Jonathan L. Bing

Biography

A resident of Manhattan's East Side for two decades, Jonathan Bing brought an accomplished history of fighting for community members' health and well-being to the State Assembly. Now in his fourth term in office, Jonathan is continuing this legacy.

Jonathan was first elected to the Assembly in November 2002 from the 73rd Assembly District in Manhattan. The 73rd A.D. includes the Upper East Side, East Midtown, Sutton Place and Turtle Bay communities. Jonathan was re-elected to a fourth term in 2008.

During his seven years in the Assembly, Jonathan has authored 60 pieces of legislation that have passed the Assembly, 24 of which have been signed into law. Jonathan authored the landmark bill signed into law in August 2006 that expanded the statute of limitations for workers' compensation claims made by 9/11 rescue, recovery and clean-up workers, allowing hundreds of heroes who helped rebuild our City get the benefits that they deserve. In August 2008, Governor David Paterson signed into law Jonathan's bill to enhance criminal and civil penalties against those who would falsify construction records or illegally assist people with government licensing examinations as has been alleged with regard to the two crane accidents that occurred on the East Side last year. Jonathan's legislation to update the State library funding formula to use the most current census figures was adopted in the 2006-07 budget, providing New York City with an additional $1.5 million and its fair share of state funding for the first time in a decade. In July 2007, Jonathan's legislation to strengthen the prompt payment law to ensure that not-for-profit social service agencies doing business with the state receive notification of contract renewals in a timely manner was signed into law. Other laws authored by Jonathan include a provision to prevent good faith claims of abuse from being used against the claimant in child custody proceedings; the revision of laws dating back to 1892 that will allow for greater competition and lower rates in the life and property/casualty insurance industries; the first significant arts funding bill to become law in recent memory, legislation that requires State agencies to make application forms available on the Internet; and a measure to provide greater safeguards against registered sex offenders obtaining real estate licenses.

In the community, Jonathan and his staff have responded to hundreds of constituent concerns and thousands of pieces of correspondence during his tenure. He has held annual health fairs which provided free flu shots and health screenings for hundreds of neighborhood seniors, organized forums to address the concerns of women in business and mothers re-entering the workforce, and brought dozens of free dental screenings for children and mammograms for women to the East Side. Jonathan has also secured nearly $200 million in capital funding for East Side organizations including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the 92nd Street Y, Hunter College, the Jewish Museum, New York University Medical Center, Primary Stages and Marymount Manhattan College. He is the recipient of a 2009 Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from LIM College, the 2008 Hunter College Presidential Medal, a 2008 New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund Eco-Star award, the 2007 NYU College of Nursing Health Policy and Legislation Award, the 2005 Vanderbilt YMCA's Champion of the Year Award, and recognition from the New York State United Way, New York University School of Law, Sutton Area Community, Inc., New York City Parks Department, New York State Association of REALTORS, American Association of University Women, New York Vision Rehabilitation Association, Public Employees Federation, Knickerbocker Plaza Tenants' Association, and 17th Precinct Community Council for his accomplishments in office.

Prior to his 2002 election, Jonathan was a practicing attorney in Manhattan. After serving as law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Bruce M. Van Sickle, Jonathan joined the law firm of Torys LLP in 1996 as an attorney in its labor and employment practice group. He also authored the award-winning legal article "Protecting the Mentally Retarded from Capital Punishment: State Efforts Since Penry and Recommendations for the Future." After the tragic events of September 11th, Jonathan was chosen to organize over 250 attorneys as the New York Coordinator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency/American Bar Association's Disaster Legal Services program which provided free, comprehensive legal assistance to nearly 1,000 New Yorkers affected by the terrorist attacks.

Jonathan is a third-generation East Sider whose family has lived in what is now the 73rd A.D. since 1960. He is a graduate of the New York University School of Law, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Horace Mann School, and is a member of Central Synagogue. He lives in Turtle Bay with his wife, Meredith Ballew, the Director of Fund Development for the Vanderbilt YMCA, and their daughter, Charlotte Bing, who was born in June 2007.

Jonathan serves on the Assembly's Health; Housing; Insurance; Judiciary; Social Services; and Tourism, Arts & Sports Development Committees. He was appointed Chairman of the Assembly Legislative Task Force on People with Disabilities in June 2009 after serving for three years as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Mitchell-Lama Housing.