Enacts "Tucker's law"; removes the provision that provides that any term of imprisonment for a violation of aggravated cruelty to animals may not exceed two years.
Maddy summaryS 3639, "Nick's Law," increases penalties for drivers who flee the scene of an accident resulting in death. It upgrades the offense to a class B felony (with fines of $2,000-$30,000) instead of a lower misdemeanor, directly affecting drivers who leave such accidents without reporting. The bill also adjusts court procedures for adolescent offenders charged with this specific hit-and-run, requiring additional factors to be considered before transferring cases to family court. These changes aim to strengthen accountability for leaving death-related accident scenes.
Maddy summaryS 1664 provides officers from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) with access to live scan fingerprinting systems. This change allows SPCA officers to independently complete arrests by taking fingerprints using this technology. The bill directly affects SPCA officers and individuals they arrest, enabling these officers to process arrests without needing assistance from other law enforcement agencies for fingerprinting.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits state agencies, departments, or municipalities from restricting the sale or use of motor vehicles based on their energy source (e.g., gasoline, electric, hybrid). It directly affects vehicle buyers, dealers, and local governments by blocking regulations that target specific fuel types. The key provision amends environmental conservation law to explicitly override any existing rules limiting vehicles by fuel type, applying immediately. This changes how vehicle regulations can be structured but does not create new requirements for vehicle standards.
Maddy summaryThis bill increases monthly personal needs allowances for residents in specific care facilities. It raises the amount from $55 to $140 per month for residents of residential health care facilities (like nursing homes), and from $35 to $89 per month for residents of developmental disability or mental health facilities. Veterans with reduced VA pensions in nursing homes will receive allowances matching their pension amount (capped at $196/month). These changes apply to individuals eligible for federal Supplemental Security Income or state payments, effective January 2027.
Maddy summaryThis bill updates the laws governing wrongful death lawsuits in the state to clarify which types of financial compensation families can receive when a loved one dies due to someone else's actions. It explicitly allows juries to award damages for specific losses, including funeral costs, medical bills incurred before death, emotional grief, and the loss of financial support, guidance, and companionship. The legislation also defines exactly who is eligible to receive these funds, such as spouses, domestic partners, children, and individuals who acted as parents to the deceased, while establishing a legal process to divide the money fairly among them based on their specific relationship to the decedent. Additionally, the bill adjusts the time limit for filing these lawsuits to three years generally, with a shorter deadline for cases related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Prohibits the public service commission authority to order collection of charges from ratepayers for greenhouse gas reduction unrelated to the electric grid.
Prohibits a gas corporation, electric corporation or municipality from charging more than three percent on an annual utility bill absent a showing that the charge is necessary to maintain the reliability and safety of the grid.
Expands approval power for actions taken at meetings of the New York state energy research and development authority to include the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the senate, and the minority leader of the assembly.
Provides for the revocation of a person's driver's license who has been convicted of operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
