Senator Luis R. Sepulveda

Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda was first elected to represent the 32nd Senate District in April 2018. His Bronx district takes in Parkchester, Castle Hill, Soundview, West Farms, Hunts Point, Longwood, Concourse Village, Melrose, Morrisania, Mott Haven, Claremont, East Tremont, Unionport, Westchester Square, Bronx River, and Crotona Park East. He previously served for three-terms as the Assemblyman for the 87th Assembly District, covering Parkchester, Castle Hill, West Farms, Van Nest, and Park Stratton. The diverse Senate district includes sizable populations of Latinos, African-Americans, and Southeast Asians, particularly from Bangladesh. A staunch advocate for his constituents and the people of the state of New York, Senator Sepulveda has been a champion of bolstering economic opportunity and social service reforms, especially as they affect middle class families and the working poor. The Senator has been a leader in criminal justice reform, working to change the culture of distrust between communities of color and the police, and to correct inherent racial biases in the criminal justice system. His efforts as Assemblymember included sponsoring a bill to create a board to review civilian deaths and near-deaths involving police officers, a bill requiring videotaping of all engagements between uniformed officers and individuals in the community, and advocating for Raise the Age legislation to prevent 16- and 17-year-olds from being charged as adults. He also supports raising penalties for those who commit gun violence against children on school property or at playgrounds, and he backs increased penalties for child sexual abusers. As a member of the Assembly Corrections Committee, he was honored to serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Transitional Services, the focal point for legislation to best prepare prison inmates for reentry to the community, prevent recidivism, enhance public safety, and provide the support network and training to help former prisoners become self-sufficient, responsible community members. His legislation signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in October 2015 addressed the critical problem of Friday release dates for parolees, which prevented their all-important next day meetings with parole officers. The new law effectively moves release dates to Thursdays, ensuring, from day one that a parolee be on a steady course when returning to the community. He has also sought economic justice, including reinstating the New York State Lottery scholarship program; seeking alternatives to financially crippling college student debt; raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour; and providing for paid family leave to help the struggling working class. He has boosted local economic development by hosting a series of workshops for local small business owners, as well as a number of job fairs that drew large numbers of job seekers and employers. Senator Sepúlveda also supports diversity in the state workforce; fighting gun violence by providing more mental health services and training for teachers; allowing for the recall of public officials; driver’s licenses for immigrants; offering Halal food options during school lunch; expanding voting protections to prevent voting roll purges; and expanding the use of email for important voter information, such as changes in polling sites. As a recognized leader in Albany of efforts to protect privacy, he has introduced legislation to regulate the use of drones by law enforcement agencies and to prevent the unfettered access by government agencies to so-called metadata containing sensitive personal information that should normally be strictly safeguarded. The Senator has continuously advocated for more funding for community health and mental health services. His efforts to raise the visibility among legislators and key opinion leaders of the alarming suicide rate in the Latina teen population proved fruitful most recently when Gov. Cuomo announced formation of the New York State Suicide Prevention Task Force. The Senator worked closely with Mayor de Blasio in 2014 to secure funding for universal pre-kindergarten in New York City, and he sponsored legislation to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Senator Sepulveda is also a member of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, serving as its 2nd Vice Chair and as a co-chair of its Subcommittee on Criminal Justice Reform. Additionally, he is an active member of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force. With an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of his constituents and the general welfare of New Yorkers, one of Senator Sepúlveda's top priorities is delivering reliable, excellent and unrivaled constituent services. For his legislative and community service efforts, he is the recipient of a number of government, community and educational awards. Senator Sepúlveda earned his bachelor’s from Hofstra University and his law degree from Hofstra’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law. He is the only Latino attorney in either house of the Legislature.