Asm. Phil Palmesano

Establishes the New York state rural mobile communications fund to provide grants for the purpose of increasing cellular service in low- to no-coverage areas.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a New York state tax credit for small businesses hiring disabled workers. Small businesses with 100 or fewer employees can claim a $5,000 credit per disabled employee (up to $25,000 per business annually), provided the employee works 35+ hours weekly for six months and the employer verifies the employee meets the statutory disability definition. The credit is capped at $5 million total per year, with unused credits carried forward for up to three years. It directly affects small business employers in New York who hire eligible disabled residents, aiming to incentivize their employment through tax relief.

Establishes a training wage equal to eighty-five percent of the state minimum wage or one hundred percent of the federal minimum wage, whichever is greater, that may be paid to a youth who has no prior job experience; provides that no youth may be paid a training wage for more than one hundred eighty days.

Requires residents of the state, who are foreign refugees, to register with the office of temporary and disability assistance; directs such office to provide registration information to the office of children and family services, the department of health, the office for new Americans, the department of law, the division of state police, the NYC police department, county sheriff's offices, municipal police departments, and the division of homeland security and emergency services; directs the office for new Americans to conduct background screenings of all refugees who register; requires refugee resettlement agencies to submit quarterly reports to the bureau of refugee and immigrant assistance on the refugees to whom it provides assistance, and to monitor the activities of such refugees for a certain period of time; directs the division of homeland security and emergency services to develop and implement a plan to ensure compliance by refugee resettlement agencies.

Creates the commission on battery fire safety practices to evaluate the need for resources for police, volunteer fire departments and emergency medical services concerning health and safety best practices when responding to lithium-ion battery incidents.

Establishes a supplemental household and dependent care credit payment for taxpayers who are eligible for certain household and dependent care services necessary for gainful employment.

Relates to protecting the communication rights of individuals with disabilities; provides that each person with a disability has the right to communicate in their preferred manner.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the state to reimburse counties for the full cost of Medicaid fraud detection software they've already purchased or plan to buy. It directly affects counties that use data mining tools to identify patterns of fraud, waste, or abuse in medical assistance programs. Counties must provide documentation (like receipts) of their software purchases, and the state will pay from the general fund. The reimbursement is automatic for qualifying software, defined as tools using statistical analysis to detect improper use of Medicaid.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New York correctional facilities to use approved third-party vendors for all non-legal mail and product deliveries to incarcerated individuals, replacing current methods. It mandates that the commissioner establish this program and report annual data on contraband seized through it to the legislature by December 31. The law applies directly to incarcerated people in state correctional facilities and sets clear rules for vendor oversight. Key provisions include banning direct inmate product orders and requiring annual transparency reports on confiscated items. The policy change aims to standardize and secure delivery systems while providing legislative oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all American flags purchased by the state government to be 100% manufactured in the United States, using materials grown or produced entirely within the U.S. It applies to all state agencies and departments buying flags for official use, regardless of size. The law amends the state finance law to prohibit purchases of flags not meeting these domestic manufacturing standards and updates the executive law to mandate U.S.-made flags for all public buildings. The requirement takes effect 180 days after the bill becomes law.