Asm. Grace Lee

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New York's Mental Hygiene Law to clarify criteria for court-ordered outpatient treatment and hospitalization for people with severe mental illness. It updates definitions to explicitly include "serious harm" from self-neglect (like untreated psychosis or inability to meet basic needs) as grounds for intervention, beyond just immediate violence risk. The law requires clinicians to first assess whether outpatient treatment could be effective before pursuing involuntary hospitalization. It aims to expand access to existing assisted outpatient programs (like "Kendra's Law") by removing barriers preventing eligible individuals from receiving community-based care.

Provides for automatic voter registration and pre-registration for persons applying for certain department of motor vehicles documentation, and for persons applying for or re-enrolling in Medicaid; allows individuals to decline such automatic registration and pre-registration.

Relates to protecting the communication rights of individuals with disabilities; provides that each person with a disability has the right to communicate in their preferred manner.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal framework for mental health clubhouses in New York State, directly benefiting individuals with serious mental illness by providing free, community-based support services. It requires clubhouses to be accredited, offer voluntary membership, and provide integrated support for employment, housing, healthcare, and social engagement. The Office of Mental Health must develop a statewide implementation plan within one year and oversee biennial reporting from clubhouses on membership, employment outcomes, housing, and crisis responses. Clubhouses must operate as non-clinical therapeutic communities emphasizing work, mutual support, and connection to broader healthcare services.

Requires certain agencies and individuals to provide notice regarding the rent increase exemption for low income elderly persons and persons with disabilities programs to tenants upon the occurrence of certain events.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 1966) expands New York's animal cruelty law to include wildlife animals - such as deer, birds, or other non-insect species - as protected under the law, alongside companion animals. It directly affects wildlife by adding them to the list of animals covered by cruelty provisions, meaning intentional harm to these animals could now be prosecuted under the law. The key mechanism amends the law to define "wildlife" per environmental conservation law, while explicitly maintaining exemptions for lawful hunting, trapping, fishing, pest control, and other authorized activities. This change does not alter existing legal activities like hunting or pest management but extends cruelty protections to wildlife for the first time under this specific statute.

Enacts the "fair pay for home care act" relating to minimum wages applicable to home care aides; provides for a minimum wage of 150% of the applicable statewide or regional minimum wage.

Enacts the "local, community and ethnic media commitment act"; requires state agencies to publish certain information in local, community and ethnic media; defines local, community and ethnic media; requires the office of general services to develop and maintain a list of local, community and ethnic media outlets.

Establishes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as school holidays, with dates established by religious law and tradition; allows for school districts and municipalities with a population of less than fifty thousand to opt into the recognition of such holidays.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 1220) makes permanent key provisions allowing nurse practitioners (NPs) to diagnose illnesses, prescribe treatments, and perform therapeutic measures within their specialty, **directly affecting NPs and collaborating physicians**. It requires written practice agreements between NPs and collaborating physicians that include explicit dispute resolution procedures for disagreements over diagnosis or treatment. The bill clarifies that if agreements lack such provisions, the collaborating physician's decisions prevail. These changes update New York's education law to modernize NP practice standards without adding new restrictions. (Bill A 1220, Section 1 & 2, Education Law)