Asm. Harvey Epstein

Enacts the bucks for boilers act, which creates a program to aid in transition of housing units to electric heat pumps and other high energy efficiency upgrades.

Establishes a co-navigation services program for persons who are deaf-blind to provide services to a person who is deaf-blind that assist the person to physically access the person's environment and to make informed decisions, including providing visual and environmental information or sighted guide services and assisting with communication accessibility by communicating in the preferred language and communication mode of the person who is deaf-blind.

Creates the office of the correctional ombudsperson to achieve transparency, fairness, impartiality and accountability in New York state correctional facilities; relates to reports by coroners; designates investigators of the office of the correctional ombudsperson as peace officers; authorizes the attorney general to investigate the alleged commission of any criminal offense committed by an employee of the department of corrections and community supervision in connection with their official duties; relates to the confidentiality of certain records; includes the office of the correctional ombudsperson records within the definition of public safety agency records; makes related provisions.

Establishes Three King's day as a school holiday for all public schools in a city school district of a city having a population of one million or more inhabitants.

Establishes an LGBTQ+ youth and young adult suicide prevention task force; provides for the number of members, manner of appointment and the topics to be reviewed.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 4886) creates a $2,000 refundable tax credit for New York taxpayers who experience the stillbirth of a child. It directly affects eligible parents who would have claimed the child as a dependent under federal tax law and have a stillbirth certificate issued under public health law. The credit is refundable (meaning it can result in a payment even if no tax is owed) and applies to taxable years beginning January 1, 2025. The bill requires a certificate of stillbirth from the public health law to qualify, but does not change dependency rules.

Requires SUNY and CUNY campuses to hire energy management, materials management, and sustainability education and engagement employees at each SUNY and CUNY campus in numbers proportionate to campus size.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 106) increases monthly financial standards for public assistance eligibility and home energy grants in New York State. It doubles the current monthly need standards for households (e.g., a single-person household jumps from $158 to $316) and home energy grants (e.g., from $14.10 to $28.20) starting July 1, 2025, for all public assistance recipients. The bill also establishes annual cost-of-living adjustments based on federal Social Security data. These changes directly affect low-income individuals and families receiving state public assistance benefits.

Declares a climate emergency and places a ban on fossil fuel infrastructure projects but shall not apply to repair or maintenance of existing infrastructure.

Establishes an educational program related to the prevention of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia bias and discrimination based on religion, race, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.