-Drug Forum in Wantagh Tonight

(Long Island, NY)  Long Island families impacted by addiction and concerned about their communities will join addiction treatment providers, community educators, law enforcement officials and dozens of community organizations to speak out at an anti-drug forum tomorrow night in Wantagh.

The call to action – organized by F.I.S.T. (Families in Support of Treatment) gets underway at 7:00PM on Friday June 7, 2013 at St. Francis de Chantal Church, located at 1309 Wantagh Avenue in Wantagh.  All community members, specifically families affected by addiction as well as treatment, prevention and recovery professionals, are invited to attend.

As thousands of Long Islanders are dealing with the devastating effects of substance abuse and addiction, concerned parents, community coalitions and treatment providers are joining together to provide a free evening of awareness, advocacy and resources to families in need.  Over fifty Long Island-based organizations including LICADD, YES Community Counseling, Seafield, Caron Treatment Centers and South East Nassau Guidance Center will be present to offer help and healing in response to the current drug epidemic.

Local law enforcement and treatment professionals will present an overview of the current addiction epidemic, barriers to treatment, strategies for drug prevention and the signs and symptoms of abuse and addiction.  Participants will hear testimonials and stories of recovery from family members and meet special guest Tara Conner, a public advocacy consultant for Caron Treatment Centers and former Miss USA 2006, who is celebrating six years in recovery. The evening promises to be educational, inspirational and will give local residents some great tools for keeping their families safer.

“This event is a call to action for our community to address Long Island’s growing epidemic of chemical dependency and addiction, and that means confronting and addressing the insurance industry’s refusal to pay for adequate substance abuse treatment,” explained LICADD Executive Director Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds.

Anthony Rizzuto, Provider Relations Representative for Seafield Center in Westhampton Beach, said the devastation that drug addiction causes in families and in our communities is “no longer tolerable.” He added, “From shootings in pharmacies to driving under the influence, we are all impacted. This event will provide the audience with education, awareness, empowerment, resources, advocacy, a voice and most of all, hope!”

All community members are invited to attend this free, informative and inspirational event. For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Anthony Rizzuto at 516-316-6387 or Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds at 516-747-2606.