Asm. Carrie Woerner

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New York school districts to create policies enabling home-schooled students to try out for and join district interscholastic sports teams. It requires these students to meet the same academic, health, and behavioral standards as enrolled public school students, including annual academic verification and age/eligibility rules. Home-schooled students would only be eligible to participate with their district of residence and must arrange their own transportation. The policy is optional for school districts and does not mandate participation.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes online interactive gaming in New York by allowing licensed casinos and Native American tribes to operate mobile wagering platforms for New York residents. It requires casinos and operators to register with the state gaming commission, pay significant fees ($2 million for casinos, $10 million for contractors), and host servers at licensed facilities. The law defines "authorized participants" as New York residents physically present in the state when placing wagers, and establishes a new tax base on interactive gaming gross revenue. It clarifies that online wagers transmitted to licensed facilities comply with the state constitution's casino gambling limits.

Relates to the tolling of statute of limitations for individuals in state custody; provides that with respect to state action brought by anyone to recover damages for physical, psychological, or other injury or condition suffered while in state custody, the time in which such action must commence shall be extended to three years after such person is released from such custody.

Maddy summaryThis bill would classify kratom (mitragyna speciosa korth) as a Schedule I controlled substance under New York State law, making its possession, sale, and use illegal without a specific license. Schedule I substances are defined as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, placing kratom in the same category as drugs like heroin or LSD. The bill amends the public health law to add kratom to Schedule I, requiring state agencies to implement necessary rules within 90 days of the law's effective date. This change would directly affect individuals using kratom for personal purposes, businesses selling kratom products, and law enforcement handling related cases.

Requires the use of a fire-resistant blanket, bag or container when charging a bicycle with electric assist or an electric scooter; requires sellers of such vehicles to include a fire-resistant blanket, bag, or container with the sale of each e-bike or e-scooter; establishes fines.

Relates to establishing the housing access voucher program; provides that the commissioner of the division of housing and community renewal shall implement a program of rental assistance in the form of housing vouchers for eligible individuals and families who are homeless or who face an imminent loss of housing; provides that the commissioner shall designate housing access voucher local administrators in the state to administer the program.

Maddy summaryBill A 6327 authorizes an exception to existing prohibitions on fossil fuel use in new buildings. It specifies that the fossil fuel ban will not apply to new buildings if their site plan or subdivision plat was approved by a local planning board before December 31, 2025. This allows certain building projects that have already received local planning approval to continue without being subject to the new energy law provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 8688) requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to vehicles displaying green or blue lights. It directly affects all drivers operating motor vehicles on public roads when such vehicles approach. The key provision mandates that drivers immediately pull to the right edge of the roadway (or the appropriate edge on multi-lane one-way roads), stop, and remain stopped until the vehicle with the green or blue light passes. This change modifies New York's vehicle and traffic law to clarify the duty of non-emergency vehicles when encountering these specific light-emitting vehicles.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands off-track betting operations to include New York City's five borough counties (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island) by adding them to the defined "Catskill region" under state law. It requires the Catskill off-track betting corporation to submit a detailed business plan to the gaming commission for approval, including site locations, finances, and employment projections. The bill also creates a site selection board with community and city official representation to review proposed betting locations in NYC, mandating public hearings and a 30-day decision window. Payments previously going to individual borough counties will now flow to New York City's general fund. The legislation repeals an outdated section of the racing law to facilitate this expansion.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that batteries used in electric-assist bicycles and electric scooters must be tested and approved by specific accredited laboratories, such as Underwriters Laboratories or labs meeting international ISO/IEC standards. It mandates that these batteries display a certification seal from an approved lab, including those accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 or participating in the OSHA NRTL program. The law directly affects battery manufacturers and sellers of e-bikes and e-scooters, who must ensure compliance before selling or using these devices. The requirement takes effect immediately upon passage.