Creates the state office of the utility consumer advocate to represent interests of residential utility customers.
Provides for enhanced enforcement of the warranty of habitability for housing accommodations; provides the court may award punitive damages to a tenant upon finding the landlord's breach of warranty was intentional and malicious.
Provides that an employee whose position is eliminated for certain reasons and who is subsequently transferred to a different agency be entitled to the same hourly salary; retain all accrued sick leave; retain, cash out or use all accrued vacation time; and be paid relocation expenses.
Establishes the offenses of obstructing governmental administration by means of dousing a police officer in the first degree, obstructing governmental administration by means of dousing a police officer in the second degree and obstructing governmental administration by means of dousing a police officer in the third degree.
Establishes the foster care higher education scholarship pilot program; grants awards for the purpose of enhancing opportunities for higher education for children and young adults receiving foster care services in New York.
Enacts CJ's Law--oil and gas drilling workplace safety act; requires the enactment of rules and regulations for enhanced workplace safety and employee training for all oil and gas drilling operations in the state; provides that new permit holders should utilize union laborers or laborers with specific training; provides that employers shall report workplace accidents and the commissioner of the department of labor must publish a quarterly report on workplace accidents.
Designates September 11th Remembrance day as a public holiday.
Requires the New York city department of education to create more gifted and talented programs and classes in all school districts with elementary kindergarten through fifth grade and intermediate sixth through eighth grade with four or more classes per grade for students who shall gain entry through academic merit rather than through an admissions examination; authorizes automatic admission to a gifted and talented program in intermediate sixth through eighth grade for those students in elementary grades kindergarten through fifth grade who are currently enrolled in such program; makes related provisions.
Provides that the tax imposed upon the sales on goods or services purchased from businesses which employ twenty or less persons, are resident in this state, are independently owned and operated and not dominant in their field, shall be two percent.
Requires the New York city water board to wait at least thirty days after adoption of the city budget before setting its annual fees, rates, rents or other charges for the use of the sewage system or water system, or both.
