Asm. Keith Brown

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New York's paid family leave program to include bereavement leave for employees experiencing fetal death, stillbirth, or an infant declared medically not viable to survive. It amends workers' compensation law to explicitly add these scenarios to the definition of "family leave" under Section 201. Employees would need to provide medical documentation (such as a fetal death certificate or physician's declaration) to qualify for this leave. The policy applies to all new or renewed insurance policies starting January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds saliva tests to New York's traffic laws to detect cannabis in drivers. It requires police to request an oral fluid test (saliva test) when a driver is involved in an accident or suspected of violating traffic laws, and if cannabis is detected, officers may then request a blood or urine test. The law directly affects drivers who are stopped for traffic violations or involved in crashes, establishing saliva tests as a new step in impairment checks. Court evidence from these saliva tests will be admissible in cases involving cannabis-related driving offenses, replacing older breath test procedures for cannabis detection.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases tax credits for installing geothermal energy systems. It raises the maximum credit to $10,000 for systems placed in service on or after July 1, 2025 (up from $5,000 before June 2025). It also adds refundability for qualifying low-income taxpayers or those in disadvantaged communities, allowing excess credits to be refunded instead of carried forward starting in 2026. The policy directly affects homeowners and businesses installing geothermal systems, providing greater financial incentives for adoption.

Makes the crime of preventing an elected official from performing a lawful duty or essential service a class D felony of assault in the second degree.

Establishes a claim for strict liability against the state for any injury caused by the administration of an immunization which is mandated by a state law; gives the court of claims the power and jurisdiction to hear such a claim.

Establishes the crime of coordinated petit larceny; permits a principal to be eligible to be held on bail for coordinated petit larceny; directs the division of criminal justice services to conduct a public awareness campaign on larceny.

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.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates new criminal offenses for drivers who enter active construction work zones carelessly or recklessly. It establishes two levels of vehicular assault (second degree for careless entry causing serious injury, first degree for reckless entry causing serious injury) and two levels of vehicular manslaughter (second degree for careless entry causing death, first degree for reckless entry causing death), all classified as felonies. The law also defines an "active work zone" as any area on public or private roads with workers present, properly marked by signs or cones. Violating the work zone entry rule (without authorization) is a class B misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $500 or up to 3 months in jail.

Establishes that any person who knowingly engages in a repeated course of cyberbullying of a minor is guilty of an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by a period of imprisonment not to exceed one year, or both.