Sen. Luis Sepúlveda

Enacts the "New York wildlife crossing act"; directs the department of transportation and the New York state thruway authority, in consultation with the department of environmental conservation and the department of motor vehicles, to identify sites along all highways, thruways and parkways in the state where wildlife crossings are most needed to increase public safety and improve habitat connectivity and create a priority list of wildlife opportunity areas where federal grant monies may be available to implement the top five projects identified.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the New York State courts to post information about court adjournments on the state's electronic filing website. It affects judges, court staff, and attorneys who rely on the electronic system to track when court sessions are suspended. The legislation requires the adoption of specific rules to ensure this scheduling data is transmitted and made available online. Once enacted, the new requirements will take effect 30 days later.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to set the number of surrogate's court judges in Bronx County at two. It achieves this by amending the Judiciary Law to explicitly state that the Bronx County Surrogate's Court shall consist of two surrogates. The change would apply immediately upon taking effect. This adjustment directly affects the staffing and judicial structure of the court in that specific county.

Establishes an all-party consent requirement for any audio or video recording of mediation and court-annexed alternative dispute resolution proceedings.

Relates to requiring the Department of Homeless Services to notify the affected community board prior to locating transitional housing for the homeless; requires written notification sixty days before the department enters into a contractual arrangement with a transitional housing provider or otherwise finalizes its decision to use or expand a location as transitional housing.

Requires the New York city department of corrections and the New York city health and hospitals corporation to adopt safety policies to protect health care workers who treat incarcerated individuals.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires food manufacturers to offer the same pricing terms for covered goods (like packaged groceries) to all retailers purchasing in similar volumes, preventing large chains from receiving preferential deals that disadvantage smaller stores. It specifically targets "dominant covered retailers" (e.g., national chains with over $18 billion in annual sales across 20+ states) and mandates that manufacturers provide anonymized pricing data to smaller retailers upon request within 14 days. The law directly affects small and independent grocery stores in New York, which often face higher prices due to the bargaining power of large retailers. Covered goods exclude gasoline, alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs. The bill aims to ensure fair competition and lower prices for all consumers by requiring uniform terms of sale.

Establishes the end predatory home flipping act; imposes a tax on the transfer of certain residential properties which are sold within two years of the prior conveyance of such property; exempts certain purchases of residential properties from mortgage recording taxes; imposes a tax on the transfer of certain properties in the city of New York which are sold for one million dollars or more.

Requires a motion picture theater that offers more than ten motion picture showings per week to provide scheduled showings of motion pictures with open motion picture captioning such that at least one quarter of all showings of a motion picture with four or more showings during a one-week time period shall have open motion picture captioning; provides exceptions and penalties for violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 947) prohibits residential landlords from charging tenants fees for using electronic rent payment methods like online portals or automated clearing house (ACH) systems. It requires landlords to offer at least one fee-free payment option (such as cash or check) and bans them from requiring electronic payment as the sole method. Landlords also cannot charge fees for tenants who choose not to use electronic systems. The law applies directly to tenants and landlords in New York residential leases and takes effect immediately.