Asm. Phara Souffrant Forrest

Maddy summaryThis bill requires state correctional facilities to provide incarcerated individuals with free voice communication services, including calls made to and from their families or legal representatives. The legislation mandates that these services cannot be replaced by in-person visit programs and prohibits facilities from generating revenue from communication services. It also ensures that existing contracts for communication services must end by March 31, 2026, while new contracts are subject to the free service requirement starting April 1, 2026.

Enacts the "New York state teleworking expansion act"; provides that each state agency shall establish a policy and program to allow employees to perform all or a portion of their duties through teleworking to the maximum extent possible without diminished employee performance.

Relates to available transportation for correction facility visitation; provides for at a minimum, bimonthly free transportation from the city of New York, Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo and Albany.

Authorizes up to two percent of mobile sports tax revenue, but not more than twenty-three million dollars, be used for youth team sports funding to be distributed by county youth bureaus, city of New York's department of youth and community development, and an organization which supports and invests in programs that use sports as a vehicle for youth development and social change.

Provides presumptive eligibility for medical assistance benefits for persons released from correctional facilities for at least sixty days following release; provides for enrollment of such individuals upon release upon application, if eligible.

Directs the chair of the board of trustees of the city university of New York shall conduct an audit of such university's participation in retirement systems and issue a report thereon.

Provides that a claimant eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits shall also be entitled to receive a dependent allowance which shall begin at forty-five dollars and shall increase annually by an amount determined by the department of labor; directs the department of labor to report to the legislature following each calendar quarter certain information about dependent allowances and to make such reports available on its website; provides that a claimant's maximum benefit amount, including such dependent allowance, shall not exceed one hundred percent of such claimant's average weekly wage from their highest-earning calendar quarter.

Prohibits the recording of conveyances suspected of being fraudulent; requires the clerk or registrar to report transactions believed to be or suspected of being fraudulent to the office of the attorney general and to local law enforcement or sheriff's office.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires sellers to provide lead-based paint test reports to buyers before selling residential properties built before 1978. It directly affects home sellers, buyers, and real estate agents in New York for properties constructed prior to 1978, which are most likely to contain lead paint. The key mechanism mandates a one-time inspection and disclosure of test results before title transfer, with reports added to a state registry for future buyers. This complements existing laws by standardizing disclosure across all residential sales, not just rentals, ensuring buyers receive clear information about potential lead hazards. The law does not replace buyer due diligence or existing seller responsibilities.

Prohibits the knowing sale, offer for sale, or delivery of xylazine to persons under the age of 21 and without proof of the intended use for institutional, veterinary, or scientific purposes.