Asm. Jen Lunsford

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New York's insurance law to clarify that service contracts can cover accidental damage from handling (like dropping devices) and power surges, alongside existing coverage for defects or wear. It explicitly includes these protections in the definition of "service contract," limiting indemnity payments per incident to the property's original purchase price. The bill also specifies that such contracts may cover tire repairs for road hazards, windshield chip repairs, paintless dent removal, key replacements, and residential appliance maintenance. These changes directly affect consumers purchasing service contracts for electronics, vehicles, or home appliances, ensuring clearer terms for accidental damage coverage.

Provides that court records in a proceeding under articles 77, 78 and 81 of the mental hygiene law shall not be perused, examined, disclosed, taken or copied by any other person than a party, the attorney or counsel of a party, the guardian, the court evaluator or the court examiner except by order of the court, or the office of the attorney general.

Enacts the college student suicide prevention act to provide for policies, procedures and guidelines on suicide prevention, intervention and postvention for every higher education institution.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires large group health insurance plans in New York to cover acupuncture services when prescribed by qualified healthcare providers (as defined under Education Law §8211). It applies to plans covering physician office services or comprehensive medical coverage, mandating coverage for acupuncture treatments but allowing reasonable cost-sharing like deductibles or co-pays. The law does not require full coverage without cost-sharing, only that plans include acupuncture as a covered service under specified conditions. It affects insurers offering large group plans and patients relying on such coverage for acupuncture treatments. The bill takes effect 90 days after enactment for new or renewed policies.

Provides a filing extension for the "enhanced" STAR exemption to initial applicants provided that such applicants have not been granted such extension before and such applicants are otherwise entitled to the exemption.

Requires the display of certain labels and warnings on gas stoves sold, displayed for sale, or offered for sale at retail to a consumer in this state; authorizes the department of state to adopt regulations regarding the placement and format of such labels; provides for penalties; authorizes the attorney general to enforce such provisions.

Establishes visiting policies for incarcerated people, to provide incarcerated people opportunities for personal contact with relatives, friends, clergy, volunteers and other persons to promote better institutional adjustment and better community adjustment upon release.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires chatbot operators (proprietors) to prevent their AI systems from impersonating licensed professionals like doctors, lawyers, or therapists when providing advice or taking actions that would be illegal if done by a human. Proprietors must clearly disclose to users that they are interacting with an AI chatbot in the same language and readable font size as the chatbot's interface, and cannot avoid liability by merely stating this fact. If a chatbot causes harm through such impersonation, affected individuals can sue for actual damages, plus attorney fees if the violation was willful. The law specifically targets chatbots offering professional advice, excluding basic tools like spellcheck or payment processors.

Establishes the "accountability of costs for data centers act"; requires each electric corporation, gas corporation and municipality to establish an independent classification of service for large energy use facilities that is separate and distinct from other classifications of service; authorizes the department of public service to develop financial surety requirements.

Requires every franchisor, including its affiliates and subsidiaries to properly fulfill any warranty agreement and/or franchisor's service contract and to compensate each of its franchised motor vehicle dealers for warranty parts and labor, including but not limited to all warranty repairs, extended service contract repairs, extended warranty repairs, campaigns, service bulletins, policy repairs, component part warranties, factory compensated repairs, recalls, diagnostics, parts and other voluntary stop-sell repairs, and any other franchisor compensated repairs; relates to reimbursement to a motor vehicle dealer from a motor vehicle franchisor.