EXECUTIVE ORDER
Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws
Relating to the Disaster Emergency
WHEREAS, on March 7, 2020, I issued Executive Order Number 202, declaring a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York;
WHEREAS, the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) arrived in New York predominantly from Europe, with over 2.2 million travelers coming in between the end of January and March 16, 2020, when the federal government finally implemented a full European travel ban;
WHEREAS, during that period of time, 2.2 million travelers landed in the New York City metropolitan area and entered New York’s communities, which, when combined with the density of our population, caused New York to have the highest infection rate of COVID-19 in the country;
WHEREAS, both cases of travel-related and community contact transmission of COVID-19 have been documented throughout New York State and, despite the persistent and diligent efforts of state and local governments to trace, test, and contain the virus, such transmission is expected to continue;
WHEREAS, New York has undertaken a cautious, incremental and evidence-based approach to reopening the State of New York;
WHEREAS, the dedication of New Yorkers to“flatten the curve“ has successfully slowed the transmission of COVID-19, and these vigilant efforts must continue to protect ourselves and our friends, family members, neighbors, and community members;
WHEREAS, the State of New York had the highest infection rate, but has succeeded in reducing the rate to one of the lowest in the country, and New York is one of only a few states reported to be on track to contain COVID-19 transmission;
WHEREAS, other states that may have taken a less cautious approach are experiencing an increased prevalence of COVID-19 cases, and the prevalence of cases in other states continues to present a significant risk to New York’s progress; and
WHEREAS, the federal government has failed to sufficiently address the causes and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the nation by failing to, among other actions, establish a nation-wide testing strategy and impose a nation-wide face covering mandate;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ANDREW M. CUOMO, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the Laws of the State of New York, do hereby find that a disaster continues to exist for which affected state agencies and local governments are unable to respond adequately. Therefore, pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the State of New York and Section 28 of Article 2-B of the Executive Law, I hereby continue the declaration of the State Disaster Emergency effective March 7, 2020, as set forth in Executive Order 202. This Executive order shall remain in effect until October 4, 2020.
IN ADDITION, I, Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to temporarily suspend or modify any statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation, or parts thereof, of any agency during a State disaster emergency, if compliance with such statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster emergency or if necessary to assist or aid in coping with such disaster, do hereby continue the suspensions, modifications, and directives, not superseded by a subsequent directive, made by Executive Orders 202 up to and including 202.21, and 202.27, 202.28, 202.29, 202.30, 202.38, 202.39, 202.40, 202.48, 202.49, 202.50, as extended, and Executive Order 202.55 and 202.55.1 for another thirty days through October 4, 2020 and do hereby suspend or modify the following:
- Section 2804 of the Public Authorities Law, to the extent necessary to permit public authorities to receive comments concerning a proposed toll adjustment through public hearings held remotely, use of telephone conference, video conference, and/or other means of transmission, including acceptance of public comments electronically or by mail, and to permit all required documentation and records to be available in an electronic format on the internet and upon request;
- Subdivision 4 of section 1 of chapter 25 of the laws of 2020 is modified to the extent necessary to provide that in addition to any travel to a country for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a level two or three travel health notice, an employee shall not be eligible for paid sick leave benefits or any other paid benefits pursuant to this chapter if such employee voluntarily travels to a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate, over a seven day rolling average, and which the commissioner of the department of health has designated as meeting these conditions as outlined in the advisory issued pursuant to Executive Order 205, and the employee did not begin travel to such state before the commissioner of the department of health designated such state, and the travel was not taken as part of the employee’s employment or at the direction of the employee’s employer;
- The suspension contained in Executive Order 202.8, as continued and modified most recently in Executive Order 202.48 and 202.55 and 202.55.1, is hereby amended to provide that the tolling of civil statutes of limitation shall be lifted as it relates to any action to challenge the approval by any municipal government or public authority of a construction project that includes either affordable housing or space for use by not-for-profit organizations. The suspension of Section 30.30 of the Criminal Procedure Law, is hereby modified to require that speedy trial time limitations remain suspended in a jurisdiction until such time as petit criminal juries are reconvened in that jurisdiction; Criminal Procedure Law 170.70 is no longer suspended, and for any appearance which has been required to be in-person may continue to be conducted virtually with the consent of the parties.
- Rural Electric Cooperatives Law Section 17(d) to the extent necessary to eliminate the minimum in-person quorum requirements;
- Title 5 of Article 11 of the Real Property Tax Law, is suspended with respect to the ability of a municipality to sell liens.
IN ADDITION, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the
Executive Law to issue any directive during a disaster emergency necessary to cope with the disaster, I do hereby issue the following directives through October 4, 2020:
- The directive contained in Executive Order 202.45, as extended, requiring closure of all schools statewide to in-person instruction, is hereby modified only insofar as to authorize schools statewide to be open for instruction, effective September 1, 2020, subject to adherence to Department of Health issued guidance and directives, and provided further that school districts must continue plans to ensure the availability of meals, and the availability of child care for health care and emergency response workers, for any school district that is conducting its operations remotely and provided further that for any district which closes to in-person instruction, a contingency plan to immediately provide such services must be maintained;
- Whenever a coroner or medical examiner has a reasonable suspicion that COVID-19 or influenza was a cause of death, but no such tests were performed within 14 days prior to death in a nursing home or hospital, or by the hospice agency, the coroner or medical examiner shall administer both a COVID-19 and influenza test within 48 hours after death, whenever the body is received within 48 hours after death, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Department of Health. The coroner or medical examiner shall report the death to the Department of Health immediately after and only upon receipt of both such test results through a means determined by the Department of Health. The State Department of Health shall provide assistance for any requesting coroner or medical examiner.
- Nassau County Administrative Code § 5-17.0(2) to the extent necessary to suspend the deadline to pay 2019-2020 second half general taxes appearing on the Nassau County tax roll without interest or penalties from August 10, 2020 to August 31, 2020 for residential property that was owned in whole or in part at the time of their death by healthcare workers and first responders in Nassau County who passed away after contracting the novel coronavirus and which is now owned by immediate family members or their estates.
- Nassau County Administrative Code § 5-16.0(b) to the extent necessary to provide a discount of one percent on payments of second half 2020-2021 school district taxes which are made on or before December 10, 2020.
- The directive contained in Executive Order 202.3, as extended, that required closure to the public of any facility authorized to conduct video lottery gaming or casino gaming, is hereby modified to allow such facilities to open beginning on or after September 9, 2020, subject to adherence to Department of Health guidance.
- The directive contained in Executive Order 202.50, as amended by Executive Order 202.53, that allowed indoor common portions of retail shopping malls to open in regions of the state that are in Phase Four of the state’s reopening, provided that such malls continue to be closed in the New York City region, is hereby amended to allow such malls to open in the New York City region, so long as such malls adhere to Department of Health issued guidance on and after September 9, 2020.
G I V E N under my hand and the Privy Seal of the State in the City of Albany this fourth day of September in the year two thousand twenty.
BY THE GOVERNOR
Secretary to the Governor
