Sen. Bill Weber

Provides an exemption for the purposes of allowing the installation and use of fossil-fuel equipment and building systems where such are installed and used in a building or part of a building that is owned or occupied by a person who holds genuine and sincere religious beliefs and whose health and safety will be jeopardized due to the prohibition of the installation of fossil-fuel equipment and building systems because of such genuine and sincere religious beliefs.

Relates to the salaries of certain teachers and aides employed by boards of cooperative educational services; puts limits on certain administrative and clerical expenses.

Provides that any fertilized human ovum or human embryo existing outside of the uterus of a human body shall not be considered an unborn child, a minor child, a natural person, or any other term that connotes a human being for any purpose under state law.

Adds xylazine to the depressants designated as controlled substances with the exception of use in cattle or other nonhuman species if approved by the federal food and drug administration.

Maddy summaryThis bill classifies emergency medical services (EMS) as "essential services" for the purpose of qualifying for state aid. It directly affects municipalities and EMS providers by changing their eligibility to apply for state financial assistance. The key provision amends the General Municipal Law to explicitly state that EMS provided under specific conditions shall be deemed essential services when seeking state aid. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment. This is a procedural change to state aid eligibility criteria, not a new funding program.

Enacts "the combating campus antisemitism act"; prohibits the granting of tuition assistance awards to any student who has knowingly engaged in promoting antisemitism in a manner that is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action, that constitutes "true threats"; makes related provisions.

Maddy summaryS 6842 adds specific protections against anti-Semitism to New York's human rights law and hate crimes statute. It defines anti-Semitism to include actions like demonizing Jewish people, spreading false conspiracy theories about Jewish communities, or blaming Jewish individuals for societal issues. The bill requires state agencies to use this definition when reviewing discrimination complaints based on Jewish religious practice, heritage, or ethnicity. Violent acts motivated by anti-Semitism that cause injury or property damage will now be classified as hate crimes under New York law.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a religious exemption allowing children to attend school without required vaccinations if their parent, guardian, or legal custodian holds genuine and sincere religious beliefs opposing the vaccines. It directly affects families seeking to exempt their children from vaccination requirements for school attendance. The key provision amends public health law to require schools to accept such religious exemptions without demanding a certificate, while still reporting immunization status for exempt children. The exemption covers vaccines for diseases like measles, polio, and pertussis, as specified in existing law. This changes school vaccination policy by adding a religious exception to the current immunization requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all prescription containers for opioid medications to have a red cap top displaying the warning "Caution: OPIOID. Risk of overdose and addiction." It directly affects pharmacies dispensing opioids by mandating this specific container labeling. The key mechanism specifies that containers must use a red cap (or red stickers if caps are unavailable) with the exact warning text, replacing existing color-coded labeling requirements for controlled substances. This policy change aims to increase visible safety warnings at the point of prescription.

Allows courts to consider the risk of continued substance abuse and likelihood of serious harm to the principal when considering committing such principal to the custody of the sheriff.