Enacts the "omnibus emergency services volunteer incentive act" to provide benefits to volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers; increases the personal income tax deduction after four or more years of service; exempts motor vehicles used in the performance of such volunteers' duties from registration fees, use taxes and special fees for volunteer license plates; authorizes the provision of municipal health insurance coverage to such volunteers; establishes a volunteer recruitment service loan forgiveness program.
Requires health benefits for state and retired state employees have the option to only cover the employee or retiree and their spouse or domestic partner.
Provides that dental insurance coverage shall include coverage for night guards; defines dental night guards; provides that dental night guards shall be covered under Medicaid.
This bill simplifies enrollment and recertification for New York Medicaid recipients needing long-term care. It automatically assigns people requiring community-based long-term care for over 120 days to a managed care plan (based on prior care workers, quality, and location), unless they choose otherwise. It also allows certain groups - like those in managed long-term care plans, receiving personal care services, or getting fixed Social Security income - to recertify automatically without resubmitting resource documentation, using "attestation" instead. These changes aim to reduce administrative burdens for both recipients and the state.
This bill (S 4926) gives injured workers in New York State the right to choose their own pharmacy for prescribed medications under specific circumstances, directly affecting workers receiving workers' compensation. It allows them to bypass the employer/carrier's contracted pharmacy if payment is denied within 72 hours or if reauthorization fails for reasons like missing medical reports, disputes over treatment guidelines, or case settlement delays. Pharmacies dispensing medication under this provision must follow the state’s pharmacy fee schedule, medical treatment guidelines, and formulary, and assume liability for costs if the medication isn’t later approved. The bill was passed by the state legislature in June 2025 but was vetoed by the Governor on December 5, 2025.
Directs the use of a standardized immunization exemption form; requires the commissioner of health to develop a standardized medical immunization exemption request form for school use.
This bill requires New York State correctional facilities to move incarcerated individuals diagnosed with specific serious mental illnesses (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression) out of segregated confinement or long-term rehabilitation units into specialized residential mental health treatment units. It mandates this diversion after consultation with mental health clinicians, applying to anyone diagnosed at any time with one of the listed conditions, unless the move relates to a disciplinary hearing. The policy aims to replace prolonged solitary confinement with appropriate mental health treatment for affected individuals. This change directly impacts incarcerated people with qualifying mental health diagnoses currently held in restrictive settings.
This bill requires new or renovated public transportation facilities - including highway rest areas (like those along Route 87), bus stations, and train stations serving over 500,000 annual passengers - to provide private spaces for nursing mothers. These spaces must include a chair, an electrical outlet, and be separate from public restrooms, with a deadline of January 1, 2026, for station compliance. It applies to facilities operated by state, local, or public entities but excludes subway and rapid transit stations. The law mandates these accommodations during construction, renovation, or expansion, directly affecting nursing mothers using these facilities and transit operators.
This bill creates the "3000 by '30" social worker loan forgiveness program in New York State. It provides loan forgiveness to licensed master or clinical social workers who graduated from a New York college, have student debt, work in New York for five consecutive years, and apply within two years of graduation. Eligible applicants must commit to practicing in New York for five years and meet specific licensing requirements. Funding for the program depends on available state appropriations, with awards distributed based on budget availability.
Develops protocols that designated hotline centers play calming music while callers are on hold, regular "comfort" messages, and if necessary, the hotline center shall provide additional messaging to encourage the caller to stay on the line.
