Asm. Rebecca Seawright

Provides for the protection of health information; establishes requirements for communications to individuals about their health information; requires either written consent or a designated necessary purpose for the processing of an individual's health information.

Establishes uniform definitions, standardized procedures, and uniform applications or forms, for determining a medical emergency, life-support equipment and designation of elderly, blind and disabled customers protected from termination of utility services.

Requires each board of education to adopt a written policy for reconsideration of school library materials and make such policy available on its website; requires such policies to include provisions for the creation of a reconsideration committee to review complaints regarding school library materials; requires the commissioner of education to develop one or more model policies for school districts.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurers in New York to cover speech therapy for stuttering, directly affecting people with stuttering who need this treatment. Insurers must cover all costs for therapy (including both habilitative and rehabilitative treatment) when recommended by a physician, with no limits on the number of visits or duration. Coverage may be denied only if therapy is already provided through school-based education plans (like IEPs), but insurers must still cover supplemental therapy outside of school settings when a physician refers the patient. The law applies to all individual, group, and health service corporation insurance policies issued or renewed after its effective date.

Prohibits the use of surveillance pricing, directly or indirectly; prohibits the collection, use, retention, or sharing of data to facilitate surveillance pricing; provides exceptions; provides for enforcement by the attorney general; makes related provisions.

Prohibits the sale of playground surfacing materials that contain PFAS, PAHs or lead; prevents sellers of playground surfacing materials that contain PFAS, PAHs or lead from being held in violation when relying in good faith on a certificate of compliance provided by the manufacturer; provides penalties for violations.

Requires a report on individuals who are the primary caregiver for an older adult, including the number of individuals who are primary caregivers for an older adult, the average age of a primary caregiver, the cost to an individual to provide care to an older adult, and the economic value and savings to the state of such individual's services.

Prohibits the use of restraints on and the use of force against incarcerated individuals during labor and incarcerated individuals who have experienced different pregnancy outcomes, absent extraordinary circumstances, and on pregnant and post-pregnancy persons during a custodial interrogation; provides for certain exceptions for restraints to be used and in such case limits the use to wrist restraints.

Enacts the "safer weapons, safer homes act"; requires the division of criminal justice services to study the technological viability of personalized firearms; defines personalized firearms; requires the division to report to the governor and the legislature on the results of the study.

Requires contracting agencies to contact minority and women-owned business enterprises when such enterprise is listed on a utilization plan and when a contract is awarded; mandates that the contractor use such enterprise identified on the utilization plan, unless such enterprise cannot perform or is no longer state certified.