Sen. John Liu

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most large employer-sponsored health insurance plans in New York to cover acupuncture services when prescribed by a qualified healthcare provider. Specifically, it mandates that plans covering physician office services or major medical coverage must include acupuncture treatment (as defined by law) without denying coverage based on the provider's scope of practice. Plans may still apply standard cost-sharing rules like deductibles, co-pays, or benefit limits for these services. The law directly affects health insurers and employers offering large group health plans, effective 90 days after enactment.

Provides for adult changing tables to be placed within an enclosed restroom facility or other similar private facility that is for use by persons with disabilities who need help with diapering at commercial places of public amusement and state-owned buildings open to the public.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires local assessors to mail written notices of approval for the STAR (School Tax Relief) exemption to homeowners within 30 days of approving their applications. It also mandates that the state commissioner mail eligibility notices for a separate tax credit program within 30 days of determining eligibility. Exceptions apply if approval occurs too close to tax bill issuance (within 30 days) or payment deadlines. The law directly affects homeowners who apply for STAR exemptions or the credit, ensuring they receive timely confirmation of their tax relief status.

Allows parents of a child who has ever received services through an English as a second language program to serve as a member of the citywide council on English language learners and of the citywide council on high schools even if the child is no longer enrolled.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Civil Air Patrol members to take unpaid leave from their jobs during state-declared emergencies to assist with emergency response efforts. Employers must grant the leave if the member provides documentation from their unit commander confirming their role in the emergency, unless the absence would cause undue hardship to business operations. The leave applies only when members are actively performing duties related to the declared emergency, such as disaster support or search-and-rescue. Members must later submit a notarized statement from their unit commander verifying the leave period.

Provides that the port authority shall prohibit nonstop flights to or from points beyond one thousand five hundred miles, except on Saturdays and flights to Denver, Colorado, from flying to or from LaGuardia airport, an air terminal of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Relates to voting rights and access for incarcerated individuals; authorizes polling places to be available at correctional facilities and local facilities; requires such facilities to provide persons detained or confined in such facilities access to register to vote or apply for an absentee ballot; requires voting information to be included in the inmate handbook.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution honors Senator Michael N. Gianaris as he receives the President Pro Tempore and Senate Majority Leader's Legislative Legacy Award. The bill formally recognizes his decades of public service, highlighting his legislative achievements in areas such as tenant rights, criminal justice reform, and election access. It expresses the Senate's gratitude for his contributions and directs that a copy of the resolution be sent to him as a token of appreciation.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits public and nonpublic schools, including charter schools, from purchasing or using biometric identifying technology like facial recognition for most purposes. The law allows exceptions for fingerprinting prospective employees to comply with education laws, logging into digital devices for academic use, and identifying employees who have provided written consent or whose unions have consented. The bill requires the director of the state education department to prepare a detailed report analyzing privacy risks, civil rights impacts, security effectiveness, data retention, breach risks, costs, and other factors before any such technology can be authorized for school use. This report must be made public and shared with state leaders while seeking feedback from teachers, parents, safety experts, and privacy advocates through public hearings.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New York's state health department to create an awareness campaign about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for perimenopause and menopause symptoms. The campaign must provide clear information on symptoms, health risks, types of HRT (including benefits and side effects), and current medical recommendations. It directly affects individuals experiencing these symptoms by ensuring they receive evidence-based information to make informed health decisions. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment, mandating the campaign's implementation through necessary rule changes.