New York Has a Week to Pass Laws on Social Media and Plastics. Will It?

Lawmakers in Albany are rushing to address various environmental and health-related initiatives, with just a week left in the 2024 legislative session.

In New York, the state legislative session runs for roughly 60 days spread out from January to early June, but most of the actual passing of laws occurs over two periods. The first is when the state passes its budget, a document so overstuffed with unrelated bills that it’s known around the State Capitol as the “big ugly.”

Lawmakers are now entering the second period, as they and Gov. Kathy Hochul rush to squeeze in legislative priorities they couldn’t shoehorn into the budget.

In most years, the Legislature passes roughly 1,000 bills for the governor to sign or veto. So far, just over 300 bills have passed both houses this year, teeing up what could be a very busy final week of session, if history is a guide.

Some proposals, like a measure that would restrict social media companies from using algorithms on minors, are known to have the backing of Ms. Hochul, a centrist Democrat from Buffalo. Others — like a bill restricting state business with companies that contribute to tropical deforestation — seem likely to face a steeper road to becoming law.

Here’s what to watch:

At the heart of one of the fiercest debates in Albany this session lies an uncomfortable truth: Many plastics the state tries to recycle end up in landfills and incinerators instead.