Asm. Jessica González-Rojas

Maddy summaryThis bill requires local governments (counties, cities, towns, villages) and their public bodies (like boards and commissions) to use web-based videoconferencing for meetings under specific conditions. Key provisions mandate that meetings must include closed captioning, maintain physical locations for public attendance, require written procedures for remote participation, and ensure recordings are posted online with transcripts upon request. It also requires public notice detailing videoconferencing options, accessibility features (like ASL interpretation), and locations where the public can attend. The bill establishes a "municipal hybrid meeting trust fund" to support implementation and expires July 1, 2026.

Establishes the healthy and safe students act; requires comprehensive sexuality instruction for students in grades K-12 which includes a model curricula for comprehensive sexuality education and at a minimum conforms to the content and scope of national sexuality education standards.

Requires the consideration of complete street design for certain transportation projects which receive federal or state funding; authorizes the department to compile and make publicly available guidance and reference material related to consideration of complete street design.

Enacts the "Big Five African Trophies Act" relating to banning the importation, transportation and possession of certain African wildlife species and products.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New York pharmacists to administer FDA-approved progestin-only contraceptive injections for birth control, expanding access to contraception. Pharmacists must complete a patient risk assessment, provide educational materials, and notify a patient's primary care provider (with opt-out allowed) before administering the injection. They must also complete required training and may refuse service if safety concerns exist. The law directly affects patients seeking contraception - particularly those without regular doctors - and pharmacists who provide this service.

Relates to returnable bottles; adds noncarbonated soft drinks, certain noncarbonated fruit or vegetable juices, coffee and tea beverages, carbonated fruit beverages and cider to the definition of "beverage"; provides that beginning April 1, 2027, the handling fee will be six cents for each beverage container accepted by a deposit initiator from a dealer or operator of a redemption center; directs the multi-agency bottle bill fraud investigation team to submit a report on findings of pervasive bottle redemption fraud in New York state.

Maddy summaryBill A 7958, titled the "Paid-In Act," proposes to exempt used books from sales and use taxes. This means that individuals purchasing second-hand books would not pay sales tax on those items. The exemption applies to used books with a price of up to one hundred dollars per item. This bill directly affects consumers buying used books and the businesses that sell them.

Provides for a working families tax credit; directs quarterly prepayment of the credit; provides for a sliding reduction in the credit for incomes which exceed a certain threshold.

Establishes the New York Health program, a comprehensive system of access to health insurance for New York state residents; provides for administrative structure of the plan; provides for powers and duties of the board of trustees, the scope of benefits, payment methodologies and care coordination; establishes the New York Health Trust Fund which would hold monies from a variety of sources to be used solely to finance the plan; enacts provisions relating to financing of New York Health, including a payroll assessment, similar to the Medicare tax; establishes a temporary commission on implementation of the plan; provides for collective negotiations by health care providers with New York Health.

Establishes the student loan borrower bill of rights to protect borrowers and ensure that student loan servicers act more as loan counselors than debt collectors.