Improves transparency in the insurance claims process; regulates insurance adjusting professionals; institutes licensing standards for insurance professionals; ensures timely responses to insurance claims; enhances policyholder protections.
Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton
Sponsored bills
Relates to establishing the crime of coercive control; provides that a person is guilty of coercive control when such person engages in a course of conduct against a member of such person's same family or household, without the victim's consent, which results in limiting or restricting, in full or in part, the victim's behavior, movement, associations or access to or use of such victim's own finances or financial information; provides that coercive control is a class E felony.
Provides that any small property owner that owns twenty units or less shall be entitled to free legal services if such small property owner can prove a loss of at least twenty percent of rent payments in a calendar year; defines "small property owner" as any lessor in a residential real property transaction, and includes an owner of twenty units or less who lists residential real property for lease with an agent, whether or not a lease results, or who receives an offer to lease twenty units of residential real property or less.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 5725) would permanently adopt daylight saving time as New York's standard time if Congress amends federal law to allow states to do so. It amends New York's time law to remove the seasonal switch between standard and daylight saving time, making daylight saving time the year-round standard for the entire state and all its political subdivisions. The bill also repeals a specific section of New York City's administrative code related to timekeeping. However, the bill's implementation depends entirely on future federal action - Congress must change 15 U.S.C. § 260a to permit permanent daylight saving time in the eastern time zone.
Maddy summaryS 4890 creates a new crime for incarcerated individuals who harass facility employees. It specifically prohibits: (1) displaying or touching intimate body parts in view of an employee, (2) causing an employee to be visible while doing so, or (3) threatening to expose bodily fluids. This applies to employees at correctional facilities, parole offices, mental health facilities, probation departments, or police officers. The offense is classified as a class B misdemeanor, punishable by fines or up to 90 days in jail.
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.
Waives the fee for a commercial driver's license for a member of the military or a veteran when they submit an application for military skills test waiver as part of their application.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 6155) modifies New York's Excelsior Scholarship program to help current recipients maintain eligibility as their income grows. It allows the maximum allowable adjusted gross income threshold to increase by up to 3% annually after the first semester of receiving the scholarship, rather than requiring students to stay below a fixed income limit. The state education corporation (the "corporation") will review and determine if this annual 3% increase (or further increases at its discretion) prevents disqualification due to rising household income. This directly affects undergraduate students at New York state public colleges who currently receive the Excelsior Scholarship and experience typical annual income growth.
Relates to the appointment of a military liaison to each school district, charter school, and private elementary and secondary school for purposes of providing military families with information regarding benefits they may be eligible for under the laws of this state.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 4076) requires most health insurance plans in New York to cover comprehensive medical genetic testing for two specific groups: adoptees (as defined by New York law) and individuals who were placed in foster care. It mandates coverage for tests analyzing DNA, RNA, chromosomes, or proteins to identify inherited genetic conditions, including predispositions to diseases. Insurers may limit coverage to New York residents and apply standard deductibles or co-insurance, but must provide this testing coverage as part of hospital, surgical, or medical care plans. The law applies to individual, group, and health service corporation insurance policies issued or renewed after its effective date.