Sen. Nathalia Fernández

Prohibits the participation of certain animals in traveling animal acts; prohibits the department of environmental conservation from issuing permits or licenses allowing participation of certain animals in traveling animal acts; excludes certain permanent performing institutions; imposes a civil penalty not to exceed $1000 for a violation.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows voters who develop a medical emergency, such as hospitalization, on the day before an election to request a special ballot on election day itself. Under the new rules, these individuals can submit an application to the board of elections, which must then provide a ballot to their designated agent before polls close, ensuring the voter has enough time to return it. The ballot remains valid if it is postmarked by the end of the election day and will be counted according to existing procedures for timely returns. This change directly affects voters facing sudden health crises that prevent them from voting in person on election day.

Enacts the "pediatric cancer neuropsychological needs assessment act"; requires insurers to provide coverage for neuropsychological assessments for children with pediatric cancers which affect brain development or function.

Allocates the Amistad commission to work alongside the department of education and on behalf of students in the state; repeals certain provisions relating to the Amistad commission; requires schools in the state to provide curriculum relating to Black history, slavery, and race.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution honors Jillian Hanesworth and Augustus Clarke for winning the 2024 Sports Emmy Award in the Short Film category. The bill formally recognizes their work on the film "Still Here," which highlights the resilience of Buffalo following the 2022 mass shooting and blizzard. It directs the legislative body to pause its proceedings to acknowledge their achievement and mandates that a copy of the resolution be sent to them. The measure serves as a public commendation of their specific contribution to the NFL 360 series rather than altering any laws or policies.

Authorizes the use of an electronic signature by a person granted a power of attorney by a taxpayer with respect to documents submitted to the New York state department of taxation and finance and the New York city department of finance.

Requires each institution within the state university of New York and the city university of New York offering in-person student instruction to have at least one vending machine making emergency contraception available for purchase.

Establishes through the department of health, in conjunction with the office of addiction services and supports, a drug checking services program to allow individuals to bring drugs or controlled substances and have them tested for contaminants, toxic substances, or hazardous compounds.

Establishes fetal and infant mortality review boards to study fetal and infant mortality and morbidity and make recommendations on policies, best practices, and strategies to reduce fetal and infant mortality and morbidity.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the financial disclosure requirements for state and legislative officials, officers, and employees who work as lawyers, real estate brokers, or lobbyists. It updates the rules for reporting clients and services based on when the work was performed, lowering the monetary thresholds for disclosing state contracts and grants from $50,000 and $25,000 respectively to $10,000 for matters occurring after December 31, 2015. The legislation also mandates that individuals describe the specific matters and services provided to clients for whom they earned more than $10,000, while continuing to exclude certain sensitive categories such as medical services, bankruptcy cases, and domestic relations matters. These changes aim to increase transparency regarding the financial interests of public officials by requiring more detailed and frequent reporting of their professional activities.