Sen. Pete Harckham

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits all individuals and businesses from operating gas-powered leaf and lawn blowers between May 1st and September 30th each year. It directly affects residents, landscapers, and property maintenance workers who currently use these devices during the warmer months. Violators face a civil fine of up to $100 per offense. The law takes effect on May 1, 2027.

Provides the amount of compensation an attorney shall receive from representing a client which was assigned to the attorney through the bar association; makes related provisions.

Establishes the office of flooding prevention and mitigation to manage and coordinate the work of task forces, commissions, and other bodies and programs tasked with examining issues related to flooding, to review and assess best practices and make recommendations regarding flood prevention and mitigation, and to assist municipalities in developing strategies and policies to combat flooding.

Prohibits state contracts with contractors who do not provide health insurance which covers supplemental breast cancer screenings; authorizes the comptroller to promulgate any necessary rules and regulations.

Establishes an LGBTQ+ youth and young adult suicide prevention task force; provides for the number of members, manner of appointment and the topics to be reviewed.

Maddy summarySenate Bill S 5209 proposes to change the timeframe within which health plans can seek to recover overpayments from healthcare providers. It reduces the "lookback period" for initiating overpayment recovery efforts from twenty-four months to twelve months after the original payment was made. This means health plans will have a shorter window to identify and reclaim funds from providers for incorrect payments. However, the twelve-month limit does not apply if there is a reasonable belief of fraud, intentional misconduct, or abusive billing, or if the recovery is required by a self-insured plan or government program. The bill also specifies that if a provider claims underpayment, the health plan can still defend or set off with overpayments going back as far as the claimed underpayment.

Prohibits the idling of any passenger vehicle, with certain exceptions, for more than 3 consecutive minutes; establishes the first violation is a warning and subsequent violations of such section are traffic infractions punishable by a fine of $150.

Clarifies that the New York state health insurance program remains subject to certain provisions of the financial services law and coverage for usual and customary costs for out-of-network health care service.

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 7282 ("No Slavery in New York Act"), prohibits involuntary servitude and forced labor for all incarcerated individuals in New York State correctional facilities, including those convicted of crimes. It amends the Civil Rights Law to explicitly ban slavery, involuntary servitude, and forced labor in the state, and adds a new provision to the Correction Law banning any labor compelled by force, adverse actions, or threats. The law takes effect immediately and directly affects all people incarcerated in state and local correctional facilities across New York.

Prohibits nursing homes and care facilities that are registered with the state of New York and registered with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, that maintains a stock of, and directly dispenses, controlled substance medications from denying admission to individuals receiving a controlled substance medication for a substance use disorder.