Asm. Angelo Santabarbara

Requires the office of mental health to convene statewide forums and listening sessions in areas with high rates of death by suicide, suicide attempts, or other risk factors associated with suicide, and high risk minority groups or special populations.

Relates to notice to the commander of a military station of certain municipal actions that occur within 3000 feet of the property to be affected by the proposed action.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies the legal definition of consent for sexual contact under New York law. It states consent must be a knowing, voluntary, and mutual decision among all participants, which can be expressed through words or clear actions showing ongoing permission. The bill specifies that consent is absent when there's physical force, threats, incapacitation, verbal withdrawal, or when a reasonable person would understand a lack of agreement. It directly affects how sexual assault cases are legally evaluated in New York courts, particularly for offenses like rape and sexual abuse. The changes take effect 30 days after becoming law.

Expands coverage for developmentally disabled persons past twenty-six years of age; prohibits insurance companies from wrongfully terminating contracts of developmentally disabled persons; requires recertification of such developmentally disabled person's condition once every five years.

Provides for the designation by a general hospital of persons to identify infectious disease processes, conduct surveillance and epidemiologic investigations, and develop plans to prevent and control the transmission of infectious agents within general hospitals.

Relates to requiring the establishment of automatic payment plans; requires utility companies headquartered in New York to establish a statewide program to provide eligible participants with affordable payment plans.

Allows evidence of a defendant's prior crimes or acts to be admissible in a criminal case for certain purposes including as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, state of mind of the defendant, state of mind of the victim or other party, absence of mistake or accident, identity, modus operandi, or common scheme or plan; requires that the prosecution provide reasonable notice of the general nature of any such evidence it intends to introduce at trial.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 4742) allows either an injured worker or an employer to request a hearing in a workers' compensation claim. It requires the board to schedule such hearings within 45 days of the request, without imposing limits, fees, or penalties on either party. The bill also mandates that the board keep accurate records of all hearings and imposes penalties ($25 to a fund + $75 to the worker) if employers delay proceedings through tactics like failing to appear or produce evidence. It directly affects workers seeking compensation and employers facing claims.

Deems home instruction which is compliant with the provisions of article 65 of the education law and the home instruction requirements prescribed in the commissioner of education's regulations to be substantially equivalent in amount and quality to the instruction given to students of like age and attainments at the public schools of the city or district where the student resides.

Relates to standards of proof for establishing that a student has a disability in the university of the state of New York or the city university of New York system including accepting documents as proof of a students' disability.