Sen. Pete Harckham

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts school buses from tolls in central business districts. It directly affects school districts and bus operators by eliminating toll charges for buses defined under vehicle law section 142. The key provision requires school districts to apply for the exemption through the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority with necessary documentation. The exemption takes effect immediately upon the bill's passage.

Maddy summaryS 1988 creates a new retirement benefit review panel to provide final resolution for state retirement system members who were denied relief through existing channels. The panel, composed of at least 15 experts in retirement systems (including service credit and benefit transfers), will hear cases after individuals have exhausted other options like formal hearings. The panel can admit relevant evidence, make decisions based on professional judgment, and issue final rulings that cannot be appealed. This directly affects state employees and retirees seeking to resolve disputes over their retirement benefits.

Provides that a student enrolled in an individualized education program during certain school years may continue to receive educational services until the student completes the services pursuant to the individualized education program or the end of the school year during which the student turns twenty-two years old, whichever is sooner.

Provides for the employment of school nurses for the inspection of pupils attending certain public schools; relates to school districts and boards of cooperative educational services.

Provides grounds for attachment; relates to procedures where employees may hold shareholders of non-publicly traded corporations personally liable for wage theft; relates to rights for victims of wage theft to hold the ten members with the largest ownership interests in a company personally liable for wage theft; relates to penalties for certain wage violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all public secondary schools in the state to teach humane education about animal treatment, respect, and relevant laws as part of their curriculum. It directly affects public secondary schools and their students by mandating specific content on animal kindness, ecological roles, and responsible ownership. Schools must verify compliance with these requirements, and the education commissioner will track and publicly share these records. The law also states that schools failing to provide this instruction risk losing state funding. The bill expands existing elementary school humane education requirements to include secondary education.

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.

Provides an annual tax levy limit allowing for expenditures directly or indirectly related to school safety, including improving district wide emergency response plans, training staff and/or students on school safety and/or conflict mediation, installing and maintaining safety technology and software in school buildings, hiring school resource officers, acquiring emergency medical equipment, installing fencing around the perimeter of school grounds, installing bulletproof doors and windows, acquiring and maintaining technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency.

Precludes inadmissible statements made by defendants because of false facts about evidence or because of a statement that undermines the reliability of the defendant's statement; requires data collection and analysis by the division of criminal justice services of recorded interrogations.

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.