Biography

Hugh T. Farley, Republican - Conservative - Independence, was born in Watertown, New York. He was raised and attended school in Indian Lake, Hamilton County, New York and later graduated from high school in Watertown. Senator Farley received the Juris Doctor degree from the American University School of Law in Washington, D.C. He also holds a Bachelor of Science with honors from the University at Albany, and is a graduate of Mohawk Valley Community College. In 1974 Mohawk Valley Community College awarded him the Alumni Merit Award.

Senator Farley served in the U.S. Army in Germany. He has taught high school in Syracuse, New York, and in Maryland. In 1965, Dr. Farley was appointed to the faculty of the School of Business of the University at Albany where he advanced to Full Professor and Law Area Coordinator. In 2000, he was named Professor Emeritus of Business Law. He has been nominated several times for the Outstanding Teacher Award at that institution. In 1983, Dr. Farley received the University Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his service to the University and to public higher education.

Senator Farley is Past President of the Northeastern Business Law Association, and has been a leader on many significant councils at the University at Albany, including the University Senate. Among his professional memberships are the Schenectady County Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. He is the author of Continuing Education texts in Business Law.

First elected to public office in 1970, Senator Farley served as a Councilmember and, later, Town Council Majority Leader, in the Town of Niskayuna. In his first run for State office, he soundly defeated an incumbent in the race for State Senate in 1976, and was reelected in 1978 with twice the plurality of his first Senate election.

Reelected to a third term in 1980, Senator Farley garnered one of the largest numbers of votes cast in a State Senate race in New York. In 1982 he earned a fourth term with a 78% plurality - the largest in the New York State Senate of contested races. Reelected each two years since then, he continues to win with overwhelming margins. Senator Farley has consistently earned among the highest vote pluralities in the State.

Named in 1979 as the first Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Aging, Senator Farley authored many significant laws benefiting senior citizens. Among these are the nation's first hospice law, the law creating a program of respite care for the elderly, New York's law prohibiting mandatory retirement, and repeal of the State income tax on the first $20,000 of pensions and annuities. He was the Senate sponsor of the Community Services for the Elderly Law, which has been a model for other states. Senator Farley's concern for the elderly and other vulnerable citizens has continued. In 1997, he was named Catholic Legislator of the Year, recognizing his contributions in human services. Senator Farley led efforts which, in 2002, established a Volunteer Physicians Project in Schenectady, offering free basic medical care to uninsured citizens.

In January 1985, Senator Farley was appointed Chair of the Senate Committee on Environmental Conservation. In his first year, he was successful in revitalizing the State Superfund Program. He subsequently sponsored the 1986 Environmental Quality Bond Act, which provided $1.45 billion for hazardous waste site cleanup, land acquisition, historic preservation, and urban cultural parks. Senator Farley's environmental accomplishments include major laws to provide strong criminal penalties for the illegal release of hazardous substances, to regulate the bulk storage of hazardous substances, and to strengthen and enhance the State's water pollution control program.

As Chair, he led the Committee in issues concerning solid and infectious waste, groundwater, and the protection of rivers and lakes. He consistently promoted the wise management of the State's natural, wildlife, and marine resources, and was named Legislator of the Year in 1986 by the New York State Conservation Council.

In 1989, Senator Farley was advanced to become the Chair of the Senate Committee on Banks. He quickly established a national reputation supporting the innovations and responsiveness of the dual banking system. In Albany, he initiated several landmark banking laws. One law, which simplified credit card operations, directly resulted in the creation of several hundred new jobs in New York State. Senator Farley also developed significant consumer oriented laws which make it easier for consumers to obtain credit cards, which protect homeowners against problems with mortgage escrow accounts, and which require banks to safeguard automated teller machine (ATM) customers from criminals. He gained national media attention for his efforts to attack the financing of the criminal drug trade by addressing the problem of money laundering.

Senator Farley led successful efforts in 1994 to make New York's interest rate deregulation laws permanent. These laws, which benefit both consumers and the industry, had previously been subject to periodic renewals which raised the potential for serious disruption of the consumer credit market. He also sponsored the State's interstate branching laws, which preceded federal action by several years, and authored the 1996 interstate branching "opt-in" which gives New York banks enhanced abilities to branch into other states.

In 1997, Senator Farley sponsored the "wild card" banking law, which permits the State Banking Board to grant State-chartered banks the same powers as their federally-chartered competitors. Hailed as crucial to maintaining the strength of the dual banking system in an era of rapid change and innovation, Senator Farley's law was continued in 1998 and 2000, and helped set the stage for his landmark "Financial Modernization Act of 2000" which was signed into law that year. Senator Farley has joined with advocates for the elderly in developing laws to protect senior citizens from "predatory lending" and from "deed theft." He also sponsored laws to strengthen the regulation of budget planners, investment advisers, mortgage bankers and brokers, and commercial check cashers.

As Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Libraries, Senator Farley has sponsored virtually every piece of major library legislation since 1978. He was a member of the Governor's Commission on Libraries and an elected delegate to the White House Conferences on Libraries (1979 and 1991). During his stewardship, State aid to libraries has been increased and new forms of library services, including school library systems and hospital library programs, established. Under Senator Farley's leadership, the 2006-07 budget provided the largest single-year increase in State aid to libraries in New York's history, including $14 million for public library construction and renovations. He is the sponsor of the Board of Regents' "New York Knowledge Initiative" legislation which would provide statewide electronic access to public library services.

In 1995, the new Senate Majority Leader, Senator Joseph L. Bruno, picked Senator Farley as his Majority Whip. Senator Farley has been instrumental in leading a number of legislative reforms, particularly the use of conference committees. He was a member of the first conference committee organized in the New York legislature resulting, in 1995, in the adoption of the 65 miles-per-hour speed limit on interstate highways in the State. He also served on the first-ever budget conference committees which, in 1997, opened the budget process to greater public input and discussion. In recent years, he has been Senate Chair of the General Government budget conference committee, one of the largest and most significant. In recognition of Senator Farley's expertise in legislative reform and modernization, he was advanced to the Conference leadership position of Chair of Senate Majority Program Development in 2007.

Senator Farley has also developed a reputation as a staunch defender of personal privacy rights. He sponsored a 2000 law which prohibits schools and colleges from using Social Security numbers as student identification numbers. He was a member of the Senate Majority Task Force on Privacy Invasion.

Another of Senator Farley's interests is the effective and efficient delivery of government services, providing taxpayers with the greatest value for their tax dollar. In 2005, he developed an omnibus law eliminating redundancy and reducing costs in the production of government documents. The law specifically permits State agencies to publish documents on the Internet. In 2006, he passed another law enhancing the ability of citizens to use electronic mail when submitting formal comments on proposed rules and regulations.

As a former local government official, Senator Farley has been particularly sensitive to local needs, especially the plight of small cities. He developed and sponsored the Schenectady Metroplex law, acclaimed as model legislation offering declining industrial cities new life through a unique mix of public and private cooperation. Through his efforts, downtown Schenectady has experienced a rebirth, and is now headquarters to four State agencies -- the Division of the Lottery, the Racing and Wagering Board, the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, and the Department of Transportation (Region 1) -- as well as the home office of MVP Health Plan and The Senator Hugh T. Farley Zone Five Regional Law Enforcement Academy. In 2000, he authored laws which saved the Schenectady City School District, a hard-pressed urban school district, from serious financial problems. Senator Farley also sponsored laws to assist the Amsterdam School District and the City of Amsterdam with their financial difficulties. He was named a "Patroon," the City of Schenectady's highest award for public service and civic contributions, in 1998.

While Senator Farley has gained the respect of his colleagues in the State Senate, he also represents New York in a number of national organizations. He is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as well as a member of the Governing Board of the Council of State Governments (CSG). In prior years, he served as Chairman of the CSG and of the CSG Eastern Region, President of the National Republican Legislators Association, and Vice Chairman of the State-Federal Assembly of the NCSL. He was named 1989 Legislator of the Year by the National Republican Legislators Association.

The Senator is married to the former Sharon Rose of Syracuse, New York. They have three children: Susan, Robert (Minority Leader of the Schenectady County Legislature), and Margaret. Senator and Mrs. Farley reside in Schenectady, New York.

Standing Committee Assignments for 2007:  Banks (Chair), Aging, Ethics, Finance, Health, Judiciary, and Rules.

In addition to his standing committee assignments, Senator Farley is Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Interstate Cooperation and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Libraries.