Michele Gregorio smiles lovingly when she looks through old photos. Wedding pictures, family gatherings and memories from nearly four decades with her husband, Michael.

“The memories are bittersweet,” Gregorio said. “They make me smile, a lot of them. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it’s not.”

The couple were high school sweethearts. Gregorio was 15 and Michael was 18 when they started dating on Long Island. They married in 1975 and built a life together in New Hampton, New York, where they raised two children and eventually welcomed six grandchildren.

“We were married for 38 years,” Gregorio said. “Michael passed May 11, 2014.”

Gregorio, 69, is a retired nurse and former nurse case manager. She says one issue continued to bother her for years after her husband’s death.

“Every time I got that insurance bill, it bothered me, and I’d grumble and move on,” she said.

Gregorio says she questioned why her car insurance rate increased and was told by her insurer that it was because her classification had changed from married to widowed.

“My first thought was Mike died and I suddenly don’t know how to drive and am higher risk?” she said. “They commented that widows are higher risk and I was like, I didn’t stop knowing how to drive.”

The issue stayed with her for more than a decade.

Then, on National Widows Day in June 2025, she decided to do something about it.

In an email to state Sen. James Skoufis, Gregorio asked him to look into what she called a “widow’s penalty.”

“Dear Senator, I’m not sure if you are aware that today is National Widows Day,” she wrote. “I feel this is a perfect time to email to see if you are aware of what is called a 'widow’s penalty.'”

Gregorio argued that many of the financial burdens widows and widowers face remain unchanged after the loss of a spouse.

Skoufis said the email immediately caught his attention.

“I couldn’t believe this was happening in New York. Nobody on my staff had ever heard of this happening,” he said.

The Cornwall Democrat went on to sponsor legislation known as the insurance “Widow’s Penalty” bill.

The measure would prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against individuals based on their marital status following the death of a spouse.

The bill recently passed both the state Senate and state Assembly and now awaits action by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“This is the most heart-wrenching time in anyone’s life when they lose their partner of many years, their spouse, and the last thing that anyone should have to deal with is there being a financial penalty associated with losing your loved one,” Skoufis said.

The Insurance Information Institute didn't comment on the legislation but says insurers consider several factors when setting rates, including marital status. The organization says losing a spouse does not automatically mean someone’s insurance rates will increase and that insurers use a variety of factors when determining premiums.

Hochul’s office has not said whether the governor supports the legislation.

In a statement to News 12, a spokesperson highlighted several auto insurance reforms included in this year’s state budget, including measures aimed at reducing fraud, limiting excessive rate increases, increasing oversight of insurance rate changes and prohibiting insurers from setting rates based on factors such as homeownership status, occupation, education level and ZIP code.

Skoufis told News 12 he believes the governor will ultimately sign the bill.

For Gregorio, the legislation is proof that one person can make a difference.

“I never realized sending one email could make such a change for so many people,” she said. “One person can make a change.”