Sen. Jessica Ramos

Maddy summaryThis bill changes the state's official designation of the second Monday in October holiday from "Columbus Day" to "Indigenous People's Day," effective starting in 2025. It amends multiple state statutes to update references to the holiday in laws governing flag display, business holidays, transportation law enforcement, and town appropriations. The change directly affects state institutions, legal documents, and public observances that currently reference "Columbus Day" as a designated holiday. The bill does not alter the holiday's date or create new public events, only updating the official name in state law.

Establishes an unemployment bridge program and an unemployment bridge program fund to provide wage replacement to workers that do not qualify for unemployment insurance or other worker wage assistance programs and who have lost a major source of income due to lost work (Part A); establishes the "Digital Ad Tax Act (DATA)" creating a tax on digital advertising services (Part B).

Maddy summaryS 1160 designates Diwali - the fifteenth day of Kartika in the Hindu calendar - as a required statewide school holiday. It directly affects all public schools across the state, requiring them to close on this day each year. The bill amends education law to add Diwali to the list of mandated school closure days, alongside existing holidays like New Year's Day. This change applies uniformly to all public school districts, including specific provisions for New York City in Section 2. The legislation does not alter school calendars or transportation requirements beyond establishing this holiday.

Establishes the Early Learning Child Care Act to impose a payroll tax on certain employers for the purposes of addressing child care affordability, accessibility, and quality for families with children under five years of age; establishes the early learning child care fund; establishes the early learning child care program to provide subsidies to covered children to attend early learning child care programs; establishes the New York state child care board.

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 7644, creates the "Paid-In Act" by exempting used books from state sales tax when purchased for $100 or less per item. It directly affects buyers of secondhand books, such as students or thrift store shoppers, by reducing their purchase costs on qualifying items. The key provision amends tax law to add "used books, including secondhand purchases" to the list of tax-exempt items, with the $100 limit applying per book. This change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryS 2204 requires the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to study whether the Triboro rail line corridor - spanning from the Bronx through Queens to Brooklyn - could safely and effectively operate as a shared public transit and freight rail line. The study, to be completed within one year, will examine challenges, benefits, and operational details like station locations, service frequency, and cost estimates for co-mingling transit and freight traffic. It specifically aims to assess potential travel time reductions, environmental benefits, and economic impacts for outer borough residents. The MTA must report findings to state leaders, including projected ridership and phased implementation plans, but does not authorize actual service changes.

Relates to returnable bottles; adds noncarbonated soft drinks, certain noncarbonated fruit or vegetable juices, coffee and tea beverages, carbonated fruit beverages and cider to the definition of "beverage"; provides that beginning April 1, 2027, the handling fee will be six cents for each beverage container accepted by a deposit initiator from a dealer or operator of a redemption center; directs the multi-agency bottle bill fraud investigation team to submit a report on findings of pervasive bottle redemption fraud in New York state.

Provides for transportation accommodations for passengers with disabilities; requires compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and indication for accommodations when requesting a ride; creates an on-demand vehicle accessibility fund.

Relates to the retention of state records; repeals provisions relating to rules and regulations governing access to state legislative records; repeals provisions relating to executive records; repeals provisions relating to information confidentially disclosed by applicants.

Authorizes the commission on ethics and lobbying in government to provide a training course concerning anti-sexual harassment training for lobbyists; requires lobbyists to complete the course annually.