Asm. Chris Burdick

Requires coverage for hearing aids for patients who are covered under a policy or contract of insurance if the hearing aids are fitted and dispensed by a licensed audiologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association following medical clearance by a physician licensed to practice medicine and an audiological evaluation.

Enacts the building up immigrant legal defense or BUILD act to provide competitive workforce development and capacity building grants to eligible entities that are seeking to expand access to representation for individuals facing deportation by increasing the workforce and strengthening the legal services infrastructure needed to provide such representation.

Establishes an office of the state medical indemnity fund ombudsperson and a medical indemnity fund advisory panel to advocate for, assist and represent the interests of qualified plaintiffs.

Maddy summaryThis New York State bill allows for advance payments of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to qualifying low-income workers, replacing the current system where refunds are issued after annual tax filing. Eligible workers - including those aged 19 or older (down from 25) and without children - will receive four payments: three during the year (20% of the expected credit) and one adjusted payment after the tax year ends. The bill also increases the credit percentage for 2027 and later years (up to 40%), raises the income threshold for phaseout to $24,960 (from $11,610), and includes annual inflation adjustments. Payments will be delivered via direct deposit or electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card.

Updates the definition of the term "reusable bag", as used in the environmental conservation law, to specify minimum material and durability standards.

Clarifies the standard for intentional discrimination or retaliation claims by requiring a person or persons prove that an unlawful motivation was a motivating factor and not "the sole motivating factor" or a "but-for cause" of the challenged treatment.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits annual increases for homeowners' insurance rates to 25% or less unless the policyholder specifically agrees to a higher increase in writing before the policy is issued or renewed. It directly affects homeowners with standard residential insurance policies by restricting how much insurers can raise their premiums each year. The key provision requires insurers to obtain explicit prior agreement from policyholders to exceed the 25% annual rate hike limit. The law applies to all policies issued, renewed, modified, or amended on or after its effective date, which is 90 days after enactment.

Requires that public schools provide instruction on climate change, including but not limited to identifying the causes and impacts of climate change on individuals, environments and communities, and learning to evaluate solutions.

Relates to a podiatry study and report by the commissioner of education, in consultation with the commissioner of health on the implementation of chapter 438 of the laws of 2012, as amended, authorizing the issuance of a privilege to perform podiatric standard or advanced ankle surgery and the impact of granting such a privilege on access to and quality of podiatric ankle surgery; makes related provisions.

Relates to the confidentiality and expungement of records in juvenile delinquency cases in the family court; requires certain records to be expunged automatically.