New York S 4788: Establishes the New York state commission on economic inequality, equal opportunity, and competitiveness

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S04788 Summary:

BILL NOS04788 

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SAME ASSAME AS A00904

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SPONSORSANDERS

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Establishes the New York state commission on economic inequality, equal opportunity, and competitiveness; provides such commission shall investigate, evaluate and make recommendations concerning how to work toward reducing economic inequality, eliminating poverty, achieving equal opportunity and full employment, and boosting economic competitiveness and growth.

Go to top S04788 Actions:

BILL NOS04788 

&nbsp

02/12/2025REFERRED TO FINANCE

01/07/2026REFERRED TO FINANCE

Go to topS04788 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS04788 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS04788 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4788

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 February 12, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance

 AN ACT establishing the New York state commission on economic inequal-
 ity, equal opportunity, and competitiveness

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Legislative intent. It shall be the policy of New York
 2 state to work toward reducing economic inequality, eliminating poverty,
 3 achieving equal opportunity and full employment, and boosting economic
 4 competitiveness and growth for the purpose of justice, equality, democ-
 5 racy, fairness, the general welfare, and strengthening the economy of
 6 New York state.
 7 § 2. A temporary state commission, to be known as the New York state
 8 commission on economic inequality, equal opportunity, and competitive-
 9 ness, is hereby created to investigate, evaluate, and make recommenda-
 10 tions concerning how to work toward, in New York state, reducing econom-
 11 ic inequality, eliminating poverty, achieving equal opportunity and full
 12 employment, and boosting economic competitiveness and growth.
 13 § 3. (a) The commission shall consist of seventeen members, to be
 14 appointed as follows: nine members to be appointed by the governor, one
 15 of whom shall be the chair; three members to be appointed by the tempo-
 16 rary president of the senate; one member appointed by the minority lead-
 17 er of the senate; three members appointed by the speaker of the assem-
 18 bly; and one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.
 19 (b) The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for
 20 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 21 incurred in the performance of their duties under this act. The commis-
 22 sion may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel as it may deem
 23 necessary for the performance of its functions and fix their compen-
 24 sation within the amounts made available by appropriation therefor.
 25 § 4. The commission shall investigate:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD03352-01-5

 S. 4788 2

 1 (a) How to work toward reducing economic inequality in New York state
 2 by exploring various topics, including but not limited to:
 3 (1) income inequality;
 4 (2) wealth inequality;
 5 (3) the shrinking middle class;
 6 (4) impacts of the Great Recession;
 7 (5) impacts of tax policy and other related policies;
 8 (6) minimum wage, wage policies and workers' bargaining power; and
 9 (7) the economic and social impact of economic inequality, including
 10 as it relates to race, class, gender, age, national origin, and sexual
 11 orientation.
 12 (b) How to work toward eliminating poverty in New York state by exam-
 13 ining various topics, including but not limited to:
 14 (1) class, race, gender, and poverty;
 15 (2) homelessness;
 16 (3) children and families in poverty;
 17 (4) senior citizens;
 18 (5) education;
 19 (6) nutrition and health;
 20 (7) alcohol and drug addiction;
 21 (8) criminal justice;
 22 (9) safety nets; and
 23 (10) employment.
 24 (c) How to work toward achieving equal opportunity in New York state
 25 by examining various topics, including but not limited to:
 26 (1) class, race, gender, and equal opportunity;
 27 (