Asm. Harvey Epstein

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits colleges and universities from using an applicant's family connection to current graduates as a factor in deciding who gets accepted. Under the new rules, schools cannot give special consideration to students based on their familial relationship to alumni, effectively ending the practice of legacy admissions. While institutions are still allowed to ask about family ties after a student has already accepted an offer, this information can only be used for data collection and not to influence the admission decision. The law takes effect on July 1st of the year following its passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a nonpartisan poll monitoring program that allows civic organizations and ballot issue committees to appoint observers at polling places. To participate, these groups must submit an application to the state Board of Elections at least 32 days before an election, providing proof of their nonpartisan status, training materials, and a volunteer pledge for their monitors. The Board reviews these applications and issues official credentials for approved monitors, who must wear badges identifying their organization while observing election procedures. The legislation aims to increase transparency by enabling qualified groups to track voting processes while maintaining strict neutrality requirements.

Requires the publication of notice within twenty-four hours of the death of an incarcerated individual or any other individual occurring in the custody of the department of corrections and community supervision by department press release by posting on the department's public website.

Enacts the "New York wildlife crossing act"; directs the department of transportation and the New York state thruway authority to identify sites along all highways, thruways and parkways in the state where wildlife crossings are most needed to increase public safety and improve habitat connectivity and create a priority list of wildlife opportunity areas where federal grant monies may be available to implement the top five projects identified.

Expands the food donation and food scraps recycling program by scaling down the annual average tonnage requirement every two years until 2028; removes exceptions regarding recycler capacity.

Allows for limited three-day expansion of the statute of limitations where a proceeding to invalidate a designating or nominating petition has been commenced.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs fines and penalties collected from environmental conservation law violations into a dedicated state account known as the conservation enforcement fund. It establishes mandatory surcharges for specific offenses, such as sportfishing violations, and clarifies how courts must report and transfer these funds to the state comptroller. Additionally, the legislation increases the maximum civil penalties for causing imminent danger to public health or natural resources and expands the commissioner's authority to issue immediate abatement orders without a prior hearing in urgent situations. The bill also specifies that money from these enforcement actions can be used exclusively to fund environmental scientists, law enforcement officers, and related administrative expenses.

Relates to eliminating rent for homeless shelters; provides that a homeless individual or family applying for or receiving temporary housing assistance shall not be required to pay to any local or state government or agency or any provider, room and board or contribute any earned or unearned income, available benefits or resources to eliminate their need for temporary housing assistance or as a condition to receive temporary housing assistance from such provider.

Establishes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as school holidays, with dates established by religious law and tradition.

Provides immunity from prosecution for certain individuals engaged in prostitution who are victims of or witnesses to a crime and who report such crime or assist in the investigation or prosecution.