Jenifer Rajkumar: Policy Positions
Jenifer Rajkumar has positioned herself as a centrist Democrat throughout her tenure in the New York State Assembly, emphasizing public safety, mental health reform, immigrant protections, cultural recognition, and government efficiency. Her policy platform has blended progressive civil rights advocacy with positions that critics from the left have characterized as moderate or establishment-aligned.
Public Safety
Rajkumar has consistently prioritized public safety as a central policy pillar. She authored the SMOKEOUT Act (A8428A/S7998A), which targeted the proliferation of unlicensed marijuana retail shops across the state, granting municipalities the authority to shut them down. Her office credited the law with enabling the closure of more than 1,300 illegal smoke shops statewide 1. She has also advocated for stricter enforcement against petty crimes such as shoplifting and package theft, framing these as quality-of-life issues affecting working-class neighborhoods .
On criminal justice, Rajkumar introduced the 9,000 Act, which would create intensive wraparound services for approximately 9,000 individuals with persistent involvement in the criminal justice system, addressing their economic, health, vocational, and housing needs as an alternative to incarceration .
Mental Health
Rajkumar introduced the Empire State of Mind Act (A2719) in February 2025, a 20-page bill she described as the most comprehensive mental health legislation in 60 years. The bill would establish a right to community mental healthcare for individuals with serious mental illness, create patient advocates within hospitals, mandate mental health screenings for individuals entering correctional facilities, and require discharge treatment plans for hospitalized patients . The legislation also proposed creating empath centers in every county as a voluntary, holistic alternative to crisis care . On the question of street homelessness tied to mental illness, Rajkumar diverged from Mayor Adams by prioritizing care coordination over involuntary removals .
Domestic Workers' Rights
Rajkumar passed a legislative package securing domestic workers the full protections of the New York State Human Rights Law and expanding their paid family leave benefits. Governor Hochul signed the package into law in December 2021. Rajkumar's office stated that the legislation extended protections to more than 200,000 immigrant women and women of color working as domestic workers in New York .
Cultural Recognition and Heritage
A practicing Hindu, Rajkumar led the legislative effort to designate Diwali as a public school holiday in New York City, culminating in the passage of bill A.7769/S7574. Advocates had pursued the designation for approximately 30 years before Rajkumar shepherded the measure to passage and signing . She also passed legislation creating the first New York State Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission, designed to address community needs and bridge gaps in government services .
Rajkumar has sponsored resolutions recognizing heritage observances for South Asian and other immigrant communities in her district, including Nepali-American Heritage Day and Punjabi Awareness Day .
Immigration
Drawing on her experience as the state's former Director of Immigration Affairs, Rajkumar has consistently supported immigrant protections. She led a coalition of more than 54 legislators calling on President Biden to grant work authorization to asylum seekers, and introduced legislation in Albany seeking the same . She opposed Mayor Adams' decision to switch city retirees to a privatized Medicare Advantage plan, arguing that retirees deserved access to traditional Medicare with genuine healthcare choices .
E-Bike Regulation
Rajkumar introduced legislation to regulate e-bikes and e-scooters, proposing licensing, registration, and insurance requirements to address safety concerns on streets and sidewalks. The bill drew opposition from street safety advocates and delivery worker organizations, who argued it would reduce cycling and disproportionately burden app-based delivery workers 13.
Government Efficiency and Anti-Corruption
Rajkumar passed a bill to modernize the procurement process in New York City, aimed at accelerating contracting for affordable housing and critical infrastructure projects 14. She introduced a cybersecurity bill (A2237) prohibiting the state and municipalities from purchasing technology from certain international companies whose products threaten national security, which Governor Hochul signed into law in December 2025 .
She also introduced the Sunlight Bill, anti-corruption legislation requiring greater disclosure of lobbyists' government positions to increase transparency in the policy-making process .
Crime Victims' Rights
Rajkumar passed legislation expanding compensation for victims of crime, including those who suffer trauma from non-physical crimes such as gross reckless endangerment. The bill extended eligibility for costs including mental health counseling, lost wages, and healthcare to victims who were not physically injured but nevertheless experienced traumatic incidents .
Housing
Rajkumar passed legislation (A357B) modernizing New York laws on accessing neighboring properties for improvements and repairs, which she characterized as a measure to reduce red tape, accelerate construction, and allow sidewalk sheds to come down faster .