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.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill updates state agricultural laws to officially classify cannabis as a crop, livestock product, and livestock. By adding a new paragraph to the agriculture and markets law, it incorporates the legal definition of cannabis from the state's cannabis law into the agricultural code. The change takes effect immediately upon signing, ensuring that cannabis is recognized within the existing framework for farming and agricultural markets.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new rules for automobile brokers, requiring them to maintain a permanent physical location for their business and update their registration within thirty days if that address changes. It mandates that written contracts between brokers and consumers must include specific details such as the vehicle description, total price, estimated delivery date, and a clear statement that the broker cannot charge fees from both the buyer and the dealer. Additionally, the law requires these contracts to be easily cancellable with a full refund processed within ten business days if the final price exceeds the estimate by more than five percent or if the car is not delivered within thirty days of the estimated date. The legislation also enforces stricter advertising standards and requires that all mandatory contract terms be printed in bold, twelve-point type to ensure they are clearly visible to consumers.
Requires electric vehicle charging stations and electric vehicle capable parking spaces to have handicap accessible spaces that are large enough to accommodate such wheelchair accessible electric vehicles, including but not limited to, vans and minivans.
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.
Enacts the "NY broadband resiliency, public safety and quality act" to provide for oversight of the resiliency, public safety and quality of broadband and voice over internet protocol service.
Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Dyslexia Diagnosis Access Act, mandates that health insurance policies covering physician services must pay for comprehensive neuropsychological exams used to diagnose dyslexia. The legislation aims to address the high cost of these tests, which can exceed six thousand dollars and are often unaffordable for families without coverage. By requiring insurers to include these specific exams, the law ensures that individuals suspected of having dyslexia can access necessary diagnostic evaluations without facing financial barriers. The changes apply to all insurance policies issued, renewed, or modified on or after the act's effective date of January 1st following its passage.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the state's general business law to strengthen consumer protections for health club memberships by requiring clubs to accept cancellations within ten business days of receiving notice. It mandates that contracts include clear, bold notices explaining cancellation rights and allows members to cancel without penalty within three business days of signing, or later if they die, become significantly disabled, move more than twenty-five miles away, or if the club stops offering services. The law also requires refunds for paid amounts within ten business days and permits cancellations via various methods, including websites, email, phone, mail, or in person. Additionally, it sets specific cancellation windows for contract renewals, requiring clubs to accept cancellation requests within three to fifteen business days depending on whether the renewal is monthly or annual.
Requires the department of veterans' services to establish and maintain, in consultation and collaboration with other state agencies, a searchable database on the department's website providing resources available in the state for veterans, members of the uniformed services, and their families.
Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for state veterans' benefits by removing the requirement that a veteran must have served during a declared wartime conflict. Under the new law, individuals who served in the U.S. armed forces are now considered veterans regardless of whether their service occurred during a specific war period. The legislation also broadens the definition of a veteran to include those who received expeditionary medals for operations in Lebanon, Grenada, and Panama, as well as certain discharged LGBT veterans with non-dishonorable discharges. State and local veterans' service agencies are tasked with assisting these residents and their families in accessing education, healthcare, employment, and other support services.