Policies

Beauty Justice Act

Personal care products – everything from cosmetics to soaps and shampoos to hair straighteners – are largely unregulated, with far too many containing toxic ingredients that have been linked to cancer, infertility, miscarriage, poor infant and maternal health outcomes, obesity, asthma, and many other serious health concerns. And a combination of racist beauty standards and aggressive target marketing have led young women and femme-identifying people of color to higher rates of use for these harmful products – on top of already being exposed to disproportionate amounts of toxic chemicals. New York State’s Beauty Justice Act (S.2057/A.2054), also known as the Safe Personal Care and Cosmetics Act, would ban the most dangerous toxic chemicals from the majority of personal care and cosmetic products sold in the state. This would significantly reduce the adverse health impacts of exposure to these toxic chemicals. Take Action

Sustainable Future Program

Renewing the Sustainable Future Program will lower the financial burden on communities of color and low-income because the combustion of oil and gas is directly linked to increased rates of asthma and respiratory illness, which disproportionately impact communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. It also addresses the environmental hazards that make residents sick in the first place. And it’s a proven ROI – an economic engine, projected to support 7,400 new, good-paying jobs and generate $1.5 billion in economic activity. The Sustainable Future Program provides the weatherization and renewable infrastructure necessary to decouple family budgets from volatile, spiking gas prices that are projected to rise through 2026.

GAP Fund

Investing $200 million in the Green Affordable Pre-Electrification (GAP) Fund will provide technical assistance and financial support for affordable housing in need of a wide-range of currently unfunded retrofits that prevent families from participating in energy efficiency programs. The GAP Fund will help address deferred maintenance issues and eliminate legacy environmental hazards like lead, mold, old roofs, and poor ventilation. By eliminating the overlapping physical and economic structural barriers to electrification, the GAP Fund is an essential first step to ensuring vulnerable New Yorkers have access to healthy and affordable electrified homes.

Empower+ Program

Investing $200 million in this proven program will provide interventions such as air sealing, insulation, and energy efficient heating systems for 30,000 low- and moderate-income households each year. Building off the GAP Fund, Empower+ will help make energy more affordable while reducing the energy we use.