Rep. Steve Stern

Maddy summaryThis bill is a resolution that formally recognizes the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II in both Europe and the Pacific. It directs the legislative body to pause its proceedings to honor the sacrifices of American service members and civilians who fought during the conflict. The resolution also mandates that copies of the document be sent to various veterans' organizations and the National World War II Museum.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates September 27, 2026, as Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day to honor the sacrifices of families in New York whose service members died while in the military. It recognizes these families, who display Gold Star flags or wear lapel pins, as a tribute to their loved ones' ultimate sacrifice for the country. The resolution directs the state legislature to pause its work on this date and formally acknowledge the contributions of these families. A copy of the resolution will be sent to the affected Gold Star families in New York.

Provides that beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, certain graduate students shall be required to pay 25% of all current and future mandatory university fees; provides that in the 2027-2028 academic year and thereafter, no mandatory university fees shall be charged to certain graduate students and adjunct staff, with the exclusion of the graduate student association student activity fee.

Provides that public officers and employees of the state who are members of the United States Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol or the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Pilots shall be granted leave from work with pay to participate in emergency services during certain air force assigned missions.

Establishes the homeowner protection program; provides that the department of law shall establish the homeowner protection program to ensure the availability of free housing counseling and legal services to homeowners for the purposes of mitigating threats to homeownership; provides that the department of law shall provide grants to eligible not-for-profit housing counseling organizations and legal services organizations to provide services under the program.

Establishes maximum contaminant levels in drinking water for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); sets such levels at no higher than 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and no higher than 10 parts per trillion (ppt) for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA).

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Governor of New York to officially designate June 2026 as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month and June 27, 2026, as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day. The legislation uses the term "injury" rather than "disorder" to highlight the physical impact of trauma on the brain and to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help. By adopting this resolution, the state aims to raise awareness about mental health challenges faced by citizens, including veterans and survivors of other traumatic events, without imposing new laws or funding requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the statewide goal for service-disabled veteran-owned business enterprises to secure eight percent of state contracts, increasing the current target of six percent. The change directly affects state procurement departments and veteran-owned businesses by raising the participation benchmark they are expected to meet. By amending the veterans' services law, the legislation sets a new numerical target for future contract awards without altering the underlying process for selecting vendors.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a real property tax exemption for the primary residences of surviving spouses of firefighters who died in the line of duty. It allows local governments and school districts to automatically exempt up to 50% of the assessed value of these homes from taxation, though they retain the option to reduce this percentage if they choose. The law defines eligible firefighters broadly to include paid members of various fire departments and extends the benefit to properties held in trust or by cooperative apartment corporations, while excluding certain types of housing. Additionally, the bill requires the state to develop and publish a list of documents that prove eligibility for this tax relief.

Establishes a real property tax exemption of up to fifty percent of the assessed valuation of such real property for surviving spouses of state and county correction officers who died in the line of duty and such property constitutes the primary resident of such surviving spouse.