Sen. Michelle Hinchey

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New York's Commissioner of Health to create a special health insurance program under the federal 1332 state innovation program, allowing the state to offer coverage to specific individuals who currently do not qualify for standard plans. The program is designed for New York residents under age 65 who are ineligible for Medicaid, lack affordable employer-sponsored insurance, and have household incomes between 133% and 250% of the federal poverty line, with additional provisions for certain noncitizens and pregnant individuals. Key features include the requirement that approved health plans cover essential benefits, dental and vision services, and specific cancer care, while also providing temporary income protections for children and pregnant people. The legislation mandates that the state obtain necessary federal approvals from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Treasury Department before implementing the plan.

Directs the commissioner of the New York state division of housing and community renewal to promulgate rules and regulations to provide a taxpayer or entity having applied for the low-income housing tax credit and certified by the division of housing and community renewal with a notice of placement on a waiting list upon the submission of a completed application.

Enacts the tropical rainforest economic & environmental sustainability act requiring that companies contracting with the state do not contribute to tropical forest degradation or deforestation directly or through their supply chains; establishes the supply chain transparency assistance program to assist small and medium-sized businesses and minority and women-owned businesses in achieving compliant supply chains.

Prohibits freight trains traveling on a track within the state from exceeding eight thousand five hundred feet in length; directs the commissioner of transportation to promulgate rules and regulations to establish a waiver process to permit the operation of freight trains in excess of eight thousand five hundred feet for situations as deemed appropriate by such commissioner.

Requires the department of transportation to promulgate rules and regulations for the installation of heat safety gauges or hot bearing detectors on freight rail tracks in the state; requires the installation of positive train control systems on all freight trains operated within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends state agricultural law to officially classify cannabis as a crop, livestock, or livestock product. By adding a specific paragraph to the existing agriculture and markets law, it brings cannabis under the same regulatory definitions used for traditional farming commodities. The change takes effect immediately and allows cannabis to be treated consistently with other agricultural goods within the state's legal framework.

Relates to paratransit services; directs that an applicant for recertification submit correspondence from a licensed physician in lieu of an in-person assessment.

Establishes the New York workforce stabilization act; requires certain businesses to conduct artificial intelligence impact assessments on the application and use of such artificial intelligence and to submit such impact assessments to the department of labor prior to the implementation of the artificial intelligence; establishes a surcharge on certain corporations that use artificial intelligence or data mining or have greater than fifteen employees displaced by artificial intelligence of a rate of 2% of the corporation's business income base; defines data mining.

Requires all insurance policies and health maintenance organization contracts to provide coverage for maternity patients and their newborns for hospital stays of at least 48 hours following childbirth by natural delivery and 96 hours following childbirth by caesarean section; provides such coverage for patients who are recipients of medicaid.

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.