As the New York State Senator representing the 4th District, Monica has worked tirelessly for the families not only of her district, but for all Suffolk County and New York State residents.

Affordability

• Enhanced the Empire State Child Credit for Three Years

  • Starting in 2025, the credit increased from a maximum of $330 per child under four, to a maximum of $1,000, and for children ages four to sixteen the maximum credit would be $330.

  • In 2026 and 2027, the maximum increases to $1,000 per child under four, and $500 per child four to sixteen.

• Improving Personalized Pricing Transparency

  • Requires clear disclosure to consumers

• Subscription Cancellation and Renewal Protections

  • Requires businesses to provide customers multiple options, through multiple mediums, to cancel without obstruction or delays.

Education

• Universal School Meals

  • For the first time, the enacted budget includes $340 million to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students across the state.

• Public School Funding

  • $26 billion in Foundation Aid funding, including at least 2% for all schools, as well as an increase for schools based on the number of English language learners.

• S6328 - Sponsored by Senator Martinez

  • Senator Martinez is pushing for the allocation of kindergarten funding to prioritize students eligible for free or reduced cost lunch and multilingual learners.

Labor

• Unemployment Insurance Fund Debt

  • Budget allocates $8 billion to clear this debt and eliminate the fees, taxes, and interest rates small businesses pay every year toward the fund.

• Increased Road Funding

  • For the second year in a row, a historic increase to CHIPS funding of an added $100 million total to the program over the next two years.

Seniors

• Long Term Care Ombudsman

  • The Senate helped to secure $6.1 million which advocates and provides resources for older adults and with disabilities who live in nursing homes, assisted living, and other licensed adult care homes.

• Deed Theft Prevention Act

  • The 2025 budget established the crime of deed theft, placing the offense within existing grand larceny statutes, and making it illegal to obtain or transfer real property by fraud, deception, misrepresentation, or forgery.

• Enhanced STAR for Seniors- S7335, Sponsored by Senator Martinez

  • Currently passed by the Senate, this allows recently retired homeowners to use the most recent tax information to potentially advance STAR eligibility by one year.

Water Quality

• Environmental Protection Fund

  • Last year’s budget included a record high allocation for the EPF, coming in at $425 million, a $25 million increase over previous years.

• More Funding for Alternative Wastewater Systems

  • Creates a 75% reimbursement rate (up to $25,000) for homeowners and small businesses who undertake enhanced septic system projects through the Septic System Replacement Fund.

Veterans

• Vets to Volley’s - S274B, Sponsored by Senator Martinez

  • Requires the department of Veterans Services to consult with the offie of fire prevention and control, along with the Department of Health, to provide veterans with available volunteer opportunities.

• Expands Access to the Alternative Veterans Property Tax Exemption for Active Military Service Members

  • The purpose of this legislation will be to clarify the definition of “veteran” for purposes of the veterans’ alternative tax exemption, by considering those who meet certain conditions to have been discharges or released from active service, even when no discharge may have been issued.

First Responders

• Statewide Authorization for Real Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouses of Police Officers Killed in the Line of Duty, up to 50%

  • Provides local governments the option to provide a property tax exemption to surviving spouses of a line of duty death, of a police officer.

• Statewide Authorization for Real Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouses of Volunteer Firefighters or EMS Killed in the Line of Duty, up to 50%

  • Provides local governments the option to provide a property tax exemption to surviving spouses of a line of duty death, of a volunteer firefighter or EMS worker.

• Increase Volunteer Firefighter/Ambulance Worker Tax Credit

  • Currently passed in the Senate, this would increase the value of the volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers tax credit from $200 to $800 per individual and would also provide those who claim the property tax exemption, to also claim the credit.

• First Responder Pension Reform

  • Key pension reforms for law enforcement and firefighters throughout the state, including increasing the final average salary calculation for retiring NYPD detectives, sergeants, and lieutenants, to bring them in line with the benefits of officers, captains, and above.

  • NYPD 20-year pension plan for Tier 3 NYPD officers.

  • 25-year retirement for Military and Naval firefighters, aligning with the other firefighters across New York State.

  • For Tier 3 FDNY members, streamlining the ability to receive disability benefits by removing aspects of the review process and better allowing them to determine eligibility, putting them in line with Tire 1 and 2.

  • Retirement benefits for certain Police and Park personnel establishing a 20-year retirement for Tiers 5 and 6, along with an enhanced retirement for Tiers 1 through 4 for SUNY police officers, New York State Forest Rangers and Environmental Conservation Officers.

Public Safety

• S902, Sponsored by Senator Martinez

  • Legislation relate to the sale, manufacturing and distribution of vapor products and requires distributors and manufacturers to obtain permits, and prohibits the sale of illicit vapor products and creates a vapor product directory.

• S195, Sponsored by Senator Martinez

  • Passed in the Senate, prohibits the sale of vape products which resemble school supplies, toys or are packaged or advertised in any way to appeal to or target minors or the youth population.

• S5753, Sponsored by Senator Martinez

  • Legislation intended to enact the NYPD Highway Officer Anastasios Tsakos set, requiring intoxicated drivers to pay child support if such intoxicated driving results in the death of a parent or guardian of a minor child due to the influence of alcohol.

• S202, Sponsored by Senator Martinez

  • Legislation would increase the penalty of sex trafficking and sex trafficking of a child from a class B felony to a class A-II felony.