NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 May 28, 2019 Governor Cuomo, As public servants, we have a shared responsibility to serve all New Yorkers to ensure that the safety and well-being of our citizens is not compromised. In past years, our state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) has made great advances achieving this goal by providing funding for programs that expand security measures for at-risk communities throughout the state. Funding opportunities such as the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC) grant program, which received $25,000,000 in our most recent state budget, have given religious institutions much needed financial assistance to ensure their worshipers and guests can practice their faith and congregate in a safe environment. Although New York State has taken steps in the right direction to protect its religious institutions from acts of hate, it is our concern that many temples, mosques and churches remain ineligible for funding because of the requirements outlined by DHSES. DHSES specifically states in the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the SCAHC grant program that to be considered, applicants must be a nonprofit, nonpublic school registered with the Department of Education. Due to these requirements, many places of worship within the state are not eligible to apply for these funds and are subsequently limited from doing more to protect the members of their community who attend their services. As we watch acts of violent hatred rise throughout our nation and the world, we also witness increased attacks on houses of worship. Looking back to the recent past, we remember breaking news reports from the attacks at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas; Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh; two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand; as well as the attacks that killed hundreds of people attending church service Easter morning in Sri Lanka. While we remain fortunate that these attacks have not happened within our state, we are not immune to hatred and New Yorkers crave action. All people should be able to worship and pray in peace, free from fear of violence or acts of terror. Therefore, we write to urge our state’s executive branch and its representatives at DHSES to reconsider the strict guidelines set for the SCAHC grant program, and open up eligibility to all houses of worship, regardless of whether or not the applicant is a nonpublic school registered with the Department of Education. We thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration. Sincerely, Kevin M. Byrne 94th Assembly District New York State Assembly Peter Harckham 40th Senate District New York State Senate Cc: Commissioner Kevin Wisely, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, State Education Department Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan THE ASSEMBLY VICE-CHAIRMAN Minority Steering Committee STATE OF NEW YORK ALBANY COMMITTEES Government Operations Health Insurance Labor KEVIN M. BYRNE Transportation Assemblyman 94th District Putnam and Westchester Counties January 6, 2020 The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 Governor Andrew Cuomo, As you finalize preparations for the State of the State, as well as this year’s budget priorities, I ask you strongly consider addressing the proliferation of hate and violence in our state. While I do understand you likely have proposals of your own to offer, including codifying a penalty for Domestic Terrorism, I would like to offer another legislative proposal to better secure our state and its many houses of worship. Assembly Bill A7852 would expand eligibility for the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes Grant Program to include all houses of worship. The legislation has bipartisan support in the Assembly. Last year, the state legislature appropriated an additional $20 million to further a matching grant option to this important program. This program provides new capital funding to support safety and security projects at nonpublic schools, day camps and cultural museums at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs or mission. While state and federal programs do exist to support greater safety and security projects for at risk communities, the eligibility requirements prevent many houses of worship in the state from accessing this important funding. The rise of violence in places of worship throughout our nation and across the globe has made additional assistance necessary; therefore, I believe the program should be expanded so that all houses of worship can apply and be reviewed for their funding needs. Last year, we witnessed a shocking rise in anti-Semitic violence in our state. Among the dozens of examples, one of the most revolting was the attack in Monsey at the home of a local Rabbi during the seventh night of Hanukkah. This event only adds to a troubling trend of violence at houses of worship across our nation and around the world. In the past few years, we’ve all seen the breaking news reports of attacks at locations such as First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas; Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh; two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand; as well as the attacks that killed hundreds of people attending church service Easter morning in Sri Lanka. ALBANY OFFICE: Room 318, Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York 12248, (518) 455-5783, FAX (518) 455-5543 DISTRICT OFFICE: 3 Starr Ridge Road. Suite 204, Brewster, New York 10509, (845) 278-2923, FAX (845) 278-2926 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.assembly.state.ny.us - 2 - These tragedies have reminded people what violent extreme hatred can do. Whether the attacks are made by a crazed ideological fanatic or a psychopath, these sacred places have become greater targets for domestic terrorism and hate. The people of New York crave action. The expansion of this important program is one way our state can help answer that call to action. A copy of the bill and memo is enclosed for your convenience. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this proposal. I look forward to listening to you address all our fellow New Yorkers at the State of the State and Budget presentation in January. Respectfully submitted, Kevin M. Byrne Member of Assembly New York’s 94th Assembly District .