The state Legislature on Monday moved toward overriding Gov. George Pataki's veto of a bill that would have indefinitely given New Yorkers access to medications if they are denied coverage under the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. 

The Assembly unanimously voted Monday to override Friday's veto. The motion now moves to the state Senate, which indicated it would follow suit. 

"I am very concerned about the impact the veto could have on seniors and I will meet with members of the Senate Majority Conference tomorrow and recommend that we override the veto of this bill," Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said in a statement. 

Under the bill, New York state's "wraparound" program would cover any prescription drugs for the disabled and low-income seniors until problems with the federal program were fixed. 

Pataki said the bill, overwhelming passed by the Republican-led Senate and Democrat-controlled Assembly, wasn't necessary because the U.S. Health and Human Services Department had agreed to reimburse the state through March 8 for the cost of giving prescriptions to seniors having trouble with the new plan. After the deadline, Pataki promised to take additional measures if problems still existed. 

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver cautioned that the veto could result in 600,000 New Yorkers being denied access to medications. 

"Seniors and those who care and advocate for them deserve to know that there is a concrete assurance that necessary prescriptions will be filled and paid for," Silver said. 

Pataki, a Republican, enacted a temporary measure Jan. 13 directing the state Health Department to allow access to the drugs for seniors eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. The legislation would have permanently extended the measure until problems with the Medicare benefit that launched Jan. 1 were completely resolved. 

"The Governor agrees with the goal of the legislation, which is to ensure that New Yorkers have access to the drugs they need as he took action weeks ago to do just that when problems with the federally run program arose," said Pataki spokesman Kevin Quinn. "Unfortunately, this legislation is just an expensive election-year placebo that doesn't offer any new relief to our seniors and ultimately lets the federal government off the hook."