Sen. Robert Jackson

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.

Relates to the amount of state aid reimbursement for public health services by a municipality in the city of New York when the municipality is providing some or all of certain identified core public health services.

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.

Enacts "Destini Smothers' law"; requires collaboration between law enforcement agencies in missing persons investigations; provides support for relatives of such missing persons.

Requires the division of housing and community renewal to publish on its website a database of building-wide major capital improvements installed by landlords in every city of more than one million inhabitants.

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.

Establishes the "Not on our dime!: Ending New York funding of Israeli settler violence act" to prohibit not-for-profit corporations from engaging in unauthorized support of Israeli settlement activity; allows for recovery of a civil penalty by the state attorney general; creates a private right of action for violations.

Maddy summaryS 6436 amends multiple state laws to replace the term "American Indian" with "Indigenous peoples" or variations in legal definitions. It directly affects existing provisions in laws related to minority business enterprise eligibility, criminal justice data collection, education testing categories, and environmental conservation contracting. The bill updates statutory language across 8 sections - including corrections data categories, economic development definitions, and cannabis law provisions - to use the more inclusive term "Indigenous peoples" instead of "American Indian." This change reflects a shift in terminology to align with contemporary usage preferred by many Indigenous communities. The bill does not alter eligibility criteria or funding levels, only the descriptive language used in these legal references.

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.

Maddy summarySenate Bill S 7518 establishes a program for supplemental quality improvement payments to certain managed long-term care plans. Beginning April 1, 2025, and lasting for one year, plans that achieve a four or five-star rating in the consumer quality guide and meet a specific risk score threshold will receive additional payments. This funding will be generated by a reduction in payment rates for plans that do not qualify. The bill aims to incentivize higher quality of care among managed long-term care providers by rewarding top-performing plans.