Enacts the student journalist education act to protect student speech at educational institutions unless such speech is libelous, an invasion of privacy, or incites students to commit an unlawful act, violate school policies, or to materially and substantially disrupt the orderly operation of the school.
Maddy summaryThis bill allows students in New York State schools to earn physical education credits by completing state-approved lifeguard certification training courses. It requires the Board of Regents to create rules enabling these courses to count toward the mandatory physical education requirements. The policy directly affects high school students who complete approved lifeguard training programs, potentially reducing the need for separate physical education classes. The change applies only to courses meeting state standards for lifeguard certification, not general physical education instruction.
Enacts the "New York affordable drug manufacturing act" to direct the commissioner of health to enter into partnerships to increase competition, lower prices, and address shortages in the market for generic prescription drugs, to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for public and private purchasers, taxpayers, and consumers, and to increase patient access to affordable drugs.
Provides for a personal income tax deduction for student loan payments not in excess of five thousand dollars; excludes any payment not in excess of five thousand dollars made by an employer, employee, or on behalf of an employee that is directly deducted from the employee's wages through payroll and administered by a third-party platform that facilitates direct payments to educational institutions or related loan servicers on behalf of students such amount from an employee's New York state gross income; further excludes any contribution not to exceed five thousand dollars to a tuition program under section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code made through payroll deduction and facilitated by an employer or a third-party platform that facilitates direct payments to such programs on behalf of employees from the employee's New York state gross income.
Establishes the buy American, buy union grant program and the buy American, buy union grant fund for the purpose of providing grants to municipal subdivisions to reimburse such municipal subdivisions for the costs of procuring consumer or commercial vehicles which are union-made.
Maddy summaryThis bill imposes an additional tax on New York residents' long-term investment profits, specifically targeting income from capital gains, dividends, and other low-taxed investments. It applies to higher earners: individuals with taxable income over $400,000 (or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly) face a 7.5% tax on capital gains above those thresholds, with a higher 15% rate kicking in above $800,000 (or $1 million for couples). The tax phases in gradually over the first $50,000 or $100,000 of income exceeding the thresholds. It functions as an add-on to existing income tax, not a replacement, and will be administered by New York’s tax department.
Enacts the "Empowering People in Rights Enforcement (EMPIRE) Worker Protection Act"; relates to the delegation of state enforcement authority to private actors; authorizes an affected employee, whistleblower, representative organization or an organizational deputy to initiate a public enforcement action on behalf of the commissioner for certain provisions of the labor law, or any regulation promulgated thereunder.
Maddy summaryBill A 8172 establishes new timeframes and processes for insurers to pay claims submitted by hospitals. It requires insurers to pay hospital claims at the contracted rate as billed, regardless of their own medical necessity or administrative policies, before any review. After payment, insurers can request a post-payment review for a limited percentage of claims by a joint committee composed of medical professionals from both the insurer and the hospital. If this committee cannot agree on the medical necessity of the services, an independent third-party review agent will make a binding determination, and hospitals must refund payments for services found not medically necessary.
Relates to establishing the banking bill of rights; includes due process requirements regarding applications for or closure of credit and deposit accounts and penalties for noncompliance.
Provides protections for telecommunications tower technicians, including requiring certain trainings during work hours without a loss of pay; requires certain reporting by bidders for telecommunication contracts.
