Assemblywoman Lifton works hard to ensure local organizations and programs receive state funding in order to deliver services so many depend on. That’s why she fought for legislation that:

• increases Enhanced STAR rebates by 40 percent

• expands the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to give more seniors nutrition assistance in the comfort of their own homes

• improves the Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP), which assists seniors with daily activities like shopping, cooking and personal care in their own homes

• secured $18,000 for the Tompkins County Public Library to provide Sunday hours

• secured $10,000 for the Tompkins County Office for the Aging

Assemblywoman Lifton helped pass a new law aimed at curbing predatory attacks on seniors by increasing the penalty from a class A misdemeanor to a class D felony if a person 65 years or older is assaulted by someone more than 10 years younger (Ch. 68 of 2008).

Lifton also supports legislation:

• endorsed by AARP to strengthen New York State’s identity theft laws, allowing identity theft victims to freeze their credit by phone or Internet (Ch. 279 of 2008)

• rewrite New York’s power-of-attorney statute to ensure that agents for the elderly, the incapacitated and anyone who has given power-of-attorney, are always answerable to that person (A.6421-B, passed the Assembly)

• preventing debt collectors from seizing Social Security, Social Security Disability, Supplemental Security Income and veterans’ benefits in bank accounts up to $2,500 (A.8527-A, awaiting the governor’s signature)