Asm. Marianne Buttenschon

Modifies the crime of criminal solicitation in the third degree; provides that a person is guilty of criminal solicitation in the third degree when such person, being over eighteen years of age, with the intent that another person under eighteen years of age engage in conduct that would constitute certain crimes, intentionally provides a loaded firearm to such other person.

Maddy summaryBill A 5659 restructures New York's Not-for-Profit Contracting Advisory Committee by reducing its voting membership from 16 to 7 members (including 3 appointed by the governor and legislative committee chairs) and adding non-voting agency representatives. The committee must now issue annual reports by December 1st on state agency compliance with contracting timelines, review grant management systems, and advise on improving contracts with nonprofits receiving state funds. This affects state agencies that contract with nonprofits and the committee members themselves, clarifying their monitoring duties without changing existing contracting rules. The bill focuses on procedural updates to the committee's structure and reporting requirements.

Allows individuals registered with a non-major political party or registered as independent to serve as election inspectors and poll clerks, so long as such individual makes a declaration of which particular party they intend to work on behalf of.

Provides direct reciprocal certification for emergency medical technicians who possess a current certification from the national registry of emergency medical technicians.

Excludes the five state-run veterans homes from assessments on their gross receipts received from all patient care services and other operating income; directs the Commissioner of Health to apply to the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for any necessary waivers pursuant to federal law and regulation.

Directs the office of children and family services to study, make recommendations on and report on child day care and child care assistance and the availability of funding therefor.

Authorizes school districts to submit an opt-out waiver to the commissioner of education authorizing such districts to opt-out of certain zero-emission school bus requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates tax-advantaged savings accounts for small businesses, allowing them to deduct contributions (up to 10% of prior year's gross profits) and receive tax-free distributions during qualifying economic hardship. It directly affects eligible small businesses with 25 or fewer average full-time employees and under $250,000 annual net income. Key provisions include requiring hardship distributions to fund worker hiring or job retention, setting annual limits on qualified distributions, and mandating reinvestment plans for hardship withdrawals. The tax exemptions for contributions and qualified distributions begin in 2025, with penalties for misusing funds.

Prohibits accessing or distributing certain sexually explicit depictions of children; prohibits consent to such depictions by anyone under eighteen years of age; makes such crimes eligible for bail; includes certain crimes as sex offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New York's Office of Children and Family Services to automatically include any annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in the next base payment rate for foster care providers. It directly affects foster care providers - such as relatives, agencies, and family boarding homes - who receive state aid for caring for foster children. The key provision mandates that COLAs provided in a given year must be incorporated into the following year's base rate, added to any existing adjustments like trend factors or staff retention bonuses. This ensures foster care payments rise with inflation without needing separate legislative action each year.