State lawmakers passed a bill at the end of session to prohibit New York from contracting with companies that use tropical hardwoods or products that contribute to deforestation. Around 15 billion trees are cut down every year, or close to 42 million trees per day, according to the Nature Conservancy. Gov. Kathy Hochul has until the end of the year to sign the Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act and ban the use of materials in state contracts that contributed to deforestation. Also, Assembly Republicans have been holding forums across the state to hear the needs of rural communities.