Sen. Kevin Parker

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (J 1468), not a policy bill. It formally honors Cassandra Harris Lockwood, a community leader and artist, for receiving the Young, Gifted, & Black Entrepreneurial Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award in Community Service and Outreach. The resolution recognizes her decades of work in the arts, activism, community organizing, and founding initiatives like Utica's first Black newspaper and the nonprofit For The Good, Inc. It has no policy impact - it simply expresses the legislature's commendation through a symbolic resolution.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 1493 commemorates the 45th anniversary of Dorothy Day's death, honoring her legacy as a Catholic lay leader, journalist, and co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. The resolution formally recognizes her lifelong work in social justice, pacifism, and service to the poor, particularly her ties to Staten Island. It directs that copies of the resolution be sent to the Staten Island Catholic Worker and St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in New Brighton, where Day is interred and where her legacy is actively preserved. This is a symbolic gesture with no legal effect or direct impact on individuals or policies.

Establishes the bilingual teachers of tomorrow teacher recruitment and retention program to attract and retain bilingual, certified teachers in schools with a bilingual teacher shortage; provides for grants and procedures for applying for such grants and eligibility requirements for fund distribution.

Enacts the "public health resilience, early-warning, and planning (PREP) act"; requires the commissioner of health to establish and maintain within the department a public health resilience, early-warning, and planning framework to identify, assess, and prepare for public health threats that may affect the residents of the state.

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 6178 requires New York's health commissioner to study whether people with sickle cell disease face worse access to treatment compared to those with other chronic conditions like lupus, cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. The study must examine differences in both the availability and affordability of care for sickle cell patients versus others. Results must be published online within 18 months of the law's effective date, and the bill expires two years after enactment. This legislation directly affects sickle cell disease patients by mandating an analysis of healthcare access disparities.

Maddy summaryThis bill shifts outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services under New York's Medicaid program from a managed care model back to traditional fee-for-service billing, requiring federal approval. It directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries receiving these services and the providers (licensed facilities, clinics) delivering them. Key provisions mandate that these services be administered under fee-for-service, with savings from the transition required to be reinvested into community-based behavioral health services starting in 2026. The change takes effect October 1, 2025, and applies to services for individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate Resolution (J 1451) honoring Grand Sheik Shaahid Ali El for receiving the Strategic Leadership Award in Brand Management and Community Engagement from Young, Gifted, & Black Entrepreneurial Awards, Inc. It recognizes his leadership roles in the Moorish Science Temple of America, his founding of the Ezrach Brain Trust Association for community development, and his work as a local entrepreneur in Los Angeles. The resolution has no binding effect - it serves only as a symbolic gesture of recognition by the legislative body. It was adopted on January 21, 2026, with copies sent to the honoree and the awarding organization.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (J 1392) asks Governor Hochul to designate April 11-17, 2026, as Black Maternal Health Week in New York State. It aims to raise public awareness about the severe racial disparities in maternal health outcomes, where Black women in New York face significantly higher risks of pregnancy-related death and complications compared to white women. The resolution does not create new laws or allocate funds but serves as a symbolic recognition of these health inequities and supports community efforts led by Black women's health organizations. It aligns with the national Black Mamas Matter Alliance's campaign to highlight preventable maternal health challenges.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate Resolution (J 1459), not a bill with policy changes. It honors Akeem Rudder, a Barbadian senior national hockey player and founder of IncludeU Sports Academy, for receiving the Strategic Vision Award in Sports, Health & Fitness from Young, Gifted, & Black Entrepreneurial Awards, Inc. The resolution commends his work creating inclusive sports programs for people with disabilities through his academy, which partners with groups like the Barbados Down Syndrome Association. The Legislative Body will formally commend him and send him a copy of the resolution as a gesture of respect.