Sen. Jessica Ramos

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to create rules mandating that homeless shelters in New York undergo at least four unannounced inspections each year - once per quarter. The inspections will be conducted by the state department or local social services districts. The law directly affects all facilities providing shelter for homeless individuals statewide by requiring regular, surprise safety and operational checks. It establishes a concrete, annual inspection schedule without changing shelter funding or services.

Requires public and not-for-profit libraries to implement risk evaluations and determinations, workplace trainings, and other measures for the prevention of workplace violence.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the "Sovereign Debt Stability Act," creates a voluntary legal process for countries or subnational regions (like provinces) with unsustainable debt to restructure payments under New York law. It allows debtor states to file a petition with New York, choose between two restructuring pathways (standard process or an alternative option), and engage creditors through a court-supervised plan. The key mechanism requires debtor states to notify creditors and follow specific steps for debt reconciliation, financing, and dispute resolution, aiming to reduce financial risks to New York as a global financial hub. It does not directly affect U.S. states or municipalities but targets international debtors whose obligations are governed by New York law.

Waives the state's sovereign immunity in state and federal courts with regard to liability for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act; waives the immunity of all instrumentalities and political subdivisions of the state.

Establishes the citywide leadership team to ensure that parents' and students' voices are represented in all education decision-making, ensure education policies considered or implemented are conducive to promoting student achievement and enhancing the overall quality of education for students attending public schools in the city of New York, and include all stakeholders at all stages of the decision-making process.

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.

Provides that if any employee, engaged in the service of any commuter rail service owned or operated by the authority or its subsidiaries, shall suffer a physical and/or mental injury that is caused by a passenger, customer or member of the public while the employee is performing an assigned duty, the employer shall be held liable for any health care costs attributable to such injury; makes related provisions.

Relates to decreasing the length of the suspension period applicable to certain individuals who lose their jobs due to a labor dispute, such as a strike, and who seek to obtain unemployment insurance benefits; decreases the suspension period from two consecutive weeks to one week; provides that the waiting period and suspension period shall be served concurrently.

Provides that in grand jury proceedings when following submission to a grand jury of a criminal charge or charges, the grand jury dismisses all charges presented or directs the district attorney to dismiss all charges or directs the DA to file in a local criminal court an application for disclosure of certain materials; authorizes the court to limit disclosure of certain items where there is a reasonable likelihood that such disclosure may lead to the identity of a witness who is not a public servant or expert witness; makes related provisions.

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.