Sen. Leroy Comrie

Requires the public service commission to develop a formula for the calculation of a residential water cost index; requires each water-works corporation and municipal water system serving one thousand customers or more to calculate and submit to the public service commission its residential water cost index; requires the public service commission to publish a report on the residential water cost index of each applicable water-works corporation and municipal water system.

Allows the higher education services corporation to consider an applicant's change in income due to the loss of employment in determining eligibility and award amount for the tuition assistance program; provides for the repeal of such provisions on December 31, 2024.

Relates to prevailing wage requirements applicable to public works and certain construction projects performed under private contract and paid for with public funds.

Eliminates court surcharges and fees and probation and parole surcharges and fees; eliminates the requirement that a parolee or releasee receiving a merit termination of sentence be financially able to comply with an order of restitution; eliminates the requirement that a person receiving a discharge of sentence be financially able to comply with an order of restitution and the payment of certain surcharges or fees (Part A); prohibits mandatory minimum fines for penal law and vehicle and traffic offenses (Part B); mandates that courts engage in an individualized assessment of a person's financial ability to pay a fine prior to imposing a fine (Part C); eliminates the availability of incarceration as a remedy for a failure to pay a fine, surcharge, or fee, lifts and vacates existing warrants issued solely on a person's failure to timely pay a fine, surcharge or fee and ends existing sentences of incarceration based on such failure (Part D); vacates existing unsatisfied civil judgments based on a person's failure to timely pay a surcharge, or fee (Part E); prohibits the collection of a fine, restitution or reparation from the funds of an incarcerated person; prohibits the payment of court fines, mandatory surcharges, certain fees, restitution, reparation or forfeitures from the earnings of prisoners (Part F); vacates existing unpaid surcharges, DNA databank fees, crime victim assistance fees, sexual offender registration fees, supplemental sex offender victim fees, or probation or parole supervision fees; repeals certain provisions of law relating to restrictions on remitting such fees (Part G).

Prohibits employers from using the federal electronic employment verification system to check the employment authorization status of an existing employee or an applicant who has not been offered employment and prohibits municipalities from requiring employers to use the federal electronic employment verification system.

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.

Requires a public engagement process to guide the investment of resources under the New York state climate leadership and community protection act to maximize the involvement of disadvantaged community members in the development of local clean energy and energy efficiency programs.

Provides grants to address food insecurity among students at public institutions for higher education.

Defines a "protected consumer" as an individual who is under the age of eighteen years.

Includes in the class E felony of vehicular assault in the second degree, the causing of serious physical injury while operating a vehicle with suspended, revoked or no license; creates the crime of vehicular homicide.