Asm. Sarahana Shrestha

Prohibits the use of biometric surveillance technology by law enforcement; establishes the biometric surveillance regulation task force; provides for the expiration and repeal of certain provisions.

Requires coverage for hearing aids for patients who are covered under a policy or contract of insurance if the hearing aids are fitted and dispensed by a licensed audiologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association following medical clearance by a physician licensed to practice medicine and an audiological evaluation.

Enacts the building up immigrant legal defense or BUILD act to provide competitive workforce development and capacity building grants to eligible entities that are seeking to expand access to representation for individuals facing deportation by increasing the workforce and strengthening the legal services infrastructure needed to provide such representation.

Establishes fetal and infant mortality review boards to study fetal and infant mortality and morbidity and make recommendations on policies, best practices, and strategies to reduce fetal and infant mortality and morbidity.

Requires that public schools provide instruction on climate change, including but not limited to identifying the causes and impacts of climate change on individuals, environments and communities, and learning to evaluate solutions.

Establishes the bank of Rochester, including provisions related to definitions; sponsors and corporate structure; powers and restrictions; governance; charter requirements; financial and operations frameworks; transparency and financial reporting; insurance; deposits; policy mandates; ethics and financial disclosure; inconsistency with other laws; and owners not to be considered bank holding companies.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all nonpresidential primary elections (state, local, and federal) starting in 2027 to use ranked choice voting when more than two candidates run. Voters rank candidates by preference on a single ballot; if no candidate gets a majority, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated in rounds until two remain for the general election, regardless of party affiliation. It directly affects voters in multi-candidate primaries and election officials who must implement the new ballot system and voter education. The bill aims to ensure the top two general election candidates have majority support without separate runoff elections.

Relates to the confidentiality and expungement of records in juvenile delinquency cases in the family court; requires certain records to be expunged automatically.

Establishes the professional practice of community midwifery; defines as the management in the home, birth center, or community setting, of normal pregnancies, child birth, and postpartum care, including newborn evaluation, resuscitation and referral for infants; sets requirements for license and practice.

Requires the department of education to report information regarding counselors, social workers and psychologists in schools and to implement a plan to increase the school counselor, school social worker and school psychologist to student ratio to nationally accepted standards and provide funding for such.