Sen. Leroy Comrie

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes specific deadlines for government agencies to respond to freedom of information requests, aiming to speed up access to public records. It requires agencies to provide requested records within 180 days for older requests, 90 days for requests made in 2028, and 60 days for requests starting in 2029, while also mandating that agencies accept and reply to requests via email. The law includes provisions to prevent agencies from delaying responses due to a lack of staff or the volume of records, except in cases involving federal legal barriers, safety concerns, or massive record sets. Additionally, the bill mandates that agencies with websites must allow for online submission of requests and requires them to use electronic methods whenever reasonably possible.

Directs the New York city taxi and limousine commission to establish a pilot program to evaluate the impact of commuter vans accepting street hails; authorizes commuter vans to accept hails from prospective passengers in the street in certain locations until June thirtieth, two thousand thirty; directs the New York city taxi and limousine commission to submit a report evaluating such pilot program to the mayor, the speaker of the council, the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly, no later than February first, two thousand twenty-eight and annually thereafter until the completion of such pilot program.

Requires manufacturers with gross annual beverage sale revenues of ten million dollars or more, beginning January 1, 2030, to sell and distribute plastic beverage containers with tethered plastic beverage caps or openings from which the beverage can be consumed while the plastic beverage cap remains screwed onto or otherwise affixed to the plastic beverage container; requires manufacturers with gross annual beverage sale revenues of one million dollars or more to comply by January 1, 2033.

Maddy summaryS 4040 allows property owners in New York City to jointly petition the city to create community improvement projects focused on shared infrastructure. Specifically, it enables owners representing at least 51% of a neighborhood's assessed property value and 51% of property owners to request upgrades to shared driveways and sewer systems. The city would then develop a project plan requiring city council approval, including maps, cost estimates, and financing details. This law directly affects residential property owners seeking coordinated improvements to common infrastructure within their neighborhood.

Requires the display of certain labels and warnings on gas stoves sold, displayed for sale, or offered for sale at retail to a consumer in this state; authorizes the department of state to adopt regulations regarding the placement and format of such labels; provides for penalties; authorizes the attorney general to enforce such provisions.

Requires the commissioner to establish Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history and civic impact curriculum or instructions for school districts.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "Sickle Cell Treatment Act" to improve care for sickle cell disease patients in New York. It designates five "centers for excellence" (with two north of Putnam/Orange counties) and ten outpatient treatment centers based on patient populations, providing each center with annual funding ($500,000 for excellence centers, $250,000 for outpatient centers) to support specialized care, research, and equipment. The bill also modifies opioid prescribing rules to exempt sickle cell disease patients from a three-month opioid limit, ensuring they can receive necessary pain management without restrictive barriers. These changes directly affect hospitals designated as centers, sickle cell patients requiring specialized care, and healthcare providers managing chronic pain.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 6551) requires health insurance plans in New York to cover image-guided breast biopsies when recommended by a physician based on nationally recognized clinical guidelines. It directly affects patients seeking breast cancer screening and diagnosis, as well as insurance companies that must now include this specific procedure in mandatory coverage. The bill amends insurance law to explicitly add "image-guided breast biopsies" to the list of covered services alongside mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRI scans. Coverage applies only when the procedure aligns with evidence-based guidelines developed by independent medical organizations. The change takes effect January 1, 2026, for all new or renewed insurance policies.

Maddy summaryNew York's S 1157 establishes a state-run savings program to help first-time homebuyers save for purchasing their first primary residence in New York. The program creates tax-advantaged savings accounts managed by the state comptroller, allowing eligible residents to contribute funds that qualify for state income tax benefits under Section 612 of the tax law. To qualify, applicants must have no prior ownership of any home (including mobile homes claimed as personal property on tax returns) and must use funds exclusively for buying or building a home in New York to be used as their primary residence for at least two years. The bill outlines specific account rules, defines "first-time homebuyer," and specifies allowable expenses like purchase costs for houses, condos, or cooperative units within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 1056, amends existing laws to make criminal history background checks free of charge for mentoring programs operated by not-for-profit corporations. Currently, these programs pay a processing fee for background checks on prospective employees and mentors. Under this bill, mentoring programs run by not-for-profit corporations will no longer be charged this fee. The bill also updates the definition of a "mentoring program" to include youth sports programs.