Senator José M. Serrano is the Chair of the New York State Senate Majority Conference and Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation. After serving New York City Council District 17, he was elected to the New York State Senate in November of 2004. He represents the 29th Senate District, which has perhaps the greatest socio-economic and cultural diversity in the state. It includes neighborhoods in the South and West Bronx, East Harlem, Yorkville, Roosevelt Island, and the Upper West Side.

As a long-time supporter of the arts and culture, Senator Serrano has consistently called for more arts and music education in our schools, with a firm understanding of the proven beneficial effect of the arts on overall academics. In addition, Serrano is a firm believer that local arts and cultural sites are an integral part of the fabric of our city and act as an economic engine for communities throughout New York State.

In the Senate, he has introduced a wide variety of bills that aim to keep housing affordable, protect public health, foster economic development, defend immigrant rights and conserve the environment. Most recently, he passed legislation to ban the herbicide Glyphosate in state lands and parks. In 2019, the Senator Serrano and his colleagues in the State Senate led the one of the most productive Senate Sessions in the history of our state, enacting historic legislation, including expansive protections for tenants, the environment, women, survivors of abuse, and LGBTQ New Yorkers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been working to provide stability for the communities he represents and to connect New Yorkers with the resources they need to stay safe and healthy during this time.

During the 2021 Legislative Session, Serrano fought to expand coronavirus relief for tenants and workers who were excluded from previous COVID financial programs; promote environmental justice and protect low-income communities and communities of color from bearing unfair and unsafe pollution burdens; and prevent gun violence by securing funding for programs that are working to end the gun epidemic in our communities. Learn more

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