New York Assembly Bill A07667

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/4/25
• Refer: 4/4/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Creates a temporary state commission to study and make recommendations concerning the incidence of asthma in the borough of the Bronx in New York city.

Summary

This bill creates a temporary state commission to study the incidence of asthma in the Bronx and to make recommendations to state leaders. The commission is directed to focus on why asthma rates are especially high in the borough, with particular attention to youth and communities experiencing severe economic distress. It is intended as a fact-finding body that can gather testimony, hold public hearings, and examine possible causes and responses to the asthma burden in the Bronx. The commission would consist of 11 members appointed by the governor and legislative leaders, including representatives from the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Conservation. Members would serve without salary but could be reimbursed for necessary expenses. The commission is authorized to meet inside or outside the state, must hold at least one public hearing each quarter, and must issue a report with findings and recommendations within one year of the act’s effective date.

Impact

The bill would not directly change existing health or environmental statutes; instead, it establishes a temporary advisory commission with legislative-committee-like powers to investigate asthma in the Bronx. Its practical effect would be to create an official state process for collecting information, hearing from the public, and developing policy recommendations that could later inform legislation, agency action, or public health interventions affecting Bronx residents, especially children and other high-risk populations.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded votes or committee debate, the measure appears to be framed in a generally supportive, problem-solving way focused on a serious public health disparity. The proposal’s emphasis on asthma in the Bronx suggests concern about environmental and health inequities, and the inclusion of health and environmental agency representatives indicates an intent to take the issue seriously and collaboratively. No opposing viewpoints are reflected in the available materials.

Contention

There is no recorded committee discussion or vote history in the provided materials, so no explicit opposition is documented. Potential points of interest or contention, if raised later, could include whether a temporary commission is the best use of resources, how its membership is balanced, and whether the bill’s focus on Bronx communities with high unemployment appropriately targets the underlying social and environmental drivers of asthma. The bill also singles out youth and economically distressed communities, which may shape debate over scope and priorities.