Governor's OfficeTIER 1High
Hochul signed S08472-A/A09058-A on Aug 5, requiring NYC cooling tower owners to certify twice-yearly inspection, testing, cleaning and disinfection, with 24-48 hour remediation deadlines and civil penalties up to $12,500 for violations causing death or serious injury. Sen. Cordell Cleare said she drafted the bill during the 2025 Harlem Legionnaires' outbreak. Mamdani and Council Speaker Menin backed the measure; Menin flagged a September Council oversight hearing and legislation package to follow.
NYS Department of Health / RochesterFirstTIER 1High
As of Aug. 5, medical aid in dying is legal in New York under Public Health Law Article 28-F, making it the 13th U.S. jurisdiction (plus D.C.) to permit the practice. Terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less can request self-administered medication after approval from two physicians, a capacity determination, and a five-day waiting period between prescription and fill. Hochul signed the act Dec. 17, 2025; the effective date was set to give DOH time to issue regulations and providers time to set policies. Provider participation is voluntary, so access will vary by hospital system. The law arrives under a split legal cloud: an Aug. 3 injunction lets Catholic providers decline participation on consent grounds, while a disability-rights challenge was dismissed.