Asm. Catalina Cruz

Enacts the affordable waste reduction act"; defines terms; provides for registration of producer responsibility organizations and service providers; establishes the producer responsibility advisory board; provides for department of environmental conservation responsibilities; provides for producer responsibility advisory board, organization, producer and service provider responsibilities; creates a recyclable or compostable covered materials lists and exempt materials list; establishes producer fees; provides for service provider reimbursement; makes related provisions.

Requires certain health insurance issuers to certify that at least a majority of prescription drug rebates are provided to patients at the point of sale.

Establishes the building and fire code adherence tax credit which provides a tax credit to property owners who spend money to update a property to adhere to current applicable building and fire codes.

Relates to compensation paid to persons employed in positions requiring foreign language skills; establishes career ladders for persons holding such positions; establishes supervisory positions for persons required to have foreign language skills.

Relates to authorizing the payment of costs, up to eighty dollars, of diapers for an eligible child two years of age or younger for children receiving safety net assistance.

Authorizes schools to possess and administer FDA approved opioid reversal agents in emergency situations to negate or neutralize, in whole or in part, the pharmacological effects of an opioid in the human body.

Establishes the volunteer firefighters of New York higher education learning plan; provides requirements for eligibility to receive awards under such plan; provides circumstances under which such award will be converted to a student loan.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows the New York State Thruway Authority to offer a 50% toll discount to eligible farmers transporting agricultural products. It directly affects farmers who qualify for a tax exemption under New York’s tax law (Section 606, Subparagraph A), as defined by agriculture and markets law. To receive the discount, farmers must provide their tax exemption certificate to the Thruway Authority, which will then issue E-ZPass tags for automatic application. The discount applies only to regular tolls (not surcharges or non-commercial vehicle travel) and takes effect January 1, 2027.

Enacts the "cannabis adult-use transition act"; increases the number of members on the state cannabis advisory board from thirteen to seventeen voting appointed members; provides that an eligible registered organization shall be authorized as a registered organization adult-use cultivator processor distributor retail dispensary upon approval of an application to the office of cannabis management that must be available to such registered organizations no later than August first, two thousand twenty-five and remain available thereafter; provides that the office must approve or deny such application within thirty days of its submission or it shall be deemed approved; makes related provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals a requirement that students without lawful immigration status must file affidavits stating they have applied to legalize their status or will do so when eligible. It directly affects undocumented students attending New York State educational institutions by removing this administrative paperwork obligation. The bill eliminates specific provisions in the Education Law (sections 661, 6206, 6301, and 6455) that previously mandated these affidavits. The change simplifies enrollment processes for affected students without altering immigration status eligibility.