Asm. Ken Blankenbush

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a requirement that assistant district attorneys in Jefferson County must reside within the county. It specifically amends the public officers law to eliminate residency restrictions for this role, meaning assistant DAs in Jefferson County no longer need to live in the county to hold the position. The change applies only to assistant district attorneys (not first or chief assistant DAs) and only in Jefferson County; residency rules for other counties and other county official roles remain unchanged. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Makes it a violation to loiter while masked or disguised by unusual or unnatural attire or facial alteration while in a group of six or more persons so masked or disguised.

Maddy summaryBill A 4758 adds a new section to the education law to define antisemitism. When the Department of Education reviews or investigates potential violations of state law or Title VI of the Civil Rights Act based on an individual's actual or perceived Jewish ancestry or ethnic characteristics, it will consider the definition of antisemitism established by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) on May 26, 2016. This includes contemporary examples of antisemitism, which will inform the department's assessment of such practices.

Authorizes electronic court appearances for criminal matters, excluding jury trials, in all counties in the state; authorizes electronic appearances for criminal matters where the court determines a personal appearance would be impractical, unsafe or excessively burdensome; authorizes sentencing to a period of incarceration to be conducted via electronic appearance for defendants who are already incarcerated.

Prohibits the enactment of unfunded mandates for a period of three years; instructs the state comptroller to conduct a report on the annual fiscal impact enacted state legislation has on the revenues and expenses of local municipalities.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the maximum percentage of state budget surplus that can be deposited into the tax stabilization reserve fund from 2% to 4% of the state's annual revenue target ("norm"). It directly affects how the state manages budget surpluses and potential shortfalls: if tax revenues fall below the norm, funds can be drawn from the reserve to cover the gap, with repayment rules remaining unchanged. The key mechanism allows more surplus money to be saved in the reserve fund during years of budget surpluses, while still permitting the remaining surplus to be used for tax reductions. The change takes effect three years after the bill becomes law.

Provides that state departments, offices, agencies, and authorities are prohibited from imposing any fees, surcharges, or taxes that have not been approved by the state legislature.

Relates to being a good samaritan; adds "reasonable intervention" as a reason to be protected from liability; provides that a person may use physical force when and to the extent that such person reasonably believes that reasonable intervention is necessary to maintain order, but may use deadly physical force only when such person reasonably believes that reasonable intervention is necessary to prevent death or serious physical injury; appropriates $500,000 for public service announcements and community-based training programs aimed at educating people about the legal protections and responsibilities of being a good samaritan.

Includes nonconsensual use of bodily fluids and matter in harassment in the first degree and aggravated harassment in the first degree; includes strikes, shoves and kicks in aggravated harassment in the first degree.

Allows residents who are employed by employers based in another state to obtain property/casualty or liability coverage under a policy issued to their employer in that state.