Asm. Phara Souffrant Forrest

Establishes a bill of rights for the unhoused; provides that no person shall be denied certain rights because of a state of homelessness nor shall such persons be harassed, cited, fined, or arrested by law enforcement, security personnel, public employees, or private citizens for the exercise of certain rights; describes rights; provides for a bill of benefits of the unhoused for the free provision of a postal address and the right to juridical services to ensure protection from the violation of their protected rights; requires the office of temporary and disability assistance to create a pamphlet of such rights; makes related provisions.

Relates to the reporting requirements of the statewide fiscal intermediary; requires the reporting of utilization data and financial data to protect medical assistance recipients in using the program and ensure the effective use of medical assistance funds; requires the statewide fiscal intermediary to provide consumer directed personal assistant data to ensure the availability of a workforce to meet the needs of consumers utilizing the program; requires the statewide fiscal intermediary to provide data regarding customer service requests, complaints, and accessibility.

Establishes a right of action for the deprivation of constitutional rights; provides for compensatory damages, punitive damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and reasonable attorney's fees.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum cash wage requirements for "miscellaneous industry workers" who receive tips, including car wash attendants, nail salon workers, tow truck drivers, dog groomers, tour guides, valet attendants, and similar roles. It sets specific hourly cash wage floors that must be paid in addition to tips, with rates increasing annually through 2029 (e.g., $12.77/hour in NYC starting 2026, $11.50/hour outside NYC starting 2026). The bill ensures that when tips are added to the cash wage, the total equals the full minimum wage for their region, preventing employers from relying solely on tips to meet wage requirements. It directly affects these tipped workers by guaranteeing a minimum cash payment regardless of tip amounts received.

Establishes a gender-affirming care access program to provide support and increase access to gender-affirming care including certain medical and surgical care.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a sales tax exemption for commercial energy storage systems. It directly affects businesses installing or using equipment that stores electricity for later use in non-residential buildings (like offices, factories, or warehouses) to provide heating, cooling, hot water, or electricity. The key provision exempts the retail sale and installation costs of this equipment, as well as electricity sales from businesses that own and install such systems on a customer's non-residential property under specific written agreements. The exemption applies to both the equipment itself and the electricity generated by it, aligning with existing tax law definitions for similar energy storage systems.

Relates to eligibility for the temporary assistance to needy families block grant program, safety net assistance and medical assistance for certain noncitizens.

Expands the eligibility period for indigent legal service attorneys to receive certain loan forgiveness; increases loan reimbursement for certain attorneys who work in legal services with indigent clients.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates an independent office of chief medical examiner within the Department of Corrections, staffed by medically qualified professionals (doctors with forensic pathology certification and death investigation experience). It requires the office to conduct independent autopsies and investigations for all deaths in correctional facilities, collect detailed data on each death, and publish public annual reports including cause, manner, and demographic details of incarcerated individuals who died. The office must also issue preliminary death reports within 90 days of an incident and share all reports with district attorneys, the attorney general, and the legislature. This directly affects all individuals incarcerated in state correctional facilities by establishing standardized, transparent oversight of death investigations.

Prohibits governmental entities from entering into agreements to house individuals in immigration detention facilities; requires governmental entities to terminate existing contracts for the detention of individuals in immigration detention facilities.