Rep. Sarahana Shrestha

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the city of Kingston to implement an occupancy tax of up to 3% on overnight lodging. It directly affects hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and similar tourist accommodations by allowing the city to collect a fee from guests for each room rented. The tax can be collected by the property owner on behalf of the city and paid into the city's general fund to support municipal services and infrastructure. The law includes exemptions for government entities, certain nonprofit organizations, and permanent residents staying at least 90 consecutive days, and it sets a maximum two-year limit on each tax enactment.

Relates to eliminating rent for homeless shelters; provides that a homeless individual or family applying for or receiving temporary housing assistance shall not be required to pay to any local or state government or agency or any provider, room and board or contribute any earned or unearned income, available benefits or resources to eliminate their need for temporary housing assistance or as a condition to receive temporary housing assistance from such provider.

Enacts the "just energy transition act"; requires a study of competitive options to facilitate the phase-out, replacement and redevelopment of New York state's oldest and most-polluting fossil fueled generation facilities and their sites by the year 2030.

Directs utility corporations to petition the public service commission for approval of electric grid utilization metrics; directs the public service commission to determine which electric grid utilization metrics shall be approved and how such metrics shall be applied; directs the public service commission to submit an annual report to the legislature and governor.

Allows Steven Kobie Jackson to be eligible to take the civil service exam for the position of police officer for the town of Woodstock police department.

Prohibits the use of electronic shelving labels, digital shelf display technology, and surveillance pricing in food retail establishments and drug retail establishments; provides injunctive relief and civil penalties.

Enacts the "New York fundamental artificial intelligence requirements in (FAIR) news act"; provides transparency requirements for news media content composed, authored, or otherwise created through generative AI.

Establishes the New York dignity in pregnancy and childbirth act; requires hospitals and other facilities that provide perinatal care to implement an evidence-based implicit bias program for all health care providers involved in the perinatal care of patients within those facilities; requires the department of health to publish reports on maternal morbidity and pregnancy related deaths.

Establishes a captive insurance program for commuter vans, black cars, ambulettes and paratransit vehicles, small school buses, and charter buses that are engaged in the business of carrying or transporting nine to twenty-four passengers for hire; pre-arranged for-hire vehicles and accessible vehicles; defines terms.

Relates to reporting requirements of SUNY and CUNY; relates to financial information and identifying vendor information of each contract; relates to a list of all foundation and state university employees by campus, department and location including salaries, job titles and descriptions.