Asm. Alec Brook-Krasny

Maddy summaryBella's Law requires New York's Office of Children and Family Services to investigate potential domestic violence when an individual is accused of or under investigation for animal abuse. Law enforcement must notify the Office of Children and Family Services about such cases, and the Office must determine if the animal abuse is linked to domestic violence or family abuse. The law applies to all animal abuse crimes listed in the bill, including offenses like animal fighting, torture, abandonment, and harming service animals. This policy change mandates coordination between law enforcement and child/family services to address the established connection between animal cruelty and domestic violence.

Establishes a committee to conduct a survey of instruction on the history and civic impact of the September eleventh, two thousand one terrorist attacks and issue a report on such survey.

Enacts the "the empire state enhanced public payment system act" directing the department of financial services to develop, establish, and maintain a value storage and payment platform consisting of a digital master account and coordinate a system of individual wallets that enable payments to move between such individual wallets or payment accounts for use of New York residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill caps the maximum interest rate for personal credit cards issued or used in New York State at 10% per year. It directly affects New York residents who use credit cards for personal, family, or household expenses, making any rate above 10% invalid. The law amends banking law to set this 10% limit and prohibits using credit cards with higher rates, allowing the attorney general to seek court action against violations. The bill takes effect immediately but expires and reverts to previous law after five years.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires life imprisonment without parole for individuals convicted of murder in the first degree, aggravated murder, or specific types of murder in the second degree. It eliminates parole eligibility for these offenders, mandating they serve their entire sentence in prison with no possibility of release. The law applies to all such convictions under the defined legal standards, removing alternative sentencing options like fixed prison terms. Additionally, the bill includes similar life without parole requirements for certain terrorism and chemical weapon offenses, but the primary focus centers on murder sentencing reforms.

Allows retired state police officers to serve as police officers for local police departments without diminution of retirement benefits; empowers the superintendent of state police to approve such service.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 5198) requires individuals arrested for specific felony offenses - including assault, homicide, sex offenses, kidnapping, burglary, robbery, and firearms violations - to provide a DNA sample at the time of arrest. It directly affects people charged with these crimes, unless they already have a DNA profile in the state database. Key provisions mandate DNA collection upon arrest, allow courts to order samples if refused, and establish procedures for expunging DNA records if a case is dismissed, results in an acquittal, or a conviction is overturned. The law also includes safeguards for correcting errors in the DNA index and specifies when records must be removed.

Includes aggravated threat of mass harm, making a threat of mass harm, aggravated harassment in the second degree, harassment in the first degree, menacing in the third degree, menacing in the second degree, menacing in the first degree, and aggravated harassment in the first degree in being eligible for bail; makes aggravated threat of mass harm and making a threat of mass harm eligible to be considered hate crimes; increases the penalties for aggravated threat of mass harm and making a threat of mass harm.

Establishes the offenses of menacing a police officer or peace officer in the first degree and menacing a police officer or peace officer in the second degree; relates to circumstances under which an officer is not required to issue an appearance ticket; makes conforming changes.

Directs the commissioner of corrections and community supervision to establish contraband screening at correctional facilities including canines at the entrances and a third-party secure vendor mail program.