Expands eligibility for the tuition assistance program by restoring eligibility to graduate students; makes optional semesters, quarters or terms eligible for awards.
Maddy summaryBill S 7614 modifies the eligibility requirements for cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for New York public retirement systems. Effective September 1, 2025, it lowers the age requirement for general pensioners to receive a COLA from age 62 to age 55, provided they have been retired for five years. The bill also streamlines eligibility for disability pensioners and accidental death benefit recipients, who will continue to be eligible after five years regardless of age. These changes apply to various state and New York City retirement systems.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 8023) shortens the waiting period for certain New York state retirees to receive cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to their pension benefits. It reduces the required retirement duration from five years to two years for: retirees aged 62+ or 55+ with longer service, disability retirees, and accidental death benefit recipients. The change applies to multiple retirement systems, including state teachers', police, fire, and city employee pensions. This directly affects eligible retirees by accelerating when they begin receiving COLAs to help offset inflation. The bill modifies existing law without altering benefit amounts or eligibility criteria beyond the shortened waiting period.
Provides that for the purposes of educational leave, an eligible incarcerated individual shall include an incarcerated individual who is within two years of being an eligible incarcerated individual.
Relates to actions or practices that establish or maintain a monopoly, monopsony or restraint of trade; authorizes a class action lawsuit in the state anti-trust law.
Empowers the office of fire prevention and control to, in coordination with the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities and the chief disability officer, provide minimum basic training related to handling emergency situations involving individuals with any physical and/or developmental disability to all firefighters.
Relates to the issuance of arrest warrants upon a youth who is still in high school; provides for the police officer to make a reasonable effort to notify the parent or other person legally responsible for the care of such youth or with whom the youth is domiciled that the youth has been arrested; provides that the police officer need not notify the parent or other person legally responsible when such youth is not also a juvenile offender and the notification would endanger the health and safety of such youth; amends provisions relating to sexually exploited children to include persons under the age of nineteen.
Authorizes and directs the department of public service to conduct a study on the deployment of energy interconnection processes into the electrical grid to meet the state's renewable energy goals; directs the department of public service to submit a report on its findings one year after the effective date.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires electric and gas utilities to offer reduced rates of 25-35% to low-income households enrolled in specific assistance programs like SSI, TANF, SNAP, or home energy assistance. It directs utilities to simplify enrollment through data sharing with social services agencies and provide clear application information on bills and websites. Utilities must cover the cost of these discounts using existing profits (not raising rates for other customers) and implement the program by 2027. The policy directly affects over 1 million low-income New York households currently receiving federal or state aid.
Decreases the frequency of lock-down drills in schools; directs that such drills shall be implemented with a trauma-informed approach; permits parents to opt their children out of such drills.
