Sen. Liz Krueger

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new rules for state and local agencies regarding immigration-related matters. It prohibits government agencies from asking about a person's immigration status when providing public benefits or services, and bans law enforcement from stopping or detaining people based on immigration status or federal immigration detainers. The law requires confidentiality for any immigration information collected and mandates free interpreter services for non-English speakers during related inquiries. These provisions directly affect immigrants seeking public assistance, law enforcement agencies, and government offices handling benefits or services.

Prohibits the state from entering into certain contracts with companies requiring employees to stipulate to binding arbitration for all disputes unless it excludes disputes involving sexual assault.

Maddy summaryS 176 creates a new civil legal remedy allowing individuals to sue when their constitutional or legal rights are violated by government officials or public entities acting under government authority. It directly affects anyone whose rights are deprived by such actors, including victims of police misconduct, discriminatory policies, or other state-sponsored violations. Key provisions include allowing lawsuits for damages and attorney fees (even if the case settles without a court judgment), removing common defenses like "good faith" or "unclear law," and requiring public entities to cover their employees' legal costs. The law sets a three-year deadline for filing claims and applies to both state and federal rights violations.

Maddy summaryS 4489 imposes a monthly tax on commercial data collectors that gather consumer data from more than one million New York residents each month. The tax rate increases based on the number of New York consumers affected, starting at $0 for under 1 million, then tiering up to $2.25 million plus 50 cents per consumer for collections exceeding 10 million. It directly affects large for-profit data brokers (not small businesses or those collecting only basic contact info like email or phone numbers), requiring them to pay based on their scale of New York consumer data collection. The tax applies regardless of how the data is collected (electronically or otherwise) and includes specific rules for counting consumers and handling multi-entity ownership.

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.

Relates to prohibiting the release of certain balloons; prohibits a person from knowingly or intentionally releasing outdoors any balloons constructed of electrically conductive material filled with helium or a gas lighter than air; provides exceptions.

Requires the inclusion of certain information in fiscal notes in retirement bills and on bills affecting political subdivisions; provides that fiscal note measurements shall be made in units of money, personal services, equipment, or any appropriate, convenient or accessible units and measurement.

Waives Unemployment Pandemic Benefits repayments in whole or in part if the payment of such pandemic unemployment assistance was without fault on the part of the claimant and such repayment would be contrary to equity and good conscience.

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 tropical rainforest economic & environmental sustainability act requiring that companies contracting with the state do not contribute to tropical forest degradation or deforestation directly or through their supply chains; establishes the supply chain transparency assistance program to assist small and medium-sized businesses and minority and women-owned businesses in achieving compliant supply chains.