Sen. Steve Chan

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates all fees for lifetime sporting licenses (hunting, fishing, trapping, archery, and muzzle-loading) for honorably discharged veterans certified with a 40% or greater service-connected disability. It directly affects eligible veterans by adding a new $0.00 fee category to the existing license structure under Section 11-0702 of the environmental conservation law. The key mechanism modifies the fee schedule to specify that this group pays no fee for lifetime licenses, while other categories (like standard age-based fees) remain unchanged. The policy change is permanent upon enactment, as the bill takes effect immediately.

Maddy summaryS 1754 creates a statewide, toll-free hotline for reporting abuse that threatens health or welfare, operating 24/7 and accepting anonymous calls. The hotline must immediately forward reports to relevant agencies, including law enforcement for criminal or emergency situations, and requires the Office of Children and Family Services to establish referral procedures. It also mandates a public education campaign on elder abuse prevention, including hotline information, signs of abuse, and victim resources. The bill affects anyone reporting abuse, local social services, law enforcement, and elder abuse prevention programs. Implementation depends on available funding, as specified in the bill text.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $1,000 supplemental payment for New York taxpayers who claim a newborn baby as a dependent on their federal tax return. It directly affects parents or guardians with newborns not previously claimed as dependents, providing the payment for each qualifying child starting in tax year 2026. The payment is issued automatically by the state tax commissioner and treated as an overpayment if it exceeds the taxpayer's state tax bill. The credit applies to newborns born in the current or prior tax year, with payments beginning April 1, 2026.

Repeals congestion pricing (Part A); directs the metropolitan transportation authority to contract with a certified public accounting firm for the provision of an independent, comprehensive, forensic audit of the authority (Part B).

Establishes the "first-time homebuyer tax credit act"; provides that a qualified taxpayer shall be allowed a credit against the taxes imposed by this article for taxes levied on the taxpayer's primary residence by or on behalf of any county, city, town, village, or school district in which such property is located.

Requires a parent, guardian or person in a parental relation to a child under the age of eighteen to be physically present when any immunization is administered to such child.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1396) requires background checks for maintenance employees at assisted living and residential health care facilities. It defines "maintenance employees" broadly to include janitors, security, groundskeepers, and similar staff (excluding volunteers), and mandates that the Department of Health access their criminal history records. Courts must notify the health department within 7 days of any criminal conviction related to job duties. The bill also allows temporary hiring during background checks, requiring facilities to conduct direct observation of these workers until results are received. The bill is pending in the Health committee (referred January 9, 2025).

Maddy summaryThis bill designates September 11th as "September 11th Remembrance Day," adding it to the list of official public holidays in New York State. It amends multiple laws (including the General Construction Law, Transportation Law, and Vehicle and Traffic Law) to include this date as both a public holiday and a business holiday. The change affects state government operations and businesses that follow state holiday schedules, meaning offices would close and certain business hours would adjust on this day. The bill does not create new policies or funding - it simply formally recognizes September 11th as a designated holiday.

Relates to insurance fraud; provides a provision for compensation to a person that reports insurance fraud to the authorities; establishes crimes of unlawful procurement of clients, patients or customers; aggravated insurance fraud in the second degree; and aggravated insurance fraud in the first degree; provides that this act also increases the penalty for insurance fraud; appropriates $3,100,000 therefor.

Establishes the "New York's Own combat veterans healthcare choice program act" to establish tax free savings accounts to pay the healthcare costs of combat veterans on active duty during Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom, until covered by the federal government; directs the division of military and naval affairs to establish a registry of Afghanistan and Iraq veterans.