Establishes through the department of health a drug checking services program to allow individuals to bring drugs or controlled substances and have them tested for contaminants, toxic substances, or hazardous compounds; requires the department to establish public health surveillance of the unregulated drug supply; provides exemptions for participants in the drug checking program from certain controlled substance offenses.
Ensures that color vision requirements for appointment of police officers are tailored to only eliminate individuals with extreme color vision deficiencies from eligibility; provides methods under which an individual can meet such requirements after failing to meet an initial color vision standard.
This bill amends New York's Penal Law to explicitly include animal fighting as a qualifying felony for enterprise corruption charges. It directly affects individuals or groups operating animal fighting rings, as their activities will now count as "criminal activity" under enterprise corruption statutes. The key change adds "section three hundred fifty-one of the agriculture and markets law relating to animal fighting" to the list of felonies that trigger enterprise corruption penalties. This expands the scope of enterprise corruption prosecutions to cover animal fighting operations without changing the core definition of the crime.
Provides that an accusatory instrument or supporting deposition consisting of factual allegations by a deponent with limited English proficiency is not sufficient unless accompanied by a sworn statement from an interpreter affirming the accuracy of the English interpretation.
Relates to the completion of training requirements for sheriffs and undersheriffs; directs the municipal police training council to promulgate rules and regulations relating to qualification for municipal police forces for persons who were previously sworn members of the state police and to provide certificates to such persons who meet such qualifications.
This bill requires health insurance plans to cover outpatient diagnosis and treatment for substance use disorder - including detoxification and rehabilitation - without preauthorization. It applies to all medical, major medical, and comprehensive insurance policies. The law prohibits insurers from applying stricter financial limits or treatment restrictions to substance use disorder care than those used for standard medical or surgical services. This change aims to reduce administrative barriers for people seeking treatment.
Authorizes one or more individuals who are under a shared contract to opt-out of such contract without a fee, penalty or charge due to status as a domestic violence victim; prohibits the company from transferring any contractual or billing responsibility of such shared contract to any other account holders on such shared contract; prevents companies from prohibiting a person who has opted-out due to domestic violence status to enter into a new contract.
This bill allows retired New York state employees to change their designated beneficiaries if that beneficiary was convicted of a family offense (such as domestic violence) and the retiree was the complainant in the case. Retirees have 180 days from the conviction date to submit a written request to the retirement system to update their beneficiary or election. The law applies to all retirement systems covered under the state’s retirement and social security laws, including public education and city employee plans. The comptroller must notify retirees about this provision and create implementing rules. It directly affects retirees who are complainants in family offense cases involving their current beneficiaries.
Increases the amount for awards made to crime victims; specifies certain items of personal property which are necessary and essential to the welfare of a claimant.
Prohibits the use of intoxication of the victim as a defense in sex crimes where the victim is under the extreme influence of any substance which renders them incapable of appraising or controlling such victim's conduct and incapable of clearly expressing lack of consent.
