Sen. Nathalia Fernández

Relates to establishing the housing access voucher program; provides that the commissioner of the division of housing and community renewal shall implement a program of rental assistance in the form of housing vouchers for eligible individuals and families who are homeless or who face an imminent loss of housing; provides that the commissioner shall designate public housing agencies in the state to administer the program.

Enacts the "marihuana regulation and taxation act"; relates to the description of cannabis, and the growing of and use of cannabis by persons twenty-one years of age or older; makes technical changes regarding the definition of cannabis; relates to removing certain references to marijuana relating to forfeiture actions; relates to the qualification of certain offenses involving cannabis and exempts certain persons from prosecution for the use, consumption, display, production or distribution of cannabis; relates to the definition of smoking; provides for the licensure of persons authorized to produce, process and sell marihuana; levies an excise tax on certain sales of cannabis; repeals certain provisions of the penal law relating to the criminal sale of cannabis and provisions of the general business law relating to drug paraphernalia; creates the New York state cannabis revenue fund, the New York state drug treatment and public education fund and the New York state community grants reinvestment fund.

Exempts certain retirement plan distributions for income tax purposes.

Prohibits health insurers, health care plans and HMOs from requiring prior authorization for pre-exposure prophylaxis used to prevent HIV infection.

Requires registration of new automotive broker businesses; enacts various provisions relating to conduct of such businesses; defines certain deceptive practices; establishes rights of action and penalties.

Standardizes child care copayments by instructing local social services districts to not require a family receiving child care assistance to contribute more than 20% of the amount of their income exceeding the poverty level.

Expands the definition of the offense of coercion in the second degree to include the production or dissemination of intimate images; and relates to the definition of "sex offense".

Enacts the student journalist free speech act to protect student speech at educational institutions unless such speech is libelous, an invasion of privacy, or incites students to commit an unlawful act, violate school policies, or to materially and substantially disrupt the orderly operation of the school.

Directs the commissioner of education to establish a New York state model wellness policy which is in compliance with the local wellness policies required by the federal healthy, hunger-free kids act of 2010.

Requires that all holders of a professional certificate in the classroom teaching service, holders of a level III teaching assistant certificate and holders of a professional certificate in the educational leadership service receive a minimum of three hours of training in mental health per year.