Sen. Andrew Gounardes

Establishes an Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) leadership institute within the state university of New York as an initiative for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) leaders in higher education with a mission to retain and grow from within SUNY a greater proportion of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) professionals at SUNY campuses; creates an eight member advisory council.

Requires at least one full-time licensed or certified social worker to be employed in each elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high school and senior high school throughout the state.

Relates to special provisions for the operation of bicycles when approaching stop signs and traffic-control signals including steady circular red signals and red arrow signals.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits the real property tax exemption for unimproved land owned by certain nonprofit organizations to a 7-year period. Nonprofits must either begin development or have plans in place within 7 years of acquiring the land (with a special start date for pre-existing land), or lose the exemption. Exceptions apply for children's camps (as defined in public health law) and conservation organizations (as defined in environmental law). The law requires nonprofits to actively develop land within this timeframe to maintain the tax benefit.

Provides affordable and accessible dependent care options for working families by including qualified in-home and backup care expenditures paid or incurred with respect to the taxpayer's employees working in the state in the employer- provided child care credit criteria; makes technical corrections to make such credit independent of the federal employer-provided child care credit.

Permits the sale of goods that remain in a self-storage facility to enforce a lien by the facility through a public website, pursuant to notice requirements.

Establishes authority for early childcare savings accounts to provide tax benefits for savings for qualified childcare services; provides for the functions and powers of the comptroller; provides for the program requirements and limitations.

Establishes a high school robotics grant program; provides funding to high schools for participation in robotics competitions; sets forth eligibility requirements; provides for the application and awards process.

Maddy summaryThe Hunger-Free Campus Act (S 2637) creates a grant program for public colleges and universities to address student food insecurity. To qualify, campuses must meet specific requirements, including establishing student-led hunger task forces, providing SNAP enrollment assistance, operating on-campus food pantries, and conducting annual student hunger surveys. Grants fund initiatives like meal donation programs, SNAP outreach, and awareness campaigns to support students' basic food needs. The program requires institutions to report on grant usage and outcomes to the state education commissioner, with priority given to schools with high Pell Grant enrollment.

Enacts the "fair college admissions act"; prohibits legacy admissions policies at colleges and universities in New York; declares such policies and practices to be discriminatory and inequitable.