Asm. Rebecca Seawright

Maddy summaryThis bill requires gas and electric corporations in New York to maintain call centers within the state to handle customer inquiries about billing, service applications, and emergency assistance. It mandates that companies cannot close or relocate these call centers outside the state without first providing public notice, holding a hearing, and receiving approval from the public service commission. The legislation also establishes strict penalties, including fines up to $100,000 per day for unauthorized closures or relocations, and allows the commission to take action against companies that knowingly fail to comply with these requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the daily financial allowance for trial and grand jurors in New York's unified court system from $40 to $72. The change directly affects individuals summoned to serve on juries, ensuring they receive higher compensation for their time and reducing the financial burden on those with lower wages. Under the new provisions, jurors whose daily pay is less than $72 will receive a top-up payment to reach that amount, while employers are restricted in how much they can deduct from a juror's wages during the first three days of service. The legislation also clarifies that employers cannot fire or penalize employees for missing work to serve on a jury.

Provides that certain purchase contracts to purchase food can be awarded to a qualified bidder who fulfills certain values based procurement standards when such bid is not more than 10% higher than the lowest responsible bidder and when the bidder makes publicly available data on where such bidder sources their food items; sets forth the criteria for values based procurement standards to include local economies, environmental sustainability, racial equity, valued workforce, animal welfare, and nutrition.

Directs the New York State Department of Labor to establish a voluntary training and certification program for employers entitled the Neurodiversity Training Pledge.

Deems a person who engages in sexual conduct during the period of their probation with his or her supervising probation officer as being incapable of consent.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires gun dealers to implement specific security measures to stop the installation and use of pistol converters on semi-automatic firearms. A pistol converter is defined as a device that allows a single trigger pull to fire multiple shots rapidly, effectively turning a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon. To comply, businesses must adopt policies that include inventory checks, screening procedures, and steps to prevent the sale or modification of products with these devices. The law applies to all gun dealers and takes effect immediately upon passage.

Promotes efficient and effective oversight of continuing care retirement communities; transfers certain powers and duties from the continuing care retirement community council to the commissioner of health; repeals certain provisions of law relating thereto.

Requires social media companies to post terms of service for each social media platform owned or operated by the company in a manner reasonably designed to inform all users of the social media platform of the existence and contents of the terms of service; requires social media companies to submit to the attorney general certain terms of service reports; provides remedies for violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits state-operated hospitals, university health facilities, and cancer institutes from suing patients to collect medical debt. It defines medical debt as any amount owed for health care services, products, devices, or ambulance care provided by licensed providers. The law applies specifically to these public institutions and bars them from filing civil or supreme court lawsuits against individuals for such debts. The provision takes effect immediately upon passage.

Adds a person with a disability who has their primary residence in a special needs trust, or a property owner who has a tenant with a disability whose lease provides them with a life interest in the property as long as the tenant remains in residence as eligible for a real property tax exemption pursuant to section 459-c of the real property tax law.