Asm. Catalina Cruz

Increases foundation aid for school districts that meet five variables impacting academic success: free or reduced lunch, English language learners, wealth ratio, enrollment, special education, and being located in a high wealth ratio county.

Directs the office of children and family services to study, make recommendations on and report on child day care and child care assistance and the availability of funding therefor.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits law enforcement from using the possession of condoms or other reproductive health devices (like PrEP, lubricants, or emergency contraception) as evidence in court cases involving prostitution, sex trafficking, or related offenses. It directly affects individuals in sex trade or trafficking situations, particularly survivors of trafficking who face disproportionate targeting when condoms are seized as evidence. Key provisions amend laws to block such evidence in trials, hearings, and arrests, while requiring police training on these rules. The law aims to protect public health and reduce discriminatory impacts on vulnerable communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a state-approved program for nonpartisan poll monitors in New York elections. Civic organizations (groups focused on voter education and election integrity) and ballot issue committees (groups promoting specific ballot measures) can appoint up to two monitors per polling place, but must first get approval from the State Board of Elections. To qualify, organizations must prove they've maintained a New York office for over a year, provide voter rights training materials, and have monitors sign a pledge to remain nonpartisan. The State Board must approve or deny applications 32-45 days before an election, with limited appeal options. The program aims to provide independent oversight of polling places while ensuring monitors follow strict neutrality rules.

Provides assistance to incarcerated individuals being released from correctional facilities for enrollment in safety net assistance, public assistance, supplemental assistance program (SNAP), special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC), the home energy assistance program (HEAP), supplemental security income, and state supplemental payments.

Establishes a temporary state assistance fund to provide legal counsel for bankruptcy proceedings under chapter eleven of the federal bankruptcy code; provides for the administration thereof.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a requirement for workers with permanent partial disabilities to prove ongoing "labor market attachment" to receive ongoing compensation benefits. It directly affects injured workers who have been classified as permanently partially disabled due to work-related injuries. The key change eliminates the need for these claimants to demonstrate continued workforce engagement to maintain benefits, while keeping the existing compensation rate (66.67% of lost wages) and maximum benefit duration limits based on the severity of disability. The bill applies to cases with injury dates after the effective date of related 2017 legislation.

Establishes an advanced coursework and examination access program to reimburse exam fees associated with the administration of an advanced coursework exam; defines terms; requires authorized schools to inform students and parents of all advanced coursework programs offered, their cost-free status, and the potential benefits of their successful completion as it relates to college credit and other academic opportunities; makes related provisions.

Creates parity for incarcerated individual telephone services for international calls to family members outside continental United States, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam or Central Northern Mariana Islands by requiring identical restrictions on the duration or number of phone calls and use of unit or facility phones made available to incarcerated individuals who are calling family members who are not outside continental United States, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam or Central Northern Mariana Islands.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands an existing tax credit for farmers to cover the cost of constructing housing for farm workers. It specifically allows farmers to claim the credit for standard construction materials and labor used to build residential housing occupied by workers employed in their farming operations. The change modifies the tax law to include housing construction under the "eligible costs" for the credit, which previously applied only to equipment and production-related property. This directly affects farmers who build housing for their agricultural workforce in New York. The policy change is a straightforward expansion of an existing tax incentive, with no new eligibility requirements beyond the current credit framework.