Sen. Kevin Parker

Maddy summaryThis bill requires large telephone companies (with over 10,000 customers) to report on the quality and availability of traditional copper-based phone service ("line-powered voice service") they provide. Covered providers must submit detailed reports within 60 days of the law's effective date, including specific metrics like customer counts, notifications about switching to fiber service, areas where service was discontinued without fiber alternatives, and instances where customers were redirected to fiber after repair requests. The reports must be published on company websites in spreadsheet format, with opportunities for public comment and virtual hearings. This law directly affects major telecom providers and aims to increase transparency about service transitions impacting residential customers.

Repeals and reenacts statute of limitation provisions on wrongful death, personal injury and property damage actions against professional engineers, architects, landscape architects, land surveyors, geologists and construction contractors to provide for a limitations period of ten years after completion of improvement to real property; "completion", which constitutes the accrual date for the limitations period, is defined; provides for a one year extension for injuries to person or property or wrongful death which occur during the tenth year after completion.

Establishes the "New York individuals with dyslexia education act"; implements a plan to identify and support students with characteristics of dyslexia; requires annual screening in grades K-5; directs intervention and notification; directs education department to develop a handbook providing guidance to parents and teachers.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new enforcement mechanism allowing certain workers, whistleblowers, or labor organizations to file public lawsuits on behalf of New York's labor department to address violations of specific labor laws. It enables private parties to initiate enforcement actions for issues like unpaid wages or misclassification (covered under Articles 5, 6, 9, 19, 19-A, 19-B, and 25-A), with civil penalties collected going to the state treasury. The law aims to supplement limited public enforcement resources by empowering workers and organizations to act as "private attorneys general" while protecting whistleblowers from retaliation. It explicitly excludes government agencies as targets and applies only to violations covered by designated labor law sections.

Ensures that construction and fabrication done off of a public work site for specific use only in a public work project be compensated at the prevailing wage rate.

Provides a rebuttable presumption relating to recertification as a minority and women-owned business enterprise if there is no change in the ownership of the enterprise and no material change in the nature or management of the enterprise from the time of approval of the previous minority and women-owned business enterprise certification.

Provides an option for beneficiaries of NYC transit authority members to receive a lump sum equal to the pension reserve where a member who is eligible for a service retirement dies prior to filing for retirement.

Provides that beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, certain graduate students shall be required to pay 25% of all current and future mandatory university fees; provides that in the 2027-2028 academic year and thereafter, no mandatory university fees shall be charged, with the exclusion of the graduate student association student activity fee.

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.

Requires the New York state energy research and development authority conduct a study on Brooklyn College constructing a micro-grid to study the feasibility, efficiency, and energy saving costs if such a micro-grid was constructed on campus.