Sen. Jabari Brisport

Creates the office of the correctional ombudsperson to achieve transparency, fairness, impartiality and accountability in New York state correctional facilities; relates to reports by coroners; designates investigators of the office of the correctional ombudsperson as peace officers; authorizes the attorney general to investigate the alleged commission of any criminal offense committed by an employee of the department of corrections and community supervision in connection with their official duties; relates to the confidentiality of certain records; includes the office of the correctional ombudsperson records within the definition of public safety agency records; makes related provisions.

Establishes the child and family well-being program and fund for the distribution of grants to eligible nonprofit community-based providers to respond to children's and families' needs in communities.

Expedites MTA capital project improvement, construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation by establishing a process for utility relocation necessary for such project.

Prohibits participation in torture of incarcerated individuals by health professionals; prohibits a health care professional from engaging, assisting or planning the torture of an incarcerated individual; requires health care professionals to report torture.

Provides grounds for attachment; relates to procedures where employees may hold shareholders of non-publicly traded corporations personally liable for wage theft; relates to rights for victims of wage theft to hold the ten members with the largest ownership interests in a company personally liable for wage theft; relates to penalties for certain wage violations.

Precludes inadmissible statements made by defendants because of false facts about evidence or because of a statement that undermines the reliability of the defendant's statement; requires data collection and analysis by the division of criminal justice services of recorded interrogations.

Maddy summaryS 2296 would create a new role for court-appointed advocates in New York animal welfare cases. In any civil or criminal case involving an animal's well-being, courts could appoint a volunteer advocate from a list maintained by the court to monitor the case, access relevant records (like vet or animal control reports), and share information with lawyers and the court. The advocate would present recommendations about the animal's interests but cannot subpoena witnesses or obtain discovery. This directly affects animals involved in legal cases and the courts handling them, with advocates limited to lawyers or supervised law students. The bill requires courts to appoint such advocates upon request or initiative, focusing on the animal's welfare as a distinct interest.

Provides for the regulation of indoor and outdoor worksites with temperature protection standards and education, training and reporting requirements to ensure that employers provide safe conditions for their employees.

Requires institutions and local correctional facilities to adhere to certain standards regarding the surveillance of incarcerated individuals and detainees, and access to such surveillance recordings.

Directs the commissioner of labor, in conjunction with the commissioner of health, to develop a program which incentivizes unemployed individuals to enter jobs in healthcare.