Sen. Dean Murray

Maddy summaryThis bill updates rules for life insurance agent compensation in New York. It revises dollar amounts for training allowances and eligibility criteria, setting new limits on how much companies can pay agents during their early years (e.g., $40,000 in Year 1 instead of $20,000). The changes clarify that agents must meet specific income or sales activity thresholds to qualify for subsidies, and establish cumulative caps over multiple years. Companies must follow these updated limits when providing training support, with the superintendent allowed to adjust amounts periodically.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds a voluntary contribution option to New York dog license applications. Dog owners applying for or renewing licenses can choose to make a separate, clearly marked donation to their municipality's animal pound or shelter (or a contracted provider). The contribution appears as a distinct field on the application form, with suggested amounts but no requirement to contribute. It directly affects dog owners during license processing and provides a new funding mechanism for municipal animal shelters.

Directs the state university trustees, without any public bidding, to lease and otherwise contract to make a portion of the lands of SUNY Stony Brook on its campus to the Stony Brook Housing Development Corp. for the purpose of building undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty and staff housing; limits such lease to a period not exceeding 100 years.

Protects certain employees from a reduction of wages due to their involvement in the investigation of a violation of a workplace violence protection program.

Authorizes the town of Brookhaven, county of Suffolk to alienate certain parklands for use as a recharge basin and to dedicate other lands as replacement parklands.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds arson offenses to categories where courts may deny pretrial release (bail) for defendants. Specifically, it authorizes judges to deny bail for "arson in the fourth degree" (§150.05) or "arson in the third degree" (§150.10) under the same conditions as other serious crimes involving harm to people or property. Prosecutors must show "reasonable cause" the defendant committed the arson, but courts may still release defendants if property damage is deemed negligible and unrelated to other crimes. The bill directly affects individuals charged with these arson offenses during pretrial proceedings.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1648) would have amended New York's criminal procedure law to allow bail for defendants charged with "aggravated cruelty to animals" under Agriculture and Markets Law § 353-a. It specifically added this offense to existing bail eligibility provisions that previously included firearm-related crimes (like third-degree weapons possession). The bill was defeated in the Codes committee on May 5, 2025, and did not become law. It directly affected individuals charged with severe animal cruelty offenses by changing their bail eligibility under state law.

Authorizes the assessor of the town of Brookhaven to accept an application for a real property tax exemption from Calvary Full Gospel Assembly of God Church for the property located at 777 Sipp Avenue in East Patchogue.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1515) changes how local governments in New York calculate property tax levies by removing costs for emergency medical services (EMS) from the tax levy cap. It directly affects cities, towns, and counties that provide EMS, allowing them to fund these services without counting those expenses toward their annual property tax limit. The key provision adds a new exemption (subparagraph v) to the tax levy calculation, explicitly excluding EMS expenditures from the cap. This is a technical adjustment to the tax formula, not a new funding source or policy shift for EMS services themselves.

Permits certain licensed athletic trainers who are licensed to practice in another state, territory or country to provide athletic training services to athletes and team personnel at a discrete sanctioned team sporting event or performance in this state.