On Tuesday December 16, the New York State Assembly Health Committee is holding a hearing in New York on the “New York Health Act” (A.5389-A/S.2078-A) to create a fully-public, truly-universal health care program in New York. The Act is sponsored in the Assembly by Health Committee chair Richard Gottfried, who represents the west side of Manhattan, and in the State Senate by Sen. Bill Perkins, who represents Harlem. The hearing will start at 10 a.m. and be held at New York University’s Global Center for Spiritual and Academic Life, 238 Thompson St., 5th fl. Grand Hall, in Greenwich Village. People can sign-up to testify at this hearing or submit written testimony here. Oral testimony will be limited to 5 minutes, and people with longer statements are urged to summarize their main points.
The NYC hearing is part of a series of hearings being held by the Assembly Health Committee across the state. Hearings have already been held in Syracuse on Dec. 4, in Rochester on Dec. 8, and in Buffalo on Dec. 10. Future hearings after the one in New York City will be held on Long Island (Mineola) on Dec. 17, and in Albany on Jan. 13.
The Campaign for New York Health (CNYH), a multi-constituency coalition promoting the legislation, is advancing participation in these hearings, and holds press conferences in each city prior to the start of the hearing that feature the bill sponsors and other supportive public officials, doctors and nurses, labor leaders, patients with personal stories, health care activists, and local faith and community leaders, among others. These press events have been garnering much local coverage in local and statewide media. The press conference prior to the New York City hearing will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the hearing location.
CNYH is also holding “meet-and-greet” events in each community so that local activists and interested citizens can hear directly from the bill sponsors and CNYH representatives, engage in discussion, and have their questions about the bill answered. The New York City meet-and-greet event will be held on the evening prior to the hearing, Mon. Dec. 15, from 6-8 p.m. at 220 Fifth Avenue, 5th fl., in Manhattan. The public is welcome to attend. RSVPs are requested in order to make adequate preparations for space and light refreshments, and can be made here.
CNYH’s website is where interested groups and individuals can sign up to get involved.