Sen. Rob Rolison

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 1056, amends existing laws to make criminal history background checks free of charge for mentoring programs operated by not-for-profit corporations. Currently, these programs pay a processing fee for background checks on prospective employees and mentors. Under this bill, mentoring programs run by not-for-profit corporations will no longer be charged this fee. The bill also updates the definition of a "mentoring program" to include youth sports programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows brewery supply stores (retailers selling homebrewing equipment and ingredients) to sell New York state-labeled beer for customers to take away. It amends liquor laws to permit these stores to hold licenses for off-premises beer sales, but only for beer produced in New York and bearing state labels. The change specifically expands the types of licensed locations (adding brewery supply stores to grocery/drug stores) while restricting sales to only New York-produced beer. This directly affects New York brewery supply stores seeking to sell beer for takeout, not homebrewers or other retailers.

Provides that for taxable years beginning on and after January first, two thousand twenty-six, a resident taxpayer who serves as an active volunteer firefighter or as a volunteer ambulance worker shall be allowed a credit against the tax imposed equal to eight hundred dollars; provides for a real property tax exemption under certain circumstances to an enrolled member of an incorporated volunteer fire company, fire department or incorporated voluntary ambulance service residing in such city, village, town, school district, special district, fire district or county.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 5003) formally designates the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Mid-Hudson bridge as the "Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge" for ceremonial purposes only. It requires the New York State Bridge Authority to update highway signage to reflect this name, while clarifying that the bridge's official legal name remains unchanged. The bill does not alter the bridge's operation, ownership, or any existing legal designation, and specifically states the change is ceremonial to avoid confusion or disruption to commerce. This is a symbolic renaming with no substantive policy impact.

Enacts the "PFAS discharge disclosure act"; requires certain SPDES permit holders to conduct PFAS monitoring and disclose the results from such monitoring.

Establishes the New York state youth in agriculture and entrepreneurship summer employment program to provide students with the opportunity to be educated on the agricultural industry and alternative career paths and to provide agricultural work experience and entrepreneurship work experience.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the state education commissioner to require public school districts to report on their compliance with existing art education instruction requirements for elementary and secondary grades. Districts must detail which schools lack art education, reasons for non-compliance, student participation, and if they employ certified art teachers or provide sufficient class time. Superintendents of non-compliant districts must develop and implement corrective action plans, and districts failing to report will be listed publicly. The commissioner will also provide an annual report to the governor and legislative leaders analyzing the data and suggesting steps to ensure compliance across all public schools.

Relates to the provision of financial assistance to museums, zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums and other cultural institutions located in low-income urban, suburban or rural communities, or that provide educational services to students from such communities.

Provides that a lodging facility that fails to comply with certain requirements for providing information concerning services for human trafficking victims shall be liable for a civil penalty of five hundred dollars for a first offense and one thousand dollars for each subsequent offense; provides for concurrent enforcement by the director or commissioner of a municipal consumer affairs office or by the town attorney, city corporation counsel, or other lawful designee of a municipality.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to remove the ten-year time limit for prosecuting the crime of persistent sexual abuse in New York State. Currently, individuals can only be charged with this offense if they commit multiple qualifying sexual crimes within a ten-year period, but this legislation would eliminate that restriction. The change would allow prosecutors to pursue charges against repeat offenders regardless of how much time has passed since their previous convictions, provided the new offenses are separate criminal incidents. The bill directly affects the state's penal law and would impact how sexual abuse cases are investigated and prosecuted. If passed, it would take effect on November 1st of the following year.