Relates to providing records for protection and advocacy services in a timely manner of not later than three business days upon written request and within twenty-four hours when there is probable cause to believe the health or safety of an individual is in serious or immediate jeopardy.
Requires school districts to have diversity officers to develop methods to diversify the personnel of the school district and to recommend changes to district policies and practices to reduce racial disparities in hiring school district employees, particularly teachers; requires boards of education to annually report information regarding such policies and practices to the department of education; requires the department of education to annually report such information to the legislature.
Creates the office of the correctional ombudsman 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 ombudsman 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 his or her official duties; relates to the confidentiality of certain records; includes the office of the correctional ombudsman records within the definition of public safety agency records; makes related provisions.
Relates to inmate wages; provides that inmates shall be compensated at a base rate of $1.20 to $10 per day and shall be given biannual raises for adequate performance; provides that inmates not participating in a work or program assignment due to age or frailty shall be paid $1.00 per day, adjusted every 5 years for cost of living.
Ensures language assistance services by state agencies; requires state agencies to maintain records of the primary language spoken by any individual seeking such assistance; requires state agency to submit an annual report on language services.
Enacts the climate and community investment act; prioritizes the allocation of public investments in disadvantaged communities; addresses climate change challenges through the expansion and growth of clean and renewable energy sources; adopts best value requirements for the solicitation, evaluation and award of renewable energy projects; establishes a community just transition program; establishes a climate pollution fee and a household and small business energy rebate; creates the climate and community investment authority.
Requires health care practitioners to provide up-to-date and evidence-based information on Down syndrome to pregnant women and parents of infants who test positive for Down syndrome in a written or alternative format at the time a Down syndrome screening test has been ordered.
Removes certain restrictions on eligibility for personal and home care services under medicaid.
Eliminates court surcharges and fees and probation and parole surcharges and fees; eliminates the requirement that a parolee or releasee receiving a merit termination of sentence be financially able to comply with an order of restitution; eliminates the requirement that a person receiving a discharge of sentence be financially able to comply with an order of restitution and the payment of certain surcharges or fees (Part A); prohibits mandatory minimum fines for penal law and vehicle and traffic offenses (Part B); mandates that courts engage in an individualized assessment of a person's financial ability to pay a fine prior to imposing a fine (Part C); eliminates the availability of incarceration as a remedy for a failure to pay a fine, surcharge, or fee, lifts and vacates existing warrants issued solely on a person's failure to timely pay a fine, surcharge or fee and ends existing sentences of incarceration based on such failure (Part D); vacates existing unsatisfied civil judgments based on a person's failure to timely pay a surcharge, or fee (Part E); prohibits the collection of a fine, restitution or reparation from the funds of an incarcerated person; prohibits the payment of court fines, mandatory surcharges, certain fees, restitution, reparation or forfeitures from the earnings of prisoners (Part F); vacates existing unpaid surcharges, DNA databank fees, crime victim assistance fees, sexual offender registration fees, supplemental sex offender victim fees, or probation or parole supervision fees; repeals certain provisions of law relating to restrictions on remitting such fees (Part G).
Provides that the rate of interest on money judgments in actions involving consumer debt where the defendant is a natural person shall be calculated at a rate of two percent.
