Sen. Robert Jackson

Creates the office of the correctional ombudsperson to achieve transparency, fairness, impartiality and accountability in New York state correctional facilities; relates to reports by coroners; designates investigators of the office of the correctional ombudsperson as peace officers; authorizes the attorney general to investigate the alleged commission of any criminal offense committed by an employee of the department of corrections and community supervision in connection with their official duties; relates to the confidentiality of certain records; includes the office of the correctional ombudsperson records within the definition of public safety agency records; makes related provisions.

Establishes the child and family well-being program and fund for the distribution of grants to eligible nonprofit community-based providers to respond to children's and families' needs in communities.

Establishes the office of black male excellence to analyze and provide recommendations regarding issues relating to black males including education, criminal justice, health, mental health, economic opportunity, employment, fatherhood, mentorship, violence, public safety, and quality of life.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows pharmacists to swap brand-name epinephrine auto-injectors (like EpiPens) with cheaper, equally effective generic versions when a patient is prescribed one. It requires pharmacists to confirm the alternative is less expensive, get the patient’s consent, and provide proper usage instructions. The swap is permitted only if the doctor didn’t specify "dispense as written" on the prescription. This aims to lower costs for patients while ensuring safety through pharmacist counseling.

Maddy summaryThis bill permits local governments, including political subdivisions and municipal corporations, to establish or waive residency requirements for individuals holding public officer positions within their jurisdiction. Currently, some laws mandate that these public officers reside in the area they serve. Under this proposal, a local legislative body could use a local law, ordinance, or resolution to set specific residency rules or decide to waive them entirely. This change would grant local entities more control over the residency qualifications for their public officeholders.

Requires the department of education to report information regarding counselors, social workers and psychologists in schools and to implement a plan to increase the school counselor, school social worker and school psychologist to student ratio to nationally accepted standards and provide funding for such.

Relates to authorizing voting by incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities; requires the department of corrections and community supervision, in collaboration with the state and county boards of election, to establish a program to facilitate incarcerated individuals voter registration and voting.

Enacts the "Customer Savings and Reliability Act" in relation to regional affordable gas transition plans to guide an orderly, affordable, and equitable right-sizing of the utility gas system in a manner that aligns with climate justice and emissions reduction provisions.

Defines the term "construction projects" to mean the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of any school building where a district receives any apportionment for debt service or building aid and the school building is sited within the Long Island region; provides that each contract involving the award of a construction project shall require the use of a project labor agreement for all contractors and subcontractors on such project.

Expedites MTA capital project improvement, construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation by establishing a process for utility relocation necessary for such project.