Asm. William Colton

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new role for court-appointed advocates to represent animals' interests in legal cases involving animal welfare, such as cruelty or neglect proceedings. Courts may appoint these advocates from a list maintained by the chief judge, who would monitor cases, access relevant records (like veterinary or animal control reports), and provide the court with recommendations based on the animal's well-being. The advocate cannot subpoena evidence or conduct discovery but may attend hearings and share information with attorneys. This directly affects animals in legal cases and requires courts to implement this process when requested or initiated.

Enacts the "voting integrity and verification act of New York (VIVA NY)"; provides that each voter is entitled to the use of an individual, voter verifiable paper ballot of the voter's vote and the opportunity to mark it.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to study non-rental fees charged by landlords operating under rent regulations. The study must examine common fees (like application or pet fees), their amounts, how they're determined, and other relevant data. The division must submit a report to the legislature by April 1, 2027. This is a procedural study requiring data collection, not a law changing fees.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3153) requires contractors working on qualifying construction and demolition projects in New York to recycle or reuse specific waste materials. It applies to projects like multi-unit residential buildings (4+ units), larger non-residential buildings (over 4,000 sq ft), and significant demolitions, mandating 25% recycling/reuse for projects with permits within one year of enactment and 50% for later projects. Contractors must submit documentation within 30 days of project completion, with fines up to $500 per day for missing deadlines or $500 per percentage point short of targets for larger projects. The law excludes hazardous materials like asbestos and allows waivers for documented compliance issues.

Enacts the PTSD awareness and rehabilitation act to require PTSD screening, provide trauma-informed education, and implement evidence-based rehabilitation programs to ensure incarcerated individuals receive proper support for mental health challenges.

Maddy summaryThis bill automatically grants Medicaid eligibility to workers participating in strikes or labor disputes, directly affecting those who would otherwise lose coverage during such work stoppages. It requires Medicaid coverage to be limited to the duration of the strike, with no requirement to count personal resources toward medical costs. The health commissioner must establish regulations for eligibility, covered services, and a process for temporary "presumptive eligibility" based on preliminary information from qualified entities. The policy change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3693) requires New York State universities to accept all credits earned by students at CUNY community colleges, eliminating barriers to transfer. It directly affects CUNY community college students seeking to continue their education at state universities. The law mandates that CUNY curricula be designed for seamless credit transfer and requires state universities to collaborate with CUNY trustees to ensure credits are accepted or treated as equivalent to their courses. This creates a standardized process for credit recognition, making transfers more predictable and straightforward for students. The policy change takes effect 30 days after enactment.

Relates to providing more predictable and stable schedules for employees in low-wage occupations; provides that an employer shall pay an employee for at least 4 hours at the basic minimum hourly wage for each day an employee reports for work as instructed but is given less than four hours of work.

Maddy summaryBill A 8499 establishes new eligibility criteria for performance of duty disability retirement for certain New York City Transit Authority employees. It specifically applies to members of the New York City Employees' Retirement System who participated in World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. If these members become physically or mentally incapacitated due to an injury from their World Trade Center duties, they would receive a disability retirement allowance equal to three-quarters of their final average salary. The bill also allows these members to use a specific medical review procedure for their pension applications.

Provides for the issuance of certificates of registration for entities that manufacture or assemble zero-emissions vehicles and have no franchised motor vehicle dealers in New York if the sale of zero-emission vehicles in the state fail to meet certain targets.