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Policy Advocacy

Each year, Empire Justice Center’s policy team undertakes a robust policy agenda which includes legislative and administrative priorities we seek to advance as well as policies and programs we monitor closely to ensure they are not eroded. In this section of our website you will find bill memos, comments, letters, testimony, reports, advocacy materials and news articles related to this critical component of our work. Click here to view our 2013 State Legislative Priorities.

For more information about Empire Justice Center’s policy work contact Kristin Brown Lilley, Director of Policy Advocacy.

View the Most Recent Issue of Empire
Justice Center's Policy Newsletter		 Shed Light on the Foreclosure Shadow Docket
 

Memos and other documents supporting the passage of A.5582/S.4530 - a bill that would amend a substantially similar rule put in place by the Office of Court Administration (OCA) to prevent the rule from being circumvented by lenders’ lawyers - a problem which is currently causing a massive slowdown of foreclosure cases in the court system.

SEARCH FORM FOR POLICY DOCUMENTS BY ISSUE AREA

Issue Area Category
Type of Document
 

LATEST LEGISLATIVE AGENDA/ACTION ALERTS

Chart outlining child care funding in the NYS Budget 2009-2014
This chart provides detailed descriptions of funding in the state budget over the past several years. Read More

Legislative Updates


LEGISLATIVE MEMOS

Empire Justice Memo of Support: Ensure Fairness in New York’s Foreclosure Process
This bill requires certification to be filed up front with the summons and complaint. The certificate must verify that the lawyer has reviewed the facts of the case and verified with the plaintiff that there is a “reasonable basis” for filing the lawsuit. Read More

Empire Justice Memo of Support: Ensure that Welfare Recipients are Not Punished for Being Disabled
Far too often, public assistance clients are sanctioned for non-compliance with work-related activities, yet the non-compliance is due to a unknown disability, child care problem or transportation difficulties. Empire Justice Center supports A.2669/S.4830, which will protect against unwarranted sanctions due to a disability. Read More

A Call for Transparency and Accountability When Liens are Placed on the Homes of Welfare Recipients
Currently, local social services districts do not provide the homeowner with an accounting of the amount of public assistance paid nor the amount of the accrued debt or credits made against the home. Read More

Memorandum in Support/Opposition


POLICY LETTERS

Empire Justice Center and Other Consumer Organizations Urge CFPB to Expand HMDA
Empire Justice is one of 14 organizations urging CFPB to act quickly to commence its HMDA rulemaking and work with HUD to create and make public the sorely-needed national mortgage default and foreclosure database. Read More

Policy Letters


COMMENTS

Comments from the Coalition to Protect Dual Eligibles on the Expansion of New York's FIDA Demonstration
Comments on New York's proposed addendum to the demonstration for dually eligible beneficiaries. Read More

Comments


TESTIMONY

Empire Justice Testimony Regarding New York’s State’s Draft Child Care Development Fund Plan for FFY 2014-2015
Our testimony on New York's draft CCDF PLan for 2014 - 2015, including comments on access to quality child care, the effects of lead poisoning on minority communities, immigrant access to quality child care and access to language services at local district offices. Read More

Testimony


POLICY COLLABORATIONS

Empire Justice Memo of Support: Ensure Fairness in New York’s Foreclosure Process
This bill requires certification to be filed up front with the summons and complaint. The certificate must verify that the lawyer has reviewed the facts of the case and verified with the plaintiff that there is a “reasonable basis” for filing the lawsuit. Read More

Target Child Care Dollars to Support Low Wage Working Parents
Child care is in crisis. There are not enough dollars available to serve both eligible working families and families on public assistance who are provided a guarantee of child care when they are required to participate in job search or workfare. Read More

Policy Collaborations


POLICY RELATED NEWS ITEMS

Thousands of New Yorkers Could Avoid Foreclosure Under Bill Passed by Assembly
Thousands of New Yorkers facing foreclosure would have a better chance to avoid the loss of their homes under a bill the State Assembly approved today. Read More

A.G. Schneiderman Commends Assembly For Passing Foreclosure Relief Bills
Bills Will Help Prevent New York Homeowners From Getting Trapped In The Growing “Shadow Docket” Of Frozen Foreclosure Cases Read More

Health insurance exchanges info is trickling in
The exchanges, which are meant to expand coverage to people who’ve been shut out of insurance because of cost or access, are a cornerstone of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Read More

Policy In the News


POLICY RELATED ARTICLES

Shed Light on the Foreclosure Shadow Docket
Materials in support of A.5582/S.4530. Read More

ADVANCE COPY OF HEALTH LAW JOURNAL ARTICLE ON THE USE OF LOCAL LAWS TO PREVENT LEAD POISONING AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD UNTIL JUNE 5
The July 2013 issue of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law will include a important study of how local laws have been used across the country to fill gaps in state and federal laws intended to protect children from being poisoned by lead. Read More

Foreclosure Shadow Docket: Current vs. Proposed Filing Requirements
This comparison shows that the requirements of the document that lenders must file (Attorney Affirmation) are much more stringent than the proposed Certificate of Merit, included in A.5582/S.4530, would require. Read More

Related Policy Articles


POLICY RELATED REPORTS

New York’s Exchange Portal: A Gateway to Coverage for Immigrants
Health Insurance Exchanges have the potential to eliminate many existing barriers to health insurance coverage for low-income workers facing reductions in salaries and benefits. Immigrant families, whose incomes tend to be lower to begin with, have been particularly hard hit by escalating health care costs. National figures from 2010 indicate that 75% of workers in noncitizen families were in traditional blue collar jobs, as compared to 60% of workers from citizen families. The average median annual income for noncitizens was $25,000, roughly half the amount for citizen households. In New York, home to 4.3 million immigrants, noncitizens are over three times as likely as citizens to lack health insurance. Read More

 

The Long Island Foreclosure Crisis: Stabilizing the communities most impacted by foreclosures in Nassau and Suffolk Counties
Study identifies hardest hit towns and strategies to keep families in their homes and limit damage to the local tax base. Read More

 

Related Policy Reports


POLICY RELATED NEWSLETTERS

Policy Matters - February 2013
As we draft this issue of Policy Matters, we are about to begin the sprint to a final state budget - possibly earlier than ever before. As you may have guessed, much of our work since our last email has been focused on budget issues. However, as you can see, we have other irons on the fire as well! Read More

 

Policy Related Newsletters