Sen. Luis Sepúlveda

Relates to project labor agreement feasibility studies and apprenticeship agreements; provides the study shall look to see if there will be a negative impact on opportunities for minority, women or service-disabled veteran owned businesses; provides such feasibility studies shall be provided to the public for review and comment.

Relates to the public release of grand jury documents; releases the district attorney's grand jury charges to the public upon request once the grand jury has reached a final decision.

Maddy summaryS 3985 establishes a task force to study the potential impact of a state-issued cryptocurrency in New York, without creating the cryptocurrency itself. The task force will examine regulatory implications (including SEC and CFTC oversight), effects on monetary policy and financial stability, tax implications, and approaches taken by other jurisdictions. Composed of 9 members appointed by state leaders, the task force must submit findings to the governor and legislature within one year of the bill's enactment. This is a study bill focused on gathering information, not implementing policy.

Relates to returnable bottles; adds noncarbonated soft drinks, certain noncarbonated fruit or vegetable juices, coffee and tea beverages, carbonated fruit beverages and cider to the definition of "beverage"; provides that beginning April 1, 2027, the handling fee will be six cents for each beverage container accepted by a deposit initiator from a dealer or operator of a redemption center; directs the multi-agency bottle bill fraud investigation team to submit a report on findings of pervasive bottle redemption fraud in New York state.

Maddy summaryBill S 6595 establishes a property tax abatement program for owners of certain buildings in cities with populations of one million or more. This program incentivizes the installation of "facility-integrated carbon-to-value equipment" designed to capture, remove, or beneficially use carbon dioxide emissions. Eligible property owners can receive an abatement for a compliance period of up to eight years, calculated as the lesser of 5% of eligible equipment expenditures, the taxes payable, or $100,000 annually (with a potential maximum of $800,000). The equipment must demonstrate a net reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, and specific restrictions apply, including for certain boiler systems and locations within environmental justice areas.

Relates to correctional facility visits by the correctional association; authorizes the correctional association to visit correctional facilities at any time and without advance notice; grants the correctional association access to certain records and information of correctional facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New York's penal law to adjust thresholds for criminal mischief charges. It raises the property damage amount required for third-degree criminal mischief (from $250 to $1,000) and adds a repeat-offender provision: damaging a locked vehicle with intent to steal becomes a felony if the person has three prior convictions for lower-level mischief offenses. For second-degree mischief, it increases the damage threshold from $1,000 to $3,500 to qualify as a felony. These changes directly affect individuals who damage property under these specific financial or repeat-offense conditions. The bill was referred to the Codes committee on February 18, 2025.

Establishes the green accessible transition authority to promote the transition of the for-hire vehicle and other state industries to environmentally sustainable practices and increase universal accessibility of for-hire vehicles, paratransit services, and taxi services statewide; establishes a for-hire vehicle improvement surcharge for each for-hire transportation trip conducted in a transportation network company vehicle or by a high-volume for-hire service; makes an appropriation therefor.

Increases the maximum amount of fines for parking violations from fifty dollars to sixty-five dollars for a first violation, eighty-five dollars for a second parking violation, and one hundred dollars for each subsequent violation.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals emergency regulations restricting hemp-derived cannabinoid products and allows licensed retailers to sell all forms of cannabinoid hemp (including products containing Delta-8, Delta-10, and other THC isomers) starting January 1, 2026. It requires mandatory labeling for all such products, including nutrition facts, an FDA disclaimer, and milligram potency per serving. Smoking products (like flower, cigarettes, or pre-rolls) must be sold only to adults 21+ in licensed cannabis stores. The bill also nullifies any prior rules banning specific cannabinoid hemp sales, while requiring safety rules from the cannabis control board that don’t block sales.