Asm. Tony Simone

Maddy summaryThis bill updates how the state calculates payment rates for federally qualified health centers to better reflect their actual operating costs. It requires the health department to analyze cost data from the previous five years, taking into account factors like the scope of services, staffing needs, and technology expenses. Starting in April 2025, the department must issue new payment rates based on this analysis, explicitly removing previous caps on payments as long as they remain eligible for federal funding. The law also changes how future rate adjustments are made, shifting from a standard Medicare index to a specific market basket measure for periods after September 2025.

Permits certain activities in premises licensed for adult-use on-premises consumption of cannabis including the sale of food, non-alcoholic beverages and entertainment.

Provides that the submission of claims for services provided by home care agencies shall be done on forms approved by the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services.

Establishes clean energy goals of reducing the annual total of vehicle miles traveled within the state by 20% by the year 2050; requires state and local highway projects to comply with reductions to vehicle miles traveled targets.

Establishes the "earned time act" providing for time allowances against the term or maximum term of sentences imposed by the court to be credited on an annual pro rata basis.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts not-for-profit mentoring programs from paying fees for criminal history background checks on prospective mentors. To qualify for this exemption, the programs must be operated by specific types of organizations, such as not-for-profit corporations, educational institutions, or school districts, and must provide blank fingerprint cards to applicants. The legislation amends existing laws to ensure these organizations can conduct necessary background searches without incurring the standard processing charges, while still requiring them to submit fingerprints and other required information to the state division of criminal justice services.

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.

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.

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