Richard Gottfried

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Richard Gottfried (b. 1947) represents District 75 in the New York State Assembly, which includes Murray Hill, Chelsea, Clinton, portions of Midtown Manhattan and the Upper West Side, including Lincoln Center. Gottfried is a progressive Democrat consistently endorsed by the Democratic and Working Families parties.

Elected to the Assembly in 1970 -- while a matriculating student at Columbia Law School -- Gottfried currently serves as Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Health and is also a member of the Committees on Higher Education and Rules. He is also a member of the Assembly Steering Committee and the head of the Manhattan Assembly Delegation.

Some of his signature pieces of legislation-bills enacted into law that he has primary or secondary responsibility for include the creation of the Prenatal Care Assistance Program as well as the Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus programs. He is also the author of the Physician Profiling Law, which allows patients to access information about their primary care physician and the Health Care Proxy Law-which allows individuals to designate a secondary party to make critical health care decisions for them if they become incapacitated-as well as the HIV Testing and Confidentiality Law.

Gottfried was the sponsor of the 1998 Hudson River Park Law, which established that park, as well as the legislation that created and the recent legislation to expand the Jacob Javits Convention Center. He was also instrumental in the enaction of the Omnibus Crime Act of 1978 and drafting of the 1976 Juvenile Justice Reform Act.

As chair of the Health Committee, and as a staunch supporter of reproductive freedom, he is a key player in keeping New York pro-choice, and sponsors Gov. Spitzer's recent Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act.

Other important bills he sponsors are: same-sex marriage; Family Health Care Decision Making, which prioritizes who would make health care decisions for a person who does not have a health care proxy and is incapacitated; GENDA, the Gender Non-Discrimination Act which would make discrimination based on gender identity illegal; and a bill make the medical use of marijuana legal.

As the leading advocate for patient autonomy, he has a major responsibility for New York's renowned managed care reforms, and continues to sponsor legislation for stronger protections for consumers and health care providers, work toward public support for universal access to quality, affordable health care, and establish end-of-life and pain management protocols. Mr. Gottfried's NY Health bill, to establish universal, publicly funded health coverage, was the first of its kind to pass a legislative body (NYS Assembly, 1992).

During his time as a member of the New York State Assembly Richard Gottfried has served in various leadership capacities, including as Deputy Majority Leader, Assistant Majority Leader, Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Codes, and Children and Families, as well as Chairman of the Assembly Task Force on the Homeless, Campaign Finance Reform and Crime Victims.

Gottfried is a non-practicing attorney with a J.D. from Columbia Law School, a fellow at the New York Academy of Medicine, as well as a member of the American Public Health Association and American Civil Liberties Union. He holds a B.A. from Cornell University.

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Preceded by
Jerome Kretchmer		 New York State Assembly, 65th District
1971–1972		 Succeeded by
Andrew Stein
Preceded by
Albert Blumenthal		 New York State Assembly, 67th District
1973–1982		 Succeeded by
Jerrold Nadler
Preceded by
William Passannante		 New York State Assembly, 64th District
1983–2002		 Succeeded by
Sheldon Silver
Preceded by
Ruben Diaz, Jr.		 New York State Assembly, 75th District
2003 – present		 Incumbent