Sen. Cordell Cleare

Establishes clean energy goals of reducing the annual total of vehicle miles traveled within the state by 20% by the year 2050; requires state and local highway projects to comply with reductions to vehicle miles traveled targets.

Maddy summaryS 4688 requires batteries used in electric assist bicycles and electric scooters to be tested and approved by specific accredited laboratories. This affects manufacturers and sellers of e-bikes and e-scooters, mandating that their batteries display a seal from approved testing bodies. The bill specifies that batteries must be certified by Underwriters Laboratories or labs meeting ISO/IEC 17025, ISO/IEC 17065, or OSHA NRTL standards. The requirement aims to ensure battery safety through standardized testing before these devices are sold or used.

Requires rent concessions to be reported to the division of housing and community renewal; requires the inclusion of a statement of net effective rent for units with concessions; requires certain annual statements filed to include reporting of rent concessions.

Provides notice of the death of an incarcerated individual occurring in the custody of the department of corrections and community supervision; requires the department to promptly notify the next kin and any other person designated as the representative of any incarcerated individual whose death takes place during custody.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals two specific provisions in New York's education law that previously required a reduction in state funding for charter schools. It removes paragraph (e) of section 2853 and subdivision 6-g of section 3602, which mandated the funding rollback. As a result, charter schools will no longer be subject to this specific reduction in state aid. The change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Enacts the Health Care Nondiscrimination Act; requires insurance coverage and health plans to implement equality and non-discrimination between licensed health care providers; requires fee parity between different classes of licensed providers providing the similar or like-kind services; requires practitioners to discuss and refer or prescribe non-pharmacological treatment alternatives before prescribing an opioid treatment; allows any licensed health care provider to perform certain services, including certifying disability and employment by school districts; provides for enforcement and penalties.

Establishes the professional practice of community midwifery; defines as the management in the home, birth center, or community setting, of normal pregnancies, child birth, and postpartum care, including newborn evaluation, resuscitation and referral for infants; sets requirements for license and practice.

Maddy summaryS 7175 requires healthcare prescribers of certain pain medications to complete updated training focused on safe prescribing practices. The bill mandates that training cover state/federal prescribing rules, pain management, addiction screening, overdose prevention techniques, and buprenorphine prescribing information for license renewals after July 1, 2026. It directs the health department to establish and publish standards for this training, including patient-centered care considerations. The law takes effect 120 days after enactment, with necessary rule updates to be completed by the health department before that date. This directly affects licensed prescribers who renew their licenses after 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill preserves the right to a jury trial for individuals filing human rights lawsuits under New York law that seek equitable relief (such as court orders or injunctions). It specifically ensures that people suing for discrimination in employment or housing - where they request non-monetary remedies - can still demand a jury trial, even if they initially filed a complaint with a human rights agency. The law amends existing procedures to prevent administrative processes from automatically waiving this constitutional right. It directly affects plaintiffs in discrimination cases who pursue equitable remedies through court. The change applies to both state and local human rights law actions.

Maddy summaryS 6498, known as "Siena's Law," requires New York senior high schools to add breast cancer education to mandatory health classes, including age-appropriate instruction on self-examinations. Certified health teachers must deliver this content, covering prevention and detection methods for breast cancer as part of the standard curriculum. Local school boards may also choose to include this education in elementary and middle schools. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, after enactment.