Asm. Harvey Epstein

Maddy summaryThis bill adds 5 points to a driver's license for anyone convicted of participating in speed contests or races. It directly affects drivers found guilty of such activities under current vehicle laws. The law amends the vehicle and traffic code to impose this specific license penalty alongside existing fines or jail time, effective November 1st after enactment.

Expands health care services provided by telehealth to include services delivered through a facility licensed under article twenty-eight of the public health law that is eligible to be designated or has received a designation as a federally qualified health center, including those facilities that are also licensed under article thirty-one or article thirty-two of the mental hygiene law.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends state insurance law to prevent insurers from selling new long-term care insurance policies that duplicate coverage a person already has. It directly affects insurance companies selling long-term care policies and policyholders who might otherwise purchase redundant coverage. The key provision requires insurers to verify existing coverage before issuing a new policy, ensuring new policies only provide additional benefits not already in force. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

Enacts the "New York city teleworking expansion act"; provides that each agency shall establish a policy and program to allow employees to perform all or a portion of their duties through teleworking to the maximum extent possible without diminished employee performance; defines the term "telework" to mean to perform normal and regular work functions on a workday that ordinarily would be performed at the agency's principal location at a different location, thereby eliminating or substantially reducing the physical commute to and from such agency's principal location.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal right to counsel for eligible immigrants in New York during immigration proceedings. It applies to income-eligible non-citizens or those with significant New York ties (like residents or cases tied to NY courts) facing removal or detention under federal immigration law. The New York State Office for New Americans will administer the program, providing initial consultations and ongoing legal representation starting when a case begins (e.g., upon receiving a "Notice to Appear") and continuing until the case concludes. Legal services must be offered regardless of the proceeding's location, including federal immigration courts outside New York.

Relates to establishing the housing access voucher program; provides that the commissioner of the division of housing and community renewal shall implement a program of rental assistance in the form of housing vouchers for eligible individuals and families who are homeless or who face an imminent loss of housing; provides that the commissioner shall designate housing access voucher local administrators in the state to administer the program.

Enacts the "sustainable building materials act"; enacts into law components of legislation relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in construction; provides a sales tax exemption for certain low-carbon building materials (Part A); establishes a grant program for manufacturers of concrete for environmental product declarations (Part B).

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.

Requires certain eligible persons or entities to acquire and possess opioid antagonists for emergency treatment of a person appearing to experience an opioid-related overdose.

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.