Asm. Karines Reyes

Maddy summaryBill A 6586 requires health insurance plans and Medicaid to cover patient navigation services for individuals with serious conditions expected to last at least three months and at high risk of hospitalization, nursing home placement, or health decline. These services help connect patients to social supports like transportation, housing, food assistance, and healthcare appointments, and include referrals, enrollment help, and care coordination. Certified navigators (trained through approved programs) must provide these services under a healthcare provider's supervision. The law applies to all medical, major medical, and comprehensive insurance policies, ensuring coverage for high-risk patients who need help accessing care.

Establishes a career and technical education (CTE) diploma; establishes a CTE pathway to a diploma shall be based on a curriculum designed to provide students with technical skills and shall demonstrate that the student is ready for a career as determined by regulations of the commissioner.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 5001) requires New York state agencies to conduct cost comparisons before signing consultant contracts exceeding $1 million annually. It mandates agencies to evaluate whether state employees could provide the same services at equal or lower cost, excluding legal services and construction contracts. If savings exceed 10%, agencies must develop a business plan analyzing options, performance risks, and quality standards, and notify affected employees if layoffs may occur. The plan must then be reviewed by the state comptroller, who has 90 days to approve or disapprove it.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires developers seeking permits for major projects near low-income or minority neighborhoods to submit a detailed public engagement plan. The plan must include maps of the community, locations of sensitive sites like schools, a schedule for at least three public meetings, and materials in plain language translated into common community languages. Applicants must also provide quarterly progress reports and ensure community input influences project design. This applies to projects within one mile of designated disadvantaged communities, aiming to improve transparency and community involvement in environmental permitting.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the MTA to create a half-fare program for eligible New York State veterans using public transportation. It applies specifically to veterans who are New York residents, honorably discharged from U.S. military service, and possess a valid New York veteran ID card. The MTA must establish the program but cannot fund it from its regular operating or capital budgets; instead, it can only implement it using state funds specifically allocated for this purpose. The bill defines "veteran" clearly and mandates that the program be implemented with state appropriations.

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 confirmatory adoptions providing for the adoption of children born as a result of assisted reproduction; allows for more than two persons to be named parents of a child; establishes presumed parentage and provides for the challenge and adjudication thereof; repeals certain provisions relating thereto.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the minimum hourly pay for home care aides in upstate New York counties (excluding New York City boroughs and Nassau/Suffolk counties) by adding $3.22 per hour to their cash compensation. It directly affects home care workers employed in these regions, raising their base pay rate. The change takes effect October 1, 2025, and applies to the "cash portion" of their total compensation as defined by existing law. The bill does not alter regional pay rates but adds a fixed hourly amount to the existing minimum for eligible counties.

Requires school districts to have diversity, equity and inclusion officers to develop methods to diversify the personnel of the school district and to recommend changes to district policies and practices to reduce racial disparities in hiring school district employees, particularly teachers; requires boards of education to annually report information regarding such policies and practices to the department of education; requires the department of education to annually report such information to the legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New York's process for certifying voting machines and the terms of their purchase contracts. Vendors must pay a fee for the state board of elections to examine machines, which must meet safety and technical standards - including thorough testing of electronic features - before approval. Contracts for approved machines now require vendors to guarantee at least ten years of free maintenance, service, and training for election officials, replacing a previous five-year requirement. These changes directly affect voting machine companies, the state election board, and local election jurisdictions that must use certified equipment.