Democrats in the state Senate on Tuesday unveiled their committee chairmanships for the 2021-22 legislative term as the conference now holds a supermajority in the chamber.

Democrats have also created new committees, including one overseeing cities outside of New York City as the party holds multiple seats in upstate cities like Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse for the first time in decades. The conference is turning to several first-year Senate lawmakers to lead the new panels.

The Cities Committee for city governments outside of New York City wil be chaired by Sen. Jeremy Cooney of Rochester.

The Senate will also have a newly created committee on libraries to be chaired by Sen. Sean Ryan of Buffalo. Another freshman, Sen. John Mannion, will chair the new Senate Committee on Developmental Disabilities. 

And Sen. Elijah Reichlin-Melnick will chair the new Senate Committee on Procurement. 

“During our first Session as the new Senate Majority, we held a record number of hearings and used Senate committees to advance our agenda and conduct the people’s work,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said.

“Since the pandemic began, we’ve held hearings on COVID-19 and its impact on New York residential health care facilities and hospitals, workers and small businesses, courts and corrections system, elections, mass transit systems, veterans, and cultural community. As we move forward, the Democratic Majority will utilize our Committees to review important issues and advance legislation that addresses the needs and priorities of New York residents. I thank all of the Committee Chairs for their dedication and I look forward to working with them to build a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous New York State.”

 

Here's the full list of committee chairs:

Committee on Aging:                                                                                     Senator Rachel May

Committee on Agriculture:                                                                             Senator Michelle Hinchey

Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse:                                         Senator Pete Harckham

Committee on Banks:                                                                                     Senator James Sanders, Jr.

Committee on Budget and Revenue:                                                              Senator Brian Benjamin

Committee on Children And Families:                                                           Senator Jabari Brisport

Committee on Cities 1 (New York City):                                                     Senator Robert Jackson

Committee on Cities 2 (Other NYS Cities):                                                 Senator Jeremy Cooney

Committee on Civil Service And Pensions:                                                   Senator Andrew Gounardes

Committee on Codes:                                                                                     Senator Jamaal Bailey

Committee on Commerce, Economic Development And Small Business:    Senator Anna Kaplan

Committee on Consumer Protection:                                                             Senator Kevin Thomas

Committee on Corporations, Authorities And Commissions:                        Senator Leroy Comrie

Committee on Crime Victims, Crime And Correction:                                  Senator Luis Sepulveda

Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation:                 Senator Jose Serrano

Committee on Developmental Disabilities:                                                  Senator John Mannion           

Committee on Education:                                                                               Senator Shelley Mayer

Committee on Elections:                                                                                 Senator Zellnor Myrie

Committee on Energy And Telecommunications:                                          Senator Kevin Parker

Committee on Environmental Conservation:                                                 Senator Todd Kaminsky

Committee on Ethics And Internal Governance:                                            Senator Alessandra Biaggi

Committee on Finance:                                                                                   Senator Liz Krueger

Committee on Health:                                                                                     Senator Gustavo Rivera

Committee on Higher Education:                                                                   Senator Toby Ann Stavisky

Committee on Housing, Construction And Community Development:         Senator Brian Kavanagh

Committee on Insurance:                                                                                Senator Neil Breslin

Committee on Internet And Technology:                                                       Senator Diane Savino

Committee on Investigations And Government Operations:                         Senator James Skoufis

Committee on Judiciary:                                                                                 Senator Brad Hoylman

Committee on Labor:                                                                                      Senator Jessica Ramos

Committee on Libraries:                                                                               Senator Sean Ryan
Committee on Local Government:                                                                 Senator James Gaughran

Committee on Mental Health:                                                                        Senator Samra Brouk

Committee on New York City Education:                                                     Senator John Liu

Committee on Procurement:                                                                         Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick

Committee on Racing, Gaming And Wagering:                                             Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr.

Committee on Rules:                                                                                      Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins

Committee on Social Services:                                                                       Senator Roxanne Persaud

Committee on Transportation:                                                                        Senator Tim Kennedy

Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security And Military Affairs:              Senator John Brooks

Committee on Women's Issues:                                                                      Senator Julia Salazar

The Administrative Regulations Review Commission:                                  Senator Simcha Felder