Sen. Joe Addabbo

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow local governments (counties, cities, towns, villages, or school districts) to create a property tax exemption for the primary residence of veterans with a 100% service-connected disability. To qualify, veterans must have an honorable discharge, a 100% disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and be permanently and totally disabled due to military service. The exemption covers all real property taxes, special district charges, and assessments on their primary home. This policy change directly affects veterans meeting these specific criteria, providing them with tax relief on their main residence starting with 2026 assessment rolls.

Relates to authorizing and regulating the use of electronic bell jar vending machines; requires responsible placement and operation of electronic bell jar vending machines; allows for geographic considerations for such machine placement.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a 50% property tax exemption on the primary residence of surviving spouses whose police officer spouse died while performing duty. It directly affects surviving spouses of officers killed in the line of duty, providing immediate tax relief on their home. The exemption applies to the assessed value of the primary residence, with local governments allowed to reduce the percentage. The law requires local authorities to adopt specific resolutions to implement the exemption and establishes documentation standards through the state's criminal justice and tax services divisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New York's veterans tuition award program to allow qualified veterans to transfer unused benefits to their spouse, child, or survivor. It defines "qualified veteran" as someone who would qualify for the award if they met enrollment requirements, and specifies who counts as an "eligible immediate family" member. Veterans can transfer all or part of their unused award, with transfers limited to children under 26 who meet service requirements (e.g., veteran served 10+ years unless discharged due to death or specific conditions). The bill caps annual transfers at 100 and requires veterans to designate beneficiaries via a form before the program's effective date in 2026.

Maddy summaryS 1548 bans specific harmful chemicals from menstrual products sold in New York State. It prohibits manufacturers from intentionally adding substances like lead, mercury, formaldehyde, triclosan, and PFAS (a class of chemicals including Teflon-like compounds) to products such as tampons, pads, and menstrual cups. The bill takes immediate effect for all intentionally added restricted substances, with a 2029 deadline for setting science-based limits on any remaining traces of these chemicals. This directly affects all companies producing or selling menstrual products in New York, requiring them to reformulate products to remove these substances.

Relates to rechargeable battery recycling; adds a battery used as the principal electric power source for an electric scooter or bicycle with electric assist to the definition of "rechargeable battery"; provides that a battery manufacturer may not sell, offer for sale, or distribute rechargeable batteries in the state unless the battery manufacturer is implementing or participating under an approved plan; allows a city with a population of one million or more to enforce through its own agencies.

Maddy summaryS 8071, the "AVOID Act," sets strict time limits for filing third-party lawsuits in civil cases to prevent delay tactics. It requires defendants to file third-party complaints within 60 days of answering the plaintiff's complaint (or shorter deadlines for subsequent third parties: 45, 30, and 20 days). The bill prohibits extensions beyond 30 days without court approval and bans third-party filings after a "note of issue" is filed, except for specific workers' compensation cases with a 120-day window. This directly affects defendants seeking to add new parties to civil lawsuits, streamlining court procedures by limiting procedural delays.

Relates to welfare, medical, and retirement plans provided by a horsemen's organization in the absence of contractual obligations; provides in the absence of a contract between the licensed harness racing corporation or association and the representative horsemen's organization, the state gaming commission shall require such corporation or association to pay to the horsemen's organization an amount determined in accordance with the previously negotiated contract for welfare, medical, or retirement plans, including any associated costs, provided by the horsemen's organization to participants in racing at the licensed harness racing facility; provides the amounts shall be paid monthly from the horsemen's gross purse enhancement amount from video lottery gaming.

Authorizes municipalities to offer a real property tax exemption for active military service members who at any time during the taxable year performed active duty in the armed forces in a combat zone; defines terms; makes related provisions.

Requires each appropriate institution housing a defendant due to mental disease or defect to assign a critical time intervention care management team to the defendant and make a single point of access referral for the defendant prior to such defendant's discharge.