Sen. Julia Salazar

Provides that the prescribing, dispensing, or receipt of mifepristone or any drug used for medication abortion shall not be considered a criminal conversion act under certain circumstances; provides that mifepristone or any drug used for medication abortion shall not be deemed to be adulterated or misbranded under certain circumstances.

Authorizes SUNY and CUNY to provide emergency aid grants to certain students; provides that the state shall reimburse half of all such grants provided; requires the higher education services corporation to provide an annual report on such programs.

Establishes "The Equity in Fertility Treatment Act"; relates to the definition of infertility and health insurance coverage for the treatment of infertility.

Establishes "SNAP for all", a state-funded supplemental nutrition assistance program to provide for those who are excluded from federal SNAP benefits solely due to immigration status; outlines eligibility requirements of applicants and operational requirements of the office of temporary and disability assistance.

Directs the department of health to establish an alternative payment methodology (APM) for federally qualified health centers to preserve and improve patient access to fertility care.

Requires each institution within the state university of New York and the city university of New York offering in-person student instruction to have at least one vending machine making emergency contraception available for purchase.

Prevents public employers from diminishing health insurance benefits provided to retirees and their dependents or the contributions such employer makes for such health insurance coverage below the level of such benefits or contributions made on behalf of such retirees and their dependents by such public employer.

Maddy summaryS 4497 requires certain health insurance policies to cover fertility preservation services, such as egg or sperm freezing, for individuals facing medical treatments that may cause infertility (like cancer therapy). This directly affects patients undergoing procedures with known fertility risks and the insurance companies offering those plans. The bill mandates coverage for these services before treatment begins, ensuring individuals can preserve fertility options without excessive out-of-pocket costs. It applies to standard health insurance policies, not just specialized plans, aiming to make these services accessible during critical medical care.

Maddy summaryS 3669 establishes a 7.8% targeted inflationary increase for designated programs and services for the 2025-2026 state fiscal year, effective April 1, 2025. This increase applies to rates of payments, contracts, or other forms of reimbursement for programs overseen by offices such as mental health, developmental disabilities, addiction services, and services for children, families, victims, and the aging. The bill specifies that this 7.8% increase is inclusive of most other inflationary adjustments for the period, limiting additional new increases. The goal is to help these programs account for the effects of inflation on their operational costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1580) requires state human services agencies to implement a 7.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for eligible programs starting April 1, 2025. It directly affects programs administered by the Office of Mental Health, Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, and Office of Addiction Services and Supports, including mental health clinics, developmental disability services, and addiction treatment programs. The COLA applies to reimbursement rates for these services and mandates that recipients use funds to provide at least a 2.6% targeted salary increase for eligible staff. The bill prohibits other new COLA increases during this period, except for specific federal pandemic relief programs.