Asm. Eddie Gibbs

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits landlords, lessors, sub-lessors, and grantors from requiring tenants to pay broker fees. It directly affects residential tenants by preventing landlords from charging them for brokerage services related to lease applications or tenancy. The law allows landlords to still charge for background and credit checks, but bans all other upfront fees like broker commissions. Exceptions apply to certain senior living communities and cooperative housing corporations under specific conditions.

Relates to conditional release for eligible offenders who complete post-secondary degrees or programs; provides release twelve months before the completion of the controlling minimum period of imprisonment for eligible offenders who complete post-secondary degrees or programs.

Enacts the state and local government food waste prevention and diversion act; requires facilities generating excess food waste to take measures to minimize such waste.

Maddy summaryBill A 5320 expands tuition assistance eligibility in New York to include students experiencing homelessness, aligning with federal McKinney-Vento Act standards. It requires the state to adopt a uniform verification method for homelessness status using the same federal guidelines applied to student financial aid. The bill also clarifies that homeless students (classified under federal foster care or McKinney-Vento criteria) cannot be considered "emancipated" for aid purposes, ensuring they retain eligibility without requiring parental control relinquishment. This directly affects homeless students seeking state tuition assistance under New York’s education law.

Expands eligibility for the tuition assistance program by restoring eligibility to graduate students; makes optional semesters, quarters or terms eligible for awards.

Establishes state and municipal composting programs; requires all state and municipal agencies to establish a composting program in buildings owned, occupied or operated by such agencies; allows such agencies to arrange for collection of compostable waste by a private carter, transport such waste itself or process such waste on-site; requires reports on the costs and effectiveness of such programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all public elementary schools in the state to begin classes no earlier than 8:00 a.m. and public secondary schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. It directly affects public K-12 schools by setting mandatory start times for all academic years starting after the law takes effect. The key mechanism ties school funding to compliance: schools must report verified start times in annual reports to receive state apportionments, with noncompliant schools losing funding eligibility. The law takes effect immediately for all academic years beginning on or after its effective date.

Maddy summaryBill A 2266 requires state agencies operating prisons and youth detention facilities to provide incarcerated individuals with free voice communication services (and optionally video or messaging), effective April 1, 2026. It prohibits facilities from charging inmates for these services or generating revenue from them, and mandates that communication services cannot replace in-person visit programs. The bill repeals the existing correction law section on this topic and adds new requirements for agencies managing correctional facilities. This directly affects all people confined in state correctional facilities by guaranteeing free communication access with external contacts.

Provides notice of the death of an incarcerated individual occurring in the custody of the department of corrections and community supervision; requires the department to promptly notify the next kin and any other person designated as the representative of any incarcerated individual whose death takes place during custody.

Relates to employment of persons and veterans with disabilities by the state; provides up to five thousand positions may be filled by persons with a physical or mental disability and up to two thousand positions may be filled by disabled veterans and veterans with disabilities.