Asm. MaryJane Shimsky

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 1724, "Hunger-Free Campus Act") creates a grant program to address student food insecurity at public colleges and universities. It requires qualifying campuses to meet specific standards - including establishing student-inclusive task forces, providing SNAP enrollment assistance, operating food pantries, and hosting awareness events - to earn "hunger-free campus" designation. Public institutions meeting these criteria receive competitive grants to fund food security initiatives like meal vouchers, pantry access, and SNAP outreach. The program mandates annual student hunger surveys and requires a two-year report to state leaders detailing grant usage, student impacts, and recommendations for future funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New York state agencies receiving opioid settlement funds to submit annual public reports detailing how these funds are spent. The reports must include baseline funding data, specific recipient information (including program details and populations served), the criteria for awarding funds, and evidence-based analysis of program effectiveness in reducing substance use disorders. It also prohibits government entities from pursuing legal claims against companies released under the statewide opioid settlement agreement after June 2021. All reports must be published as a public dashboard on government websites by November 1st each year.

Requires instruction in arts and music education to be incorporated into curriculums for all public school students; requires school districts to ensure that appropriately certified teachers are providing such education; authorizes rules and regulations consistent with such provisions.

Allocates the Amistad commission to work alongside the department of education and on behalf of students in the state; repeals certain provisions relating to the Amistad commission; requires schools in the state to provide curriculum relating to Black history, slavery, and race.

Enacts the "sustainable affordable housing and sprawl prevention act"; exempts or limits environmental review under SEQR for the construction of certain new residential units to avoid creating unnecessary housing sprawl; limits certain rights to action under SEQR; makes related provisions.

Provides that restaurants may provide single-use plastic straws to customers when explicitly requested by the customer; prohibits single-use plastic stirrers.

Directs the department of health to develop state food guidelines for foods purchased, served, and sold by state agencies, programs, and institutions and on state property.

Includes correctional facilities and local correctional facilities as publicly-assisted housing accommodations for purposes of the division of human rights; defines correctional facilities and local correctional facilities.

Establishes the building and fire code adherence tax credit which provides a tax credit to property owners who spend money to update a property to adhere to current applicable building and fire codes.

Relates to certain prostitution offenses and fines relating thereto; relates to motions to vacate judgment and motions for new sentencing; relates to investigation into acts alleged to be the unauthorized practice of massage therapy by potential victims of human trafficking; prohibits the possession of reproductive or sexual health devices from being permitted in specified criminal or civil proceedings as evidence of prostitution; relates to services for exploited individuals, services for victims of human trafficking and the interagency task force on human trafficking; establishes the victims of sexual exploitation fund; makes conforming changes; repeals provisions relating to prostitution, prostitution in a school zone, defense against patronizing a person for prostitution and a motion to dismiss information, simplified information, prosecutor's information or misdemeanor complaint.