Asm. Ken Blankenbush

Maddy summaryBill A 48 amends the estates, powers and trusts law to prevent individuals convicted of certain sex offenses from inheriting from their victim's estate. Specifically, a person found guilty of committing or attempting to commit a sex offense against the decedent cannot receive a share of that decedent's inheritance. If such a disqualification occurs, the estate will be distributed as though the convicted person had died before the decedent.

Provides milk dealers and agricultural food product transporters with electronic toll collection devices free of charge; requires the department of transportation to reimburse the thruway authority and the metropolitan transportation authority for costs incurred in providing such toll collection devices.

Directs the department of economic development to study methods for keeping small retail businesses within the state and create a pilot program to train and counsel small business owners and potential small business owners; appropriates $210,000 therefor.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new crime for tampering with electronic monitoring devices (like ankle monitors) used as a condition of release or probation. It makes intentionally damaging, altering, or interfering with such equipment a class E felony, punishable by up to 4 years in prison. The law directly affects individuals under court-ordered electronic monitoring, including those on probation or released pending trial. The provision is added to the penal law and referenced in criminal procedure codes to determine eligibility for release conditions.

Establishes the dedicated highway and bridge trust fund reform act; ensures that money deposited into the dedicated highway and bridge trust fund is spent on construction purposes and not DOT and DMV operational activities.

Requires the deposit, into the dedicated highway and bridge trust fund, of a portion of the sales tax collected on each gallon of motor fuel sold at retail; increases the amount to be deposited over time.

Establishes a tax deduction for a taxpayer who is a beneficiary of a deferred compensation plan and who elects to make a distribution of such deferred compensation in order to pay for qualified health insurance premiums, in an amount equal to six thousand dollars.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires life imprisonment without parole for individuals convicted of murder in the first degree, aggravated murder, or specific types of murder in the second degree. It eliminates parole eligibility for these offenders, mandating they serve their entire sentence in prison with no possibility of release. The law applies to all such convictions under the defined legal standards, removing alternative sentencing options like fixed prison terms. Additionally, the bill includes similar life without parole requirements for certain terrorism and chemical weapon offenses, but the primary focus centers on murder sentencing reforms.

Directs the public service commission to conduct a full cost benefit analysis of the technical and economic feasibility of renewable energy systems in the state of New York and to compare such directly with other methods of electricity generation; makes certain changes relating to greenhouse gas emissions limits.

Enacts the "ratepayer disclosure and transparency act" which requires a monthly report that includes the estimated or actual ratepayer costs and benefits of any mandated state energy program to the governor and legislature including any New York climate leadership and community protection act compliance costs.