Asm. Karl Brabenec

Maddy summaryBill A 2699 regulates the sale and possession of Kratom. It prohibits the sale or provision of Kratom to individuals under 21 years of age, with civil penalties for sellers who violate this rule. Businesses selling Kratom must post age restriction signs and verify a purchaser's age using specified identification documents, with provisions for electronic transaction scans. The bill also mandates the Commissioner of Health to conduct a study on Kratom's potential health risks and benefits.

Establishes the NY food insecurity, farm resiliency and rural poverty initiative to provide financial assistance in the form of matching grants, hiring assistance, purchasing assistance, tax credits, tax exemptions, and reimbursements.

Maddy summaryThis bill raises the maximum age for provisional or permanent appointment as a police officer in certain government departments from 35 to 40 years old. It directly affects applicants for competitive civil service positions in the Department of Environmental Conservation, county, city, town, village, housing authority, or police district police forces. The key change modifies the age requirement for the written examination date, allowing applicants up to age 40 to qualify instead of the previous 35-year limit. This adjustment applies broadly across eligible departments, with specific exceptions for military service time or existing employees under limited circumstances.

Allows any qualified person to apply for voter registration and enrollment by application made with an application for any hunting or fishing license.

Maddy summaryBill A 48 amends the estates, powers and trusts law to prevent individuals convicted of certain sex offenses from inheriting from their victim's estate. Specifically, a person found guilty of committing or attempting to commit a sex offense against the decedent cannot receive a share of that decedent's inheritance. If such a disqualification occurs, the estate will be distributed as though the convicted person had died before the decedent.

Maddy summaryBill A 2385 requires school districts with 25% or more students attending nonpublic schools to stop providing certain services (like special education, transportation, or counseling) directly to those students. Instead, nonpublic schools must provide these services themselves and submit electronic certifications to the state education commissioner for approval. The state will cover approved costs for these services, and the commissioner can review and correct any service delivery. This applies to all school years starting July 2025.

Relates to youth programs sponsored by fire departments; provides that participants may respond to an emergency or hazardous activity, but shall remain in a designated or marked off area that has been set up by the chief or officer in charge; provides such participant cannot respond to an emergency on a vehicle using lights and/or sirens; provides such participants may not enter a burning structure.

Directs the department of economic development to study methods for keeping small retail businesses within the state and create a pilot program to train and counsel small business owners and potential small business owners; appropriates $210,000 therefor.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the "Affordable NY Act," increases property tax relief for homeowners and adjusts New York's personal income tax rates. It directly affects homeowners who qualify for the STAR (School Tax Relief) program by doubling the base exemption amount for enhanced STAR from $30,000 to $60,000 (effective 2025-2026) and linking future increases to the Consumer Price Index. For income taxes, it revises tax brackets, lowering rates for middle-income earners (e.g., reducing the top rate for income over $161,550 from 6.57% to 6.49% in 2019). The changes take effect immediately for some provisions and for others starting in 2025. These adjustments aim to reduce tax burdens for qualifying homeowners and middle-income taxpayers.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows local governments (counties, cities, towns, villages, or school districts) to grant a 100% exemption from real property taxes to veterans who served in combat and are 100% permanently disabled due to military service, or to their unmarried surviving spouses. It directly affects eligible disabled veterans and their surviving spouses by potentially eliminating their property tax burden. The key provision lets localities choose to provide this full exemption, overriding any existing local limits on property tax exemptions. The exemption applies to property tax assessments starting January 1, 2025.