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Cuomo signs six Grisanti bills into law

by jmaloni

Press release

Fri, Aug 2nd 2013 10:00 pm

Among new laws are lower crossbow registration fees and stricter pet dealer regulation

After being highlighted as Western New York's most productive legislator by NYPIRG in early July, State Sen. Mark Grisanti, R-I-Buffalo, had six bills (of 18 that passed both houses) signed into law this week. The bills range from dealing with lowering bow hunting registration fees to pet dealer licensing.

"These laws will greatly help the WNY community, as well as New York state," Grisanti said. "I would like to thank the governor for signing these bills into law, and all those that helped bring these bills to shape."

S697A requires individuals employed in the supply of central services to hospitals to be certified and undergo continuing education. Central service technicians prepare, distribute and control the sterile and non-sterile items and equipment used in all clinical areas of a hospital. The legislation requires the certification of persons who wish to practice in the central service, and provides certain requirements for such certification. In addition, the bill imposes a continuing education recruitment.

S1584 adds Department of Environmental Conservation police officers and forest ranger to the list of police officers subject to certain basic requirements, including the requirement of good moral character. Many of the job details of both DEC officers and forest rangers overlap with the important characteristics of any other police officer in New York. After researching the similar characteristics, it is only a natural course of action, Grisanti said, to legally consider these officers as "police officers." This legislation ensures these officers should be subject to certain basic requirements to the same extent that all other police officers are.

S3955A requires administrative hearings be held to determine whether a pet dealer license should be suspended or revoked after a certain pattern of failed inspections has occurred in order to protect dogs and cats from abusive treatment by pet dealers. This legislation mandates an administrative hearing after three failed inspections in a row or three failed inspections within a three-year period. By requiring hearings, those who have a pattern of being out of compliance with the laws that apply to the care of animals will have their licenses suspended or revoked in a timely way, preventing them from further mistreating animals in their care.

S4894 extends the enacting language for the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. The corridor is rich in African-American history and has been nationally recognized for its unique cultural resources and historically significant buildings. This two-block area has been center stage in the epic history of Buffalo's black community.

S4997 decreases fees for a bow-hunting license for persons age 15 years and under.

S5142 authorizes the Town of Hamburg to alienate certain parklands so that they may install an underground private sanitary sewer line to connect to the existing public sanitary sewer infrastructure. The Town of Hamburg has requested legislation that would allow them to alienate parkland for the greater purpose of installing a sanitary sewer for a project being undertaken in the Town.

NYPIRG found Grisanti had the most pieces of legislation pass both the Senate and the Assembly when compared to his colleagues from Western New York.

For more information, call the senator's office at 716-854-8705, or email [email protected].

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