Asm. Joe DeStefano

Requires insurers to provide insurance coverage for treatment of rare diseases, life-threatening conditions or diseases, degenerative and disabling conditions, or diagnoses involving medically fragile children, by a provider of the patient's choice.

Relates to the availability of opioid reversal agents; requires the department of health to make available any formulation and dosage of opioid reversal agent approved by the federal food and drug administration.

Relates to certain crimes of interference with health care services or access to places of religious worship; expands interference to include groups of two or more people demonstrating or preparing to demonstrate twenty-five feet outside of reproductive health care facilities and places of religious worship.

Exempts retail food stores from various state and local taxes provided such store derives at least seventy percent of its annual gross sales from staple foods and food products for off-premises consumption.

Stabilizes electric costs for New York consumers; restricts unreasonable rate and fee increases; establishes additional auditing and enforcement authorities.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the maximum tax exemption for capital improvements (like renovations or additions) to residential buildings from $80,000 to $168,000 in most areas. It directly affects homeowners who make significant upgrades to their properties, allowing them to exclude more of the increased property value from real estate taxes. The exemption limit remains at $750,000 for non-city special assessing units. The change applies to improvements made after the bill takes effect, raising the cap without altering how the exemption amount is calculated.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New York's environmental conservation law to permit the use of crossbows for deer hunting in Suffolk County during the established deer hunting season (the second Monday in November through March 31). It directly affects hunters in Suffolk County by expanding the permitted methods to include crossbows alongside longbows. The change modifies existing regulations to explicitly list "crossbow" as an authorized tool for taking deer of either sex during the designated season. The bill does not alter the season dates or bag limits, only the equipment allowed for hunting. This is a targeted policy change specific to Suffolk County's hunting regulations.

Maddy summaryBill A 945, known as "Jacobe's Law," requires school administrators to contact the parents or guardians of students when a verified incident of bullying, harassment, or discrimination has occurred. Designated school employees must first investigate and confirm the incident. Following verification, a school professional will discuss any health, safety, or privacy concerns with the students involved. If no such concerns are expressed, the school will make a good faith effort to contact the parents; if concerns are raised, the professional will use their judgment to determine if parental contact is in the student's best interest. The bill also provides immunity from civil liability for individuals who report such incidents in good faith.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the city of Niagara Falls to add unpaid housing, building, and fire code violation penalties, costs, and fines to the city's annual tax levy, provided they are court-ordered, unpaid for one year after final judgment, and equal to at least 5% of the property's tax value. Property owners must receive a 30-day notice detailing the violations, amounts owed, and foreclosure process, while owner-occupied primary residences are exempt. Tenants in at-risk properties must be offered relocation assistance before tax foreclosure, and owners can avoid sale by curing violations or paying the debt before the redemption period ends. If property is sold at auction, surplus funds from the sale (after covering code violation debt) are returned to the former owner.

Requires proportionally equivalent appointees of both the majority and minority houses of the legislature in all legislatively enacted workgroups, task forces, commissions, councils, advisory boards, committees and any other legislatively enacted and appointed groups or workgroups; requires that the number of appointees by the legislature shall be proportionally equivalent to the number of appointees by the governor.