Asm. Tony Simone

Allows evidence of a defendant's prior crimes or acts to be admissible in a criminal case for certain purposes including as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, state of mind of the defendant, state of mind of the victim or other party, absence of mistake or accident, identity, modus operandi, or common scheme or plan; requires that the prosecution provide reasonable notice of the general nature of any such evidence it intends to introduce at trial.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New York public schools to include age-appropriate health education about cannabis use in their curricula, alongside existing lessons on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. It affects students in every grade level, mandating that elementary schools teach basic prevention, while secondary schools must integrate detailed instruction into required health courses, including student assessments. Schools must use curricula approved by the state education commissioner, updated every three years to reflect current information on cannabis risks and trends among youth. Teachers must hold health education certification, and the state will provide updated materials to support this instruction.

Permits a school food authority to attribute moneys spent on purchases of food products from New York state farmers, growers, producers or processors made for its school breakfast program to the thirty percent of costs for school breakfast, snack and lunch service programs.

Provides that any one-way, round trip or multi-trip tickets purchased for use on the Long Island Rail Road or the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company by a senior citizen or a person with a disability shall be valid at any time during the day or night.

Provides that certain communications made without malice regarding an incident of sexual assault, harassment or discrimination shall be deemed privileged; provides that a prevailing defendant in an action brought against such defendant for making a communication that is privileged shall be entitled to attorney's fees and costs for such defense.

Provides that a pharmacy is obligated to properly dispense or refill a prescription for a drug or device, or a non-prescription drug or device regardless of the ethical, moral or religious beliefs of any employee of such pharmacy.

Relates to an increase in punishment for certain actions against on-duty auxiliary police officers such as criminally negligent homicide, assault or menacing of such officer.

Adds hazardous air quality to the state definition of a disaster; requires explicit inclusion of air quality emergency preparedness in local comprehensive emergency management plans with an action plan and annual inventory of air quality emergency resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal framework for the medical use of psilocybin (a psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms) in New York. It creates a grant program to fund psilocybin-assisted therapy for veterans, first responders, retired first responders, and low-income individuals, administered through the state health department. The law defines key terms, requires certification for healthcare providers offering therapy, and protects patients and practitioners from legal penalties for compliant medical use under state law. It also mandates biennial reports on the program's implementation and establishes regulations for safe clinical administration.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New York's education commissioner to create a statewide pilot program improving social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools, requiring every school district to implement it in at least one school within 12 months. The program must use pre-tested SEL curricula meeting specific standards (including evidence from federal clearinghouses and community service components) and be delivered through approved community organizations. All participating schools must integrate SEL into lessons or standalone classes for students from pre-K through 12th grade. The program will be evaluated by the state education department, with a final report due by July 2029, and is funded through state appropriations with an expiration date of August 2029.