Prohibits the diminution of health insurance benefits of public employee retirees and their dependents or reducing the employer's contributions for such insurance; defines employers to include the state, municipalities, school districts, and public authorities and commissions.
Authorizes the commissioner of health to adopt policies to exclude certain non-recurring items from income that would artificially inflate the availability of funds to meet current needs relating to eligibility for the program for elderly pharmaceutical insurance coverage.
Provides that any claim for deceptive acts or practices against a distribution utility providing gas, electric or steam services to the public, the court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over such claim without regard to any defenses alleged; provides that in any claim for false advertising, the court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over such claim.
Makes the commission of rape, a criminal sexual act, aggravated sexual abuse or course of sexual conduct against a child less than 12 years of age or against a child less than 14 years of age by a person 21 years old or more a class A-I felony; eliminates references to such offenses in less severe crimes; includes such offenses within murder in the second degree for purposes of sentencing to life imprisonment without parole for murder committed in the course of committing such sex offenses against a child; designates such sex offenses against a child as sexually violent offenses for the purposes of sex offender registration; requires every sex offender convicted of such an offense to be subject to lifetime electronic monitoring by the division of criminal justice services upon release from prison.
Provides that substituted consent by a guardian, health care proxy, or other third party shall not authorize a procedure resulting in sterilization in the absence of the informed consent of the person being sterilized.
Suspends the registration of a vehicle which has been documented five times within a twelve month period by a photo violation monitoring device for failure of an operator thereof to comply with traffic-control indications for a period of six months.
Prohibits the use of chemical agents by police officers against minors under the age of eighteen.
Requires school districts to provide instructional programming and services in reading and literacy which are evidence based and aligned with state standards; requires teachers in grades pre-K through five to attend professional development courses in reading education.
Provides for the advance payment of the earned income tax credit to qualifying employees.
Directs the commissioner of health to provide authorizations to all fiscal intermediaries that timely submit a request for authorization prior to January 1, 2024; details information required for such authorizations; makes related provisions.
