Asm. Dave McDonough

Relates to securing payment of wages for work already performed; creates a lien remedy for all employees; provides grounds for attachment; relates to procedures where employees may hold shareholders of non-publicly traded corporations personally liable for wage theft; relates to rights for victims of wage theft to hold the ten members with the largest ownership interests in a company personally liable for wage theft.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies the legal status of defendants under electronic location monitoring. It specifies that such defendants are not considered "confined" in custody or committed to the sheriff's custody for specific legal purposes. The law amends two sections of the criminal procedure code to exclude these individuals from custody definitions used in other statutes. This directly affects defendants on electronic monitoring instead of jail, changing how their status is treated in legal proceedings. The change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes it a crime to wear body armor while committing any offense involving a deadly weapon (like a firearm). It directly affects individuals who wear body armor during crimes involving weapons, creating a new offense separate from the underlying crime. The key provision requires courts to impose consecutive sentences for this new "unlawful wearing of body armor" offense, meaning the jail time for this specific act runs after the sentence for the original crime. The law applies to both misdemeanors and felonies committed with a deadly weapon while wearing body armor.

Requires that regular dredging of navigable waterways is scheduled in order to plan and finance to ensure the safe navigability and reliability of waterways in this state; requires a scheduled plan to be filed with DEC.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases annual funding for problem gambling education and treatment programs from $6 million to $12 million, starting in fiscal year 2025. The funds come from 1% of mobile sports wagering tax revenue collected by the state commission. The change directly affects state-funded gambling treatment programs and the commission responsible for distributing the funds, while a separate $5 million allocation continues for youth sports programs. The policy change is a specific financial adjustment to existing tax revenue distribution rules.

Maddy summaryBill A 5757 grants disabled veterans seven free days of sporting activity in New York State. These veterans, regardless of residency, would be exempt from fees normally required for licenses or permits under the environmental conservation law. The commissioner of environmental conservation is responsible for defining what constitutes a disability for this program and for adopting necessary rules and regulations for its implementation.

Maddy summaryBill A 7798 establishes a three-year moratorium on new unfunded mandates from the state legislature, meaning the state cannot require local governments (counties, cities, towns, school districts, or special districts) to fund new programs or services without providing matching funds. It defines an "unfunded mandate" as any state law causing a local government to incur over $10,000 annually in net costs or $1 million statewide. The bill also creates 11 regional mandate relief councils (covering all New York state regions) to review existing mandates, help local governments manage costs, and provide recommendations. These councils will operate under specific guidelines, though the bill exempts mandates required by federal law, court orders, or immediate public safety threats. The moratorium and councils aim to reduce financial strain on local governments from state-imposed requirements.

Includes intentionally selecting a victim based on certain actual or perceived traits in the crime of murder in the first degree; provides that sentence for commission of certain provisions of murder in the first degree is death or life without parole.

Maddy summaryThis bill criminalizes hiding, damaging, or destroying a human body or body part when someone expects it might be used as evidence in a legal case, such as a criminal investigation or autopsy. It specifically defines this as a class E felony, punishable by up to four years in prison. The law explicitly excludes funeral directors, embalmers, and organ donation activities from this rule, as these are covered under existing public health laws. The bill also adds this offense to lists of crimes affecting bail decisions, but its core purpose is to protect evidence integrity in legal proceedings.

Requires instruction in owning and operating a business including, but not limited to, basic financial literacy necessary for sound financial decision-making, leadership, management, communication, budgeting, savings, credit, debt, insurance, taxation, and other issues associated with owning and operating a business.