Asm. Phara Souffrant Forrest

Maddy summaryThis bill creates an independent office of the ombudsperson for behavioral health access in New York. The ombudsperson will directly assist New Yorkers - especially those who are uninsured, underinsured, or navigating complex coverage - with resolving issues related to mental health and substance use disorder care access, including complaints about insurers or providers. Key provisions include the ombudsperson operating autonomously (with independent hiring and budget control), helping consumers file appeals, tracking violations of treatment rules, and reporting annually to state officials on access challenges. The office will not make policy changes but will serve as a neutral resource to navigate existing systems and connect people to appropriate support.

Enacts the building up immigrant legal defense or BUILD act to provide competitive workforce development and capacity building grants to eligible entities that are seeking to expand access to representation for individuals facing deportation by increasing the workforce and strengthening the legal services infrastructure needed to provide such representation.

Maddy summaryThis New York State bill allows for advance payments of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to qualifying low-income workers, replacing the current system where refunds are issued after annual tax filing. Eligible workers - including those aged 19 or older (down from 25) and without children - will receive four payments: three during the year (20% of the expected credit) and one adjusted payment after the tax year ends. The bill also increases the credit percentage for 2027 and later years (up to 40%), raises the income threshold for phaseout to $24,960 (from $11,610), and includes annual inflation adjustments. Payments will be delivered via direct deposit or electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes New York's criminal procedure to automatically grant "youthful offender" status to eligible minors convicted of misdemeanors in local courts, provided they have no prior criminal convictions or youthful offender status. If these conditions are met, the court must classify them as youthful offenders at sentencing, preventing a permanent criminal record and limiting potential prison time to under four years. The law applies immediately to all future misdemeanor convictions meeting these criteria. It directly affects young people aged 16-20 (as defined by law) who commit minor offenses without prior legal history.

Establishes the bank of Rochester, including provisions related to definitions; sponsors and corporate structure; powers and restrictions; governance; charter requirements; financial and operations frameworks; transparency and financial reporting; insurance; deposits; policy mandates; ethics and financial disclosure; inconsistency with other laws; and owners not to be considered bank holding companies.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all public schools with 100 or more enrolled students to have a registered professional nurse physically present on-site during all school hours. It amends education law to mandate that school boards ensure this nurse is available to assist with student health needs, including emergencies and health instruction. The requirement directly affects schools meeting the enrollment threshold, ensuring consistent health support for students during school days.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits all law enforcement agencies from using chemical incapacitants (like tear gas or similar agents) except for pepper spray under strict limits. Specifically, pepper spray is restricted to liquid canisters no larger than 0.75 ounces and cannot be used for crowd control. The law defines "law enforcement agency" broadly to include any unit authorized to investigate or arrest for felonies, and "chemical incapacitant" to cover toxic chemicals, munitions designed to cause harm, and related equipment. This directly affects all state and local law enforcement agencies by restricting their use of chemical agents during operations.

Relates to the confidentiality and expungement of records in juvenile delinquency cases in the family court; requires certain records to be expunged automatically.

Establishes the professional practice of community midwifery; defines as the management in the home, birth center, or community setting, of normal pregnancies, child birth, and postpartum care, including newborn evaluation, resuscitation and referral for infants; sets requirements for license and practice.

Requires state agencies to develop plans for new Americans that incorporates effective training and resources, ensures culturally and linguistically competent and appropriate services, and includes administrative practices that reach out to and reflect the needs of immigrant populations and populations with limited English proficiency.