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SUMMARY OF ENACTED AND PENDING LEGISLATION

VIEW UPDATE (updated 8-19-26) 

You may have recently received an email from the New York State Board of Elections (NYSBOE) regarding a new reporting requirement for local elections. We also highlighted this requirement in the most recent issue of Municipal Matters and we wanted to follow up with a quick summary and a few practical pointers.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The Dr. John L. Flateau Voting and Elections Database of New York became effective on April 1, 2026, and applies to all elections occurring on or after that date.
• The Election Data Dashboard and public website are now available at https://elections.ny.gov/flateau-database.
• Villages that administer their own elections must transmit election results, voter registration data, and polling site information to the NYSBOE.
• Election data must be reported annually by January 1st for all elections held during the preceding year. For villages, this means that any election conducted on or after April 1, 2026 must be reported by January 1, 2027. Consequently, villages with June 2026 elections must report their election results by January 1, 2027.
• This reporting requirement does not affect villages with November elections or villages whose elections are conducted by the County Board of Elections as the County will report the required data on the village’s behalf.
• The NYSBOE will host an Informational Session on the new reporting obligations on July 20th. You can register for that webinar here. We encourage villages subject to this requirement to attend and learn more about the reporting process.

NYCOM will continue keep members informed as additional guidance becomes available. We will also cover these reporting requirements in the 2027 Calendar of Dates and during our 2027 Village Election webinars and workshops.

If you have any questions, please contact NYCOM Counsel, Rebecca Ruscito at 518-463-1185 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PART I - TUES., NOV. 10
PART II - TUES., NOV. 17
PART III - TUES., DEC. 1

Join NYCOM for our annual village election training series - now in THREE parts - covering everything village clerks and elected officials need to know to prepare for, conduct, and wrap up the village election. This year's series will include two webinars addressing the village election process, followed by a new third webinar focused on the State's new election reporting requirements.

Presenter - Rebecca Ruscito, NYCOM Counsel

As a reminder, any village that conducted an election after April 30, 2026 MUST submit a report to the state by January 1, 2027.

Part I: Getting Ready for Election Day | November 10, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | REGISTER HERE 

The first webinar will focus on the steps that take place before Election Day. Topics will include: ballot access and petitioning, voter registration, absentee and early mail ballot applications, and ballot preparation.

Part II: Election Day and Beyond | November 17, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | REGISTER HERE

The second webinar will address the conduct of Election Day and the responsibilities that follow. Topics will include election inspector appointment and training, poll watchers, Election Day procedures, dealing with voters who are not on the registration list, canvassing the vote and mailed ballots, post-election responsibilities, and the availability of election records.

Part III: Reporting Requirement - What Clerks Need to Know | December 1, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | REGISTER HERE

New York State now requires all election authorities to transmit election and voting data to a centralized database maintained by the New York State Board of Elections (SBOE). Villages that administer their own elections are required to report on their elections. This webinar will provide an overview of the new reporting requirements and explain what information the village must submit to the SBOE, when it must be submitted, and what clerks need to do to prepare. This session is designed specifically for village clerks who are responsible for administering and reporting village elections.

All webinars are from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM and are FREE to NYCOM members. Registration is required. Sessions are subject to change. Stay tuned for updates and additional information.

Questions? Contact Rebecca Ruscito at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 518-463-1185.

Please Note: In order to complete your registration for each webinar, you must click 'Place Order'. You will receive a confirmation email upon successful registration.

What’s in the Farm Bill for Cities? (added 527-26)

What Congress Needs to Advance on Transportation for America's Communities (added 4-28-26)

NLC Responds to U.S. DOJ’s Decision to Extend Compliance Deadline of Website Accessibility Rule for State and Local Governments (added 4-20-26)

Call Congress: Stop New Unfunded Mandates on Permitting and Franchising (added 4-20-26)

FY27 Federal Budget

What the FY27 Federal Budget Proposal Could Mean for Local Governments (added 4-20-26)

Correspondence on Federal Budget Issues

• Urge Congress to Fund Water Infrastructure Programs for FY2026 (added 8-26-25)
• NYCOM FirstNet Letter to Congress: NYCOM Letter Urges Congress To Ensure The Continued Operation of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Beyond its Current Expiration in February 2027 (added 7-8-25)
• 247 Mayors Sign Letter to Congress Opposing Proposed HUD Cuts (added 6-5-25)

Information on Final Passage of "One Big, Beautiful Bill" (H.R.1)

• NLC Summary of the One Big Beautiful Bill (published 7-11-25)
• U.S. Congress Passes Reconciliation Bill: What it Means for Counties (published 7-3-25)
• How Washington’s Budget Bill Will Affect Health Care in New York (published 7-3-25)
• By the Numbers: H.R. 1 Would Have Devastating Impacts on New York Health Care Providers, Patients, Employees and Communities (published 7-1-25)

THE CENSUS IS YEARS AWAY, BUT ACCURATE CENSUS IS IMPORTANT

Resources

National League of Cities Raises Concerns About Proposed Census Changes that Could Undercount Communities and Reduce Local Funding

From-the-Event: The 2030 Census Rule Change: What It Means for Counting Your Community

A New Census Rule Could Reshape How Your Community Is Counted – Here’s What to Know

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 (10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.)

VIEW DETAILS

EPA and DEC are co-presenting a webinar about the use of EPA's Wastewater Utility Emergency Response Plan (ERP) Template as a tool for meeting the new cybersecurity regulation for Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) in New York State. This 2-hour webinar will include an overview of U.S. EPA’s Wastewater ERP Template and Instructions, a POTW case study, and a brief summary of other EPA resources which can further enhance POTW preparedness.

Who Should Attend?

• Representatives and operators from POTWs of all sizes.
• Vendors and consultants, especially those who are assisting POTWs in developing or updating their ERP.
• Other decision makers involved in developing, implementing, or certifying ERPs. Note that the annual certification of compliance must be signed by the municipality's principal executive officer, ranking elected official or, a duly authorized representative who isan executive-level municipal officialhaving responsibility for oversight of information technology, operational technology, or cybersecurity functions.

For certified wastewater operators, this training has been approved by DEC for 2.0 renewal training credits (RTCs) in the topic of cybersecurity.

Zoom registration link: NY State Wastewater Cybersecurity Regulation Technical Assistance Webinar

UPCOMING WEBINARS AND ACCOUNTING SCHOOLS

REGISTER FOR FREE WEBINARS

Upcoming webinars include:

• 9/9/26 - Fiscal Stress Monitoring System Briefing for 12/31 Filers

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REGISTER FOR ONLINE ACCOUNTING SCHOOLS

Upcoming 2026 Fall accounting school schedule:

• Introduction to Governmental Accounting - September 2-3
• Accounting Principles and Procedures - October 7-8
• Introduction to Governmental Accounting - November 18-19
• Accounting Principles and Procedures - December 9-10

Cost: $85 per local government official/employee per class (includes coursebook). Registrations close 3 weeks prior to class date. We accept check or money order.

WHAT FOOD PROCESSORS NEED TO KNOW
OCTOBER 15 (10-11AM)

REGISTER HERE

The law will expand January 1, 2027 to include entities that generate 1 ton or more of wasted food per week. The requirement to recycle food scraps will increase from 25 miles to 50 miles.

DEC will provide guidance to food processors on how to comply with the law, the waiver process and other available resources including a list of food scraps transporters and organics recyclers.

DEC will be joined by Feeding NYS who will share information about how they can help your business start or enhance a food donation program. Feeding NYS works with all ten regional food banks across New York State and many localized food relief organizations.

Learn more about the NYS Food Donation & Food Scraps Recycling law: https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/recycling-composting/organic-materials-management/food-donation-scraps-recycling-law.

December 14, 15, 16, 17, 18                                                 

ttached please find the announcement and registration information for the in-person Fall 2026 Taking the Bench Certification Program for newly elected/appointed Town and Village Justices in both Word and PDF.  The Taking the Bench program will be held at 500 Patroon Creek Boulevard, Albany, NY on Monday, December 14^th, Tuesday, December 15^th, Wednesday, December 16^th, Thursday, December 17^th and Friday, December 18^th, 2026.  The program classes are required for non-attorney justices prior to taking the bench, but we certainly welcome and encourage new attorney judges to attend as well.  For those who need overnight accommodations, please see information on the attached announcement.

Registration must be done online and the information regarding the same is contained in the attached.  Registration will open on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and will close on Friday, December 11, 2026, at 12:00 pm. In case the attached documents do not allow you to click directly on the link for registration, the link for registration is within this email as well. 

To register for the in-person Fall 2026 Taking the Bench Certification Program on or after November 4, 2026, the newly elected/appointed justice must register through the following link:

https://fm-web-22.nycourts.gov/fmi/webd/TVREGISTRATION

The “account name” is ‘court’ and the “password” is ‘court’.

Please distribute this information to any newly elected or appointed justices as soon as possible.If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Justice Court Support at 1-800-232-0630 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..   

NYCOM’S OFFICIAL STOREFRONT IS OPEN! 

Explore apparel, accessories, and member favorites designed with NYCOM colors and branding. Whether you’re shopping for yourself, or your staff, our new NYCOM Storefront has what you need to show your municipal pride.

SHOP HERE