Asm. Carrie Woerner

Maddy summaryThis bill requires navigation systems sold or used in the state to display the legal height clearance of bridges and overpasses along any route suggested to a driver. It applies to electronic maps and GPS devices that guide vehicles to specific destinations, mandating that these tools provide accurate clearance data whenever a user requests a route. The law also clarifies that manufacturers must include instructions stating that drivers are responsible for ensuring their vehicles comply with height restrictions and other traffic laws. This measure aims to help drivers avoid collisions with low-hanging structures by ensuring critical height information is available within the navigation interface.

Extends eligibility for the farm employer overtime tax credit to certain professional employer organizations that are in a contractual relationship with an eligible farm employer.

Enacts the "New York utility corporation securitization act"; allows electric corporations to petition the public service commission for authority to issue storm recovery bonds.

Provides that no policy of group accident, group health or group accident and health shall impose copayments for physical or occupational therapy greater than the copay for similar services provided by a physician.

Authorizes the cannabis control board to issue a cannabis showcase event permit to certain licensees authorized to conduct retail sales of adult-use cannabis, cannabis products and cannabis merchandise.

Establishes a maximum temperature in school buildings and indoor facilities; provides a definition of extreme heat condition days and the standard to measure room temperature.

Maddy summaryThis bill protects libraries in New York by banning specific restrictive clauses in contracts between publishers and libraries regarding electronic books and audiobooks. It ensures that libraries can freely lend digital materials to patrons, set their own loan periods, and use technology to secure these loans without interference from publishers. Additionally, the law prevents publishers from charging libraries higher prices than the general public and stops them from limiting how many times a library can loan a specific item. Contracts containing these prohibited restrictions are declared unenforceable, and publishers who violate the bill face potential fines and legal injunctions.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows local governments to offer a full real property tax exemption for the primary homes of veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability. To qualify, the veteran must have been honorably discharged, be rated as permanently and totally disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and be considered individually unemployable. The exemption also extends to LGBT veterans who meet the same disability and discharge criteria. If passed, the law would apply to property tax assessments starting on or after January 2, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the New York veterans tuition awards program to include all resident veterans, regardless of whether they served in active combat. Currently, eligibility is limited to those who served in specific conflicts like the Vietnam or Persian Gulf wars and received certain expeditionary medals. The change removes the requirement for combat service, allowing any New York resident who served in the U.S. armed forces under honorable conditions to qualify for tuition assistance. The program provides funding equivalent to up to eight full-time semesters of study at approved colleges or vocational schools, with the award amount based on the lower of state university tuition or the actual cost charged by the institution.

Requires the advisory council on maternal mortality and morbidity to undertake a review of the cesarean births at hospitals in the state; requires two licensed midwives to be on the advisory council.