Asm. Joe DeStefano

Authorizes the posting by each municipality of turtle crossing signs on local roads located within such municipality; empowers the state commissioner of transportation to develop and implement rules and regulations authorizing municipalities to post turtle crossing signs on local roads located within the municipality.

Relates to providing loan forgiveness for agriculture educators who provide didactic instruction to students about agriculture, food, and natural resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes the penalty for rape in the first degree from a class B felony to a more serious class A-II felony. It applies to all situations covered under current law, including cases involving forcible compulsion, victims unable to consent due to physical helplessness, or victims under 11 or 13 years old (with additional age requirements for the perpetrator). The key change is the upgrade in felony classification, which typically results in longer prison sentences. This policy shift directly affects individuals convicted of first-degree rape under New York's penal code. The bill does not alter the definition of the crime itself, only the severity of the punishment.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows companies or entities performing cleanup of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination to seek cost-sharing from other parties legally responsible for the pollution. It creates a new legal right under New York's General Obligations Law, specifically exempting PFAS cleanup providers from certain restrictions that previously limited their ability to pursue contribution claims. The law applies immediately to all PFAS-related cleanup efforts and directly affects cleanup contractors and the responsible parties (like manufacturers or polluters) who caused the contamination. This is a substantive policy change that clarifies cost allocation for PFAS remediation.

Requires all new residential and commercial units in Suffolk and Nassau counties, including all structures that have realized repairs or improvements that are equal to or greater than fifty percent of the structure's value, to install underground service drops at such locations.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts the location of new cannabis retail stores and on-site consumption facilities. It prohibits new licenses for storefronts within 500 feet of school grounds (including all entrances/exits in mixed-use buildings) and within 200 feet of houses of worship (including all entrances/exits in mixed-use buildings). These rules apply only to new licenses issued after the bill's effective date. The law directly affects cannabis businesses seeking to open new locations in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits town supervisors in New York to a maximum of four consecutive years in office. It directly affects current and future supervisors by prohibiting anyone who has served four or more years from running for re-election. The key provision amends town law to state: "No person shall be eligible to be elected to the position of supervisor who has held the position of supervisor of the town for four or more years." The law takes effect one year after enactment.

Provides that the commissioner of education may also withhold from any district or city its share of the public money of the state for willfully disobeying any provision of law, or for such decisions, orders or regulations as aforesaid whose willful violation constitutes an immediate threat to the health, safety, education or welfare of students, employees or visitors at such common school, educational institution, school district or public school.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 6564) requires drivers to create a center rescue lane when emergency vehicles (with red lights and audible signals) approach. It directly affects all drivers operating vehicles on roadways, mandating they move to the roadway edges to clear a center lane for emergency vehicles. Key provisions specify drivers must move to the right edge on single-lane roads, or create a center lane by moving left/right on multi-lane roads (e.g., leftmost lane drivers move left, rightmost move right). The bill updates existing law to clarify lane creation in gridlock and ensures emergency vehicles can pass safely without stopping. It takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New York's affordable housing law to add a preference category for "service related disabled veterans" in home ownership development programs. It directly affects veterans who served honorably in the military, have a 40%+ disability rating from the VA or DoD related to service, and meet specific documentation requirements. The key change requires housing programs to prioritize these veterans when serving the lowest-income households or ensuring long-term affordability. This policy update modifies eligibility criteria without altering program funding or structure.