Asm. David Weprin

Establishes residential treatment facilities as an alternative to incarceration designated by the commissioner for the care and treatment of persons with serious mental illness who are accused of at least one felony level crime.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New York's Commissioner of Health to establish regional minimum hourly reimbursement rates for home care providers serving Medicaid patients. It directly affects home care agencies and providers who employ home care aides, mandating rates that cover all necessary costs - including base wages, benefits, payroll taxes, operational expenses, and compliance costs. The rates must be set regionally based on actual service costs, adjusted annually to reflect labor law changes, and published publicly. Providers must justify any contract rates below these minimums, and the comptroller can audit contracts to ensure adequacy. The goal is to ensure reimbursement rates support fair wages and operational needs for home care workers under Medicaid.

Authorizes the investigation of fraudulent activities with regard to individuals operating motor vehicles without insurance; increases the civil penalty for forging insurance documents; creates the crime of offering a false application for motor vehicle insurance or registration.

Includes physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, respiratory therapists, respiratory therapy technicians, and recreational therapists within the existing statutory staffing standards for nursing homes.

Provides for limitations on investments of public pension funds and state contracts; prohibits the investment of the available monies of the common retirement fund in any stocks, securities, equities, assets or other obligations of any corporation or company, or any subsidiary, affiliate or parent of any corporation or company, engaged in the boycott of Israel, including Iran-restricted companies and Sudan-restricted companies; prohibits any firm, partnership or corporation that boycotts Israel, that is an Iran-restricted company or that is a Sudan-restricted company from contracting with the state.

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.

Requires that when the state or an organization is attempting to convert land to public use in a municipality with a population of less than one million, a hearing shall be held in such municipality where such land is located to allow for public comment and input from neighbors; requires a ten day notice of such hearing to members of the community.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New York's education law to explicitly allow students to be absent from school for "mental or behavioral health" reasons, alongside existing permitted absences like religious observance. It directly affects minor students and their schools, ensuring mental health needs are recognized as a valid reason for absence without penalty. The key mechanism requires the state education commissioner to establish specific rules for how schools must handle such absences. The law does not create new requirements but formalizes existing practice under a clear policy framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New York's penal law to redefine "unwanted touching" by removing the requirement that prosecutors prove the perpetrator intended to degrade or abuse the victim. It now only requires proof that the person intentionally touched another's intimate parts without consent for no legitimate purpose, including actions like squeezing or pinching. The change applies to all unwanted sexual contact cases, including those occurring on public transit (buses, trains, subways) where the victim is a passenger. This simplifies the legal standard for prosecuting such offenses while maintaining the definition of the crime as a class A misdemeanor.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3742) requires all high schools to keep opioid antagonists (like naloxone) available for emergency overdose treatment and to have at least one trained employee present during all school hours and after-school activities. The law mandates schools to acquire the medication, designate a staff member who completed approved training in its use, and ensure that employee oversees storage and administration. It directly affects high schools, students, and staff by establishing a concrete protocol for responding to opioid overdoses on school grounds. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment and does not include exemptions for school activities.