Sen. Bill Weber

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New York's definition of "period of war" in the real property tax law to expand eligibility for the alternative veterans' exemption. It adds specific recent military conflicts to the existing list, including the Global War on Terrorism (September 11, 2001, through end of hostilities), and NATO combat operations in Somalia (1992-1994), Bosnia (1995-2004), and Kosovo (1999-1999). Veterans who served during these newly included periods will now qualify for the tax exemption. The change directly affects veterans whose service falls within these defined modern conflicts, ensuring they meet the eligibility criteria under current law.

Limits the identification of individuals who provide face-to-face care to or direct observation of a patient to their first name and first initial of their last name; requires complainants to only submit the address of the health care facility at which they were providing services at the time of the offense in cases involving an alleged offense against a hospital worker health care practitioner.

Maddy summaryThis bill guarantees ovarian cancer survivors can access necessary genetic testing without insurance restrictions. It requires coverage for specific tests including BRCA1/BRCA2 gene analysis, Lynch syndrome screening, and other mutation tests as determined by a doctor. Insurers cannot impose frequency limits or deny these tests based on a patient’s cancer history. The law directly affects survivors needing ongoing monitoring for inherited cancer risks, ensuring they receive medically appropriate genetic screenings.

Relates to the sale and possession of self-defense spray devices in the state; removes the requirement that only authorized dealers and pharmacists could sell such devices; provides that no more than two self-defense spray devices may be sold at any one time to a single purchaser; repeals certain provisions of law relating thereto.

Allows an authority having jurisdiction over a volunteer fire department or fire company in a county, city, town, village, fire district, or fire protection district to provide volunteer firefighters with a stipend of a nominal fee for responses to calls and for certain standby services; includes volunteer firefighters within the labor law definition of "employee" of a federal, state or municipal government of political subdivision thereof; establishes the volunteer fire service nominal compensation assistance fund.

Directs the department of motor vehicles to develop a plan to increase the availability of wheelchair accessible vehicles, by county, in New York state outside of the city of New York; defines accessibility; requires a report to identify any existing local guidelines for accessible vehicles; directs development of benchmarks for increasing wheelchair accessible vehicles.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 8571) adds a new eligibility category for special license plates in New York. It directly affects veterans rated 100% disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, allowing them to qualify for these plates without needing additional medical certification. The key provision amends vehicle and traffic law to include paragraph (e), specifying that veterans with this VA rating automatically meet the disability criteria. The change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Requires the office for the aging to develop and provide elder abuse prevention training to train senior service centers and entities that contract with the office for the aging and the office of children and family services to provide services to elderly persons in the detection and reporting of elder abuse in consultation with the office of children and family services.

Authorizes a veteran's close friend or family who is reasonably familiar with such veteran's wishes to request that such veteran be buried in a state veterans' cemetery.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates September 22 as "Veteran Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day" in New York State. It adds this date to the state's official list of commemorative days under Section 168-a of the executive law, joining other recognized observances. The bill does not create new programs, funding, or requirements - it solely establishes a designated day for remembrance.