Asm. Steve Otis

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a New York state tax credit for small businesses hiring disabled workers. Small businesses with 100 or fewer employees can claim a $5,000 credit per disabled employee (up to $25,000 per business annually), provided the employee works 35+ hours weekly for six months and the employer verifies the employee meets the statutory disability definition. The credit is capped at $5 million total per year, with unused credits carried forward for up to three years. It directly affects small business employers in New York who hire eligible disabled residents, aiming to incentivize their employment through tax relief.

Establishes the nutrient inactivant application permit to allow for the use of products used for controlling phosphorus levels in lakes or ponds to prevent and inhibit harmful algal blooms.

Provides that gas, electric, or combination gas and electric corporations shall not be permitted to retain revenues derived from their actual return on equity in excess of authorized rates of return on equity.

Relates to the prevention and mitigation of marine and coastal debris; defines terms; requires the department of environmental conservation to prepare and annually update a marine and coastal debris action plan.

Establishes the crime of aggravated harassment by means of electronic or digital communication; provides for a private right of action for the unlawful dissemination or publication of deep fakes, which are digitized images which are altered to incorporate a person's face or their identifiable body part onto an image and such image depicts a pornographic or lewd sex act or graphic violence.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the state education commissioner to develop age-appropriate curriculum about the historical treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming individuals for school districts. Schools may integrate this material into social studies or other subjects as they determine appropriate. The curriculum must be tailored to different grade levels and does not need to be uniform across the state. It applies to school years starting July 1, 2026, with implementation rules to be finalized before that date. The bill directly affects public school districts and students by mandating this historical content in educational programming.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new health coverage option under New York's 1332 state innovation program, allowing the state to create a health plan for specific uninsured New Yorkers who don't qualify for Medicaid or ACA marketplace plans. It directly affects residents under 65 with household incomes between 133% and 250% of the federal poverty line, including some noncitizens ineligible for Medicaid due to immigration status. Key provisions include requiring coverage for essential health services (like cancer care access at Medicaid rates, dental, vision, and chronic illness support), automatic enrollment for children born to eligible parents, and continued coverage during pregnancy for one year postpartum. The program requires federal approval under the ACA's Section 1332 waiver process and operates alongside existing Medicaid and marketplace plans.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends New York City's on-demand E-hail paratransit pilot program until March 31, 2027, and requires expanding it to include 1,200 additional Access-A-Ride paratransit users by March 2026. The program allows eligible Access-A-Ride users to book immediate rides via smartphone app or phone, with fares matching standard bus/subway base rates and service hours aligned with regular transit. Expansion must use existing 2019 funding levels and select a representative sample of users across age, disability, location, and ride frequency. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority must report on pilot usage, costs, and ridership by April 2027.

Requires orders of custody to state whether law enforcement is authorized to remove a child or children in order to comply with and enforce such orders.

Prohibits the formation of a subsidiary of a public authority without prior approval of the legislature; allows the formation of a subsidiary of a public authority without prior approval of the legislature if such public authority files a written notice sixty days prior to the organization of such subsidiary with the governor and the legislature.