Rachel May

Sponsored a law creating a 'native plants' label in the New York Grown and Certified program. The governor signed it (Chapter 702 of 2025).

December 19, 2025Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored the SIGH Act, a law that bans building new schools within 500 feet of a major highway unless there is no other site. The governor signed it (Chapter 650 of 2024).

December 21, 2024Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which set a goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050. The Senate passed it 41-21.

June 18, 2019Supports Environment and Public Health

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act, which gave farm workers overtime, a day of rest and unemployment benefits. The Senate passed it 40-22.

June 19, 2019Supports Labor Rights

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law requiring officials to report cryptocurrency and other digital assets on state financial disclosure forms. The governor signed it (Chapter 591 of 2023).

October 25, 2023Supports Anti-Corruption

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law to improve governance and public transparency at the Central New York Regional Market Authority. The governor signed it (Chapter 580 of 2024).

December 13, 2024Supports Government Efficiency

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law confirming that counties, cities, towns and villages may sell bonds to pay for broadband internet infrastructure. The governor signed it (Chapter 512 of 2023).

September 29, 2023Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law letting the City of Syracuse install speed cameras in school zones. The governor signed it (Chapter 502 of 2023).

September 28, 2023Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the Child Victims Act, which extended the time limits to bring cases for sexual offenses against children. The Senate passed it 63-0.

January 28, 2019Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a bill to let people with mild color blindness become police officers by passing a practical field test. The governor vetoed it.

November 22, 2024Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the Clean Slate bill, which automatically seals records of certain criminal convictions. The Senate passed it 37-25.

June 9, 2023Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, which limited how long prisoners can be kept in solitary confinement. The Senate passed it 42-21.

March 18, 2021Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law that let the State of New York Mortgage Agency buy loans for new modular and manufactured homes and change loans to help struggling homeowners. The governor signed it (Chapter 628 of 2021).

November 15, 2021Supports Housing Affordability

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, which made rent regulation permanent and extended tenant protections statewide. The Senate passed it 36-26.

June 14, 2019Supports Housing Affordability

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law expanding which buildings and neighborhoods can get services for older adults aging in place (NORC programs). The governor signed it (Chapter 586 of 2023).

October 25, 2023Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Reform Act. It added volunteer resident advocates and a direct hotline for reporting nursing home problems to the Health Department. The governor signed it (Chapter 759 of 2021).

December 22, 2021Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a 2021 bill to help local social services offices bring welfare recipients back into work activities so they could avoid or end benefit sanctions. The governor vetoed it. Filed the same bill in earlier sessions: in 2019.

December 10, 2021Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law that counts identity theft as elder abuse, so seniors can get support services for it. The governor signed it (Chapter 655 of 2021).

December 6, 2021Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law that bans schools from suing parents or guardians over unpaid school meal fees. The governor signed it (Chapter 315 of 2021).

July 29, 2021Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law allowing family members and guardians to visit nursing home residents to give personal care and compassionate care. The governor signed it (Chapter 89 of 2021).

March 29, 2021Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored the Freedom to Read Act, which let school library staff build collections with the widest range of age-appropriate books. It passed both houses, but the governor vetoed it.

December 19, 2025Supports Public Education Quality

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law that lets regional school service agencies (BOCES) set up young farmer apprentice programs for students. The governor signed it (Chapter 298 of 2020).

November 27, 2020Supports Public Education Quality

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a bill to create a regional STEAM high school in the Syracuse City School District for students across the Onondaga, Cortland and Madison BOCES region. The governor vetoed it.

February 8, 2020Supports Public Education Quality

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on a law rewriting New York's concealed carry gun permit rules after the Supreme Court struck down the old law. The Senate passed it 43-20.

July 1, 2022Supports Gun Control

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law that restored hunting on certain land held in trust for SUNY ESF, by exempting it from the ban on guns on school grounds. The governor signed it (Chapter 354 of 2019).

October 4, 2019Opposes Gun Control

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the Reproductive Health Act, which put abortion rights into state public health law. The Senate passed it 38-24.

January 22, 2019Supports Women's Reproductive Rights

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a bill (S8623) to ban companies from using personal data to charge people different prices. The Senate passed it.

June 5, 2026Supports Data Privacy

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on a bill barring New York courts from enforcing other states' laws that remove children from parents over gender-affirming care. The Senate passed it 44-18.

June 6, 2023Supports Civil Rights

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York, which protects minority voters' equal chance to vote and guards against voter intimidation. The Senate passed it 43-20.

May 31, 2022Supports Civil Rights

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a bill to let citizens of Native nations hunt and fish under treaty rights, free of state rules except rules needed to protect a species off reservation land. The governor vetoed it.

December 22, 2021Supports Civil Rights

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law requiring the nursing home residents' bill of rights to be translated into the six most common non-English languages in New York. The governor signed it (Chapter 705 of 2021).

December 21, 2021Supports Civil Rights

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, which banned discrimination based on gender identity and added it to hate crime law. The Senate passed it 42-19.

January 15, 2019Supports Civil Rights

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a bill (S8623) to ban companies from using personal data to charge people different prices. The Senate passed it.

June 5, 2026Supports Corporate Accountability

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted for the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which set a one-year statewide pause on new data centers and stricter rules for developers.

June 4, 2026Supports Corporate Accountability

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a bill (S5598A) to protect private student loan borrowers, with rules on cosigner release and loan terms. The Senate passed it.

April 21, 2026Supports Corporate Accountability

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law confirming that counties, cities, towns and villages may sell bonds to pay for broadband internet infrastructure. The governor signed it (Chapter 512 of 2023).

September 29, 2023Supports Public Infrastructure

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law to improve public transportation in rural counties, including yearly reports to state leaders on rural transit. The governor signed it (Chapter 691 of 2021).

December 21, 2021Supports Public Infrastructure

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a bill ordering the state Public Service Commission to study whether towns and cities could run their own broadband internet programs. The governor vetoed it.

December 6, 2019Supports Public Infrastructure

Source: nysenate.gov

Received the New York League of Conservation Voters endorsement for her 2026 re-election to State Senate District 48.

June 24, 2026

Source: nylcv.org

Sponsored the Open Shelves Act (S.1100), which keeps choices about public library collections with trained library staff. The Senate passed it.

May 29, 2026

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law letting dental hygienists provide some dental care without direct supervision, under an agreement with a licensed dentist. The governor signed it (Chapter 682 of 2025).

December 19, 2025

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law requiring state agencies to give help to towns and cities where a college or university has closed. The governor signed it (Chapter 631 of 2025).

December 12, 2025

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the Medical Aid in Dying Act, letting mentally competent, terminally ill patients request medicine to end their lives. The Senate passed it 35-27.

June 9, 2025

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law allowing physician assistants to practice without a doctor's supervision in certain cases. The governor signed it (Chapter 520 of 2024).

November 22, 2024

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law allowing the City of Syracuse to charge a hotel and motel room tax of up to 3 percent. The governor signed it (Chapter 519 of 2024).

November 22, 2024

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law creating a task force to study long-term care in New York, both at home and in nursing homes, including the effects of COVID-19. The governor signed it (Chapter 758 of 2021).

December 22, 2021

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law requiring people who seek building permits, or buy land bank property, to disclose hazardous code violations on property they own. The governor signed it (Chapter 571 of 2021).

November 3, 2021

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law requiring public library trustees to complete two hours of training each year. The governor signed it (Chapter 468 of 2021).

October 8, 2021

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law letting a candidate who loses a primary decline a nomination on another party line. The governor signed it (Chapter 276 of 2021).

July 16, 2021

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law adding wool, hemp and other animal and plant fibers to the state's Grown and Certified farm product program. The governor signed it (Chapter 285 of 2021).

July 16, 2021

Source: nysenate.gov

Voted yes on the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which created a regulated and taxed cannabis industry in New York. The Senate passed it 40-23.

March 30, 2021

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law that lowered the number of petition signatures candidates needed to get on the ballot in 2021. The governor signed it (Chapter 22 of 2021).

January 28, 2021

Source: nysenate.gov

Sponsored a law that let local development agencies run loan programs for small businesses and nonprofits during public health emergencies. The governor signed it (Chapter 109 of 2020).

June 17, 2020

Source: nysenate.gov