Sen. Nathalia Fernández

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention and a Gun Violence Advisory Council. The office coordinates state, local, and federal efforts to prevent gun violence, centralizes grant programs, improves data collection on firearm incidents, and runs public education campaigns. The advisory council - comprising survivors, community leaders, healthcare providers, law enforcement, and other stakeholders - provides guidance to the office. These entities will work with state agencies like health, education, and public safety departments to develop and implement gun violence prevention strategies across New York.

Relates to the definition of drug-related paraphernalia; clarifies that drug-related paraphernalia shall not impact substances that are not considered controlled substances.

Increases the minimum wage outside of New York city and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester; repeals certain provisions of law relating to exceptions to minimum wage increases.

Maddy summaryThis bill gives New York's Board of Regents final authority to approve or deny all new and renewed charter school proposals. Charter schools seeking approval must resubmit their applications to the Board of Regents after addressing its feedback, and the Board must make a final decision within 30 days (or the proposal is automatically approved). It directly affects charter school applicants and entities by shifting the final approval decision from local authorities to the state Board of Regents, requiring all modifications to satisfy the Board's recommendations before approval. The bill does not change the process for charter school operations, only the final approval step for new or renewed charters.

Enacts the "cannabis adult-use transition act"; increases the number of members on the state cannabis advisory board from thirteen to seventeen voting appointed members; provides that an eligible registered organization shall be authorized as a registered organization adult-use cultivator processor distributor retail dispensary upon approval of an application to the office of cannabis management that must be available to such registered organizations no later than August first, two thousand twenty-five and remain available thereafter; provides that the office must approve or deny such application within thirty days of its submission or it shall be deemed approved; makes related provisions.

Maddy summaryS 2296 would create a new role for court-appointed advocates in New York animal welfare cases. In any civil or criminal case involving an animal's well-being, courts could appoint a volunteer advocate from a list maintained by the court to monitor the case, access relevant records (like vet or animal control reports), and share information with lawyers and the court. The advocate would present recommendations about the animal's interests but cannot subpoena witnesses or obtain discovery. This directly affects animals involved in legal cases and the courts handling them, with advocates limited to lawyers or supervised law students. The bill requires courts to appoint such advocates upon request or initiative, focusing on the animal's welfare as a distinct interest.

Provides for the regulation of indoor and outdoor worksites with temperature protection standards and education, training and reporting requirements to ensure that employers provide safe conditions for their employees.

Requires institutions and local correctional facilities to adhere to certain standards regarding the surveillance of incarcerated individuals and detainees, and access to such surveillance recordings.

Prohibits a municipality from relocating migrants from such municipality to another municipality in New York unless and until a resolution authorizing the relocation has been adopted by the governing bodies of both the municipality to which the migrants are to be relocated and the county in which the receiving municipality is located; mandates written notice prior to location; provides for a fine for violations.

Relates to establishing an abatement and exemption from real property taxes for capital improvements to reduce carbon emissions; establishes an energy efficiency improvement board to approve the abatements and exemptions.