Maddy summaryThis bill updates the laws governing wrongful death lawsuits to clarify exactly what types of money can be awarded to the surviving family members of a deceased person. It explicitly allows juries or courts to grant compensation for funeral costs, medical bills incurred before death, grief, and the loss of financial support, guidance, and companionship. The legislation also defines who is eligible to receive these damages, including spouses, domestic partners, children, parents, and individuals who stood in a parent-like role to the deceased. Additionally, the bill sets specific rules for how the awarded money must be shared among eligible survivors based on their individual losses and outlines how legal fees and other expenses are handled.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill designates East Harlem, also known as "El Barrio," as a cultural district by amending the state's arts and cultural affairs law. The legislation defines the district's boundaries as the area between East 96th and 125th Streets, bounded by Fifth Avenue and the East River. Once designated, the Council on the Arts is authorized to provide grants, technical assistance, and other support to cultural institutions within this specific region to promote its cultural significance. The law also allows the council to designate additional cultural districts in the future, provided they are compact, contiguous areas with a shared cultural heritage.
Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the state's department of economic development to prioritize tourist promotion agencies that support the sport of stickball. It amends existing economic development laws to allow the department to provide funding specifically for stickball promotion while also noting a preference for agencies promoting cricket. The legislation takes effect approximately 270 days after it is signed into law.
Maddy summaryThis New York law prohibits businesses from using social media platforms to collect debts from consumers. It defines a social media platform as a service that allows users to create profiles, connect with others, and share content, while excluding simple email or direct messaging tools. The bill aims to stop companies from posting debt notices on public feeds or sending harassing messages through social networks. Once signed into law, this rule immediately applies to all debt collection activities involving these digital services within the state.
Maddy summaryThis bill updates state agricultural laws to officially classify cannabis as a crop, livestock product, and livestock. By adding a new paragraph to the agriculture and markets law, it incorporates the legal definition of cannabis from the state's cannabis law into the agricultural code. The change takes effect immediately upon signing, ensuring that cannabis is recognized within the existing framework for farming and agricultural markets.
Prevents the displacement of call center workers who provide call center services for the government in certain circumstances; provides protections for call center workers when contracts with call center contractors are terminated; requires new call center contractors to hire existing call center workers; protects collective bargaining agreements.
Expands the definition of mental health care provider to include licensed mental health counselors and licensed marriage and family therapists, for purposes of certain sex offenses committed during a treatment session, consultation, interview, or examination.
Prohibits third-party restaurant reservation services from arranging unauthorized restaurant reservations with food service establishments; establishes fines for violations of such prohibition.
Enacts the "gender identity respect, dignity and safety act"; relates to the treatment and placement of incarcerated individuals based upon gender identity; requires that incarcerated individuals in state and local correctional facilities who have a gender identity different from their assigned sex at birth be addressed and have access to commissary items, clothing and other materials that are consistent with the person's gender identity; establishes that incarcerated individuals shall be presumptively placed in a correctional facility with persons of the gender that most closely aligns with such person's self-attested gender identity unless the person opts out of such placement.
Directs the state commission of correction to promulgate rules and regulations for strip searches in correctional facilities which at a minimum include a requirement that no fewer than two staff members shall be present for any strip search.