Asm. Sarahana Shrestha

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New York state-owned parking facilities with at least 50 spaces to install electric vehicle charging stations in a percentage of spots ranging from 10% to 20%, depending on the facility's total size. The Office of General Services is tasked with installing and maintaining these stations, which must meet specific electrical capacity standards, and is authorized to hire licensed electricians if upgrades to the power system are needed. The law applies to public, employee, and pay-per-use parking areas and would have taken effect on April 1 of the following year. However, the bill was vetoed by the Governor in December 2024 and subsequently tabled, meaning it did not become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill sought to allow licensed creative arts therapists to bill Medicaid directly for services they provide to eligible patients. The proposed change would have added creative arts therapists to a list of mental health professionals authorized to receive reimbursement from the state's health insurance program for covered care. The legislation explicitly stated that it would not alter the legal scope of practice for these therapists. Ultimately, the bill was vetoed by the Governor and did not become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the laws governing wrongful death lawsuits to clarify exactly what types of money can be awarded to the surviving family members of a deceased person. It explicitly allows juries or courts to grant compensation for funeral costs, medical bills incurred before death, grief, and the loss of financial support, guidance, and companionship. The legislation also defines who is eligible to receive these damages, including spouses, domestic partners, children, parents, and individuals who stood in a parent-like role to the deceased. Additionally, the bill sets specific rules for how the awarded money must be shared among eligible survivors based on their individual losses and outlines how legal fees and other expenses are handled.

Enacts the tropical rainforest economic & environmental sustainability act requiring that companies contracting with the state do not contribute to tropical forest degradation or deforestation directly or through their supply chains; establishes the supply chain transparency assistance program to assist small and medium-sized businesses and minority and women-owned businesses in achieving compliant supply chains.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the state from issuing permits for drilling, deepening, or converting wells that use carbon dioxide to enhance natural gas or oil production. It specifically targets operations involving carbon dioxide injection for completing or recompleting resources, alongside wells that use high-volume hydraulic fracturing defined as injecting 300,000 gallons or more of water. The law applies to any applicant seeking authorization for these specific well activities and takes effect immediately upon signing.

Prevents the displacement of call center workers who provide call center services for the government in certain circumstances; provides protections for call center workers when contracts with call center contractors are terminated; requires new call center contractors to hire existing call center workers; protects collective bargaining agreements.

Relates to the automatic identification of elderly pharmaceutical insurance coverage program enrollees who are eligible for HEAP and automatic enrollment of such eligible enrollees in HEAP.

Enacts the "gender identity respect, dignity and safety act"; relates to the treatment and placement of incarcerated individuals based upon gender identity; requires that incarcerated individuals in state and local correctional facilities who have a gender identity different from their assigned sex at birth be addressed and have access to commissary items, clothing and other materials that are consistent with the person's gender identity; establishes that incarcerated individuals shall be presumptively placed in a correctional facility with persons of the gender that most closely aligns with such person's self-attested gender identity unless the person opts out of such placement.

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 eight to twenty-four passengers for hire; pre-arranged for-hire vehicles and accessible vehicles; defines terms.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates November 26th of every year as Sojourner Truth Day in New York State. It achieves this by adding the new commemoration to the official list of state days of recognition found in the executive law. The change allows schools and other organizations to observe the day in honor of the abolitionist and women's rights activist.