Sen. Toby Stavisky

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 631) helps rent-controlled tenants with tax abatements who experience a significant income drop. If a household’s combined income decreases by more than 20% after receiving a tax abatement, they can apply to lower their rent to match the original rent-to-income ratio. The adjusted rent can be made retroactive to when the income dropped, but only back to the date of their most recent approved application (not further). It applies specifically to households with rent-controlled units under existing tax abatement programs.

Relates to securing payment of wages for work already performed; creates a lien remedy for all employees; provides grounds for attachment; relates to procedures where employees may hold shareholders of non-publicly traded corporations personally liable for wage theft; relates to rights for victims of wage theft to hold the ten members with the largest ownership interests in a company personally liable for wage theft.

Amends the composition of rent guidelines boards and the factors to be considered in establishing annual rent adjustments; eliminates the price index of operating costs as a factor in determining rent increases.

Establishes a co-navigation services program for persons who are deaf-blind to provide services to a person who is deaf-blind that assist the person to physically access the person's environment and to make informed decisions, including providing visual and environmental information or sighted guide services and assisting with communication accessibility by communicating in the preferred language and communication mode of the person who is deaf-blind.

Provides for certain presumptions for reckless driving and the implementation of a reckless driving and vehicular violence awareness component of the pre-licensing course for driver's licenses.

Relates to allowing for students in certain postsecondary education experience or transition programs to receive awards from the tuition assistance program.

Defines the term "construction projects" to mean the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of any school building where a district receives any apportionment for debt service or building aid and the school building is sited within the Long Island region; provides that each contract involving the award of a construction project shall require the use of a project labor agreement for all contractors and subcontractors on such project.

Provides grounds for attachment; relates to procedures where employees may hold shareholders of non-publicly traded corporations personally liable for wage theft; relates to rights for victims of wage theft to hold the ten members with the largest ownership interests in a company personally liable for wage theft; relates to penalties for certain wage violations.

Increases the minimum wage outside of New York city and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester; repeals certain provisions of law relating to exceptions to minimum wage increases.

Enacts the "New York State buy North American act" which requires the state, municipalities, public authorities and covered affordable housing projects to award contracts for the supply of manufactured products used in building projects to bidders who produce such manufactured products used in building projects primarily in North America; defines terms; makes related provisions.