One of the major accomplishments during the closing days of the legislative session was the enactment of a comprehensive legislative package that addresses many of the issues raised by the Senate’s Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction. The measures focus on addiction prevention, access to treatment, and support for New Yorkers in recovery - adding critical new tools to the state’s arsenal to fight the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

As I have written previously – heroin addiction devastates lives, families, and communities and it is vital that we continue to confront this epidemic from all angles. This public health crisis knows no social, geographic, or economic bounds and while a number of new laws have already been enacted, the tragedies have not stopped.

I have held two task force hearings in my district, and want to say thank you to the local health care professionals, addiction experts, law enforcement officials, and concerned citizens who attended and took part. The testimony from those hearings, along with other hearings around the state, helped formulate the new laws.

The complete legislative package can be found on my website seward.nysenate.gov. Here are a few of the highlights.