Sen. Bill Weber

Maddy summaryBill S 7021 establishes a new retirement service credit for members of New York State public retirement systems who serve as volunteer firefighters or emergency service providers. Eligible members can receive one year of service credit for every five years of volunteer service, up to a maximum of three years of credit for fifteen years of service. To qualify, members must have at least five years of existing credited service and will pay a portion of the cost, calculated as three percent of their compensation for the twelve months preceding the application. The bill requires volunteer service to be certified by the agency and applications to be submitted before retirement.

Requires the principal of any high school to allow any local trade union, upon request, to enter the school for the purpose of trade union recruitment, including, but not limited to: making presentations; disseminating literature; and answering questions by students.

Enacts the New York state antisemitism vandalism act which establishes the crime of vandalism of pro-Israel print, which provides a class A misdemeanor for any individual who intentionally destroys, damages, removes, or causes to be destroyed, damaged or removed any banner, poster, flyer or billboard which is located in a public space, where the intent or purpose of such banner, poster, flyer or billboard is to bring awareness for Israeli individuals who have been victims of a crime, or to positively support the country or citizens of Israel in any way.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1943) expands New York's hate crime definition to include trespassing at religious buildings like churches, synagogues, mosques, or other houses of worship. It directly affects individuals who commit trespass at these locations while targeting someone based on their race, religion, gender identity, or other protected characteristics. The key change amends the penal law to add these locations to the list of places where a hate crime can be charged, raising the offense level if convicted. This creates a specific legal pathway for prosecuting bias-motivated trespass at religious sites.

Establishes the crime of criminal sale of a controlled substance upon the grounds of a drug or alcohol treatment center, or alcoholics anonymous or narcotics anonymous meeting; designates such crime as a class E felony.

Eliminates the requirement that limited liability companies publish their articles of organization and that certain partnerships publish their registrations; establishes the department of state modernization fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $1,000 supplemental payment for New York taxpayers who claim a newborn baby as a dependent on their federal tax return. It directly affects parents or guardians with newborns not previously claimed as dependents, providing the payment for each qualifying child starting in tax year 2026. The payment is issued automatically by the state tax commissioner and treated as an overpayment if it exceeds the taxpayer's state tax bill. The credit applies to newborns born in the current or prior tax year, with payments beginning April 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryS 3471 creates tax credits for New York employers who provide or sponsor on-site or nearby child care facilities. It offers a 10% credit (up to $10,000) on eligible operating costs and a 20% credit (up to $20,000) for qualified facility construction or improvements. The bill requires facilities to be licensed, serve primarily employees' children (excluding households earning over $200,000 annually), and comply with specific reporting rules. These credits apply to business franchise, personal income, and insurance franchise taxes under New York law.

Repeals congestion pricing (Part A); directs the metropolitan transportation authority to contract with a certified public accounting firm for the provision of an independent, comprehensive, forensic audit of the authority (Part B).

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1500) increases the maximum speed limit from 65 mph to 70 mph on specific New York state highways and roadways currently set at 65 mph. It directly affects drivers traveling on designated routes, including the Thruway, Southern Tier Expressway, I-81, I-87, I-88, I-90, I-99, and several state routes listed in the bill. The key provision amends existing law to permit this higher speed limit on these roads, provided the Department of Transportation establishes it according to applicable rules. The change applies only to the specific roadways enumerated in the bill text, not to all state highways.