Sen. Michelle Hinchey

Prohibits and regulates the discovery and disclosure of immigration status; prohibits police officers, peace officers, school resource officers, probation agencies, state entities, state employees, and municipal corporations from questioning individuals regarding their citizenship or immigration status; regulates the disclosure of information relating to immigration status; prohibits an educational agency, higher education agency, school employee, school safety personnel, or third-party contractor from collecting information about a person's citizenship, immigration status, nationality, or country of origin, unless required by law or necessary to administer a public program or benefit sought by such person.

Requires certain municipal planning boards and zoning boards of appeals to receive at least one hour of environmentally conscious planning training annually.

Relates to the reporting requirements of the statewide fiscal intermediary; requires the reporting of utilization data and financial data to protect medical assistance recipients in using the program and ensure the effective use of medical assistance funds; requires the statewide fiscal intermediary to provide consumer directed personal assistant data to ensure the availability of a workforce to meet the needs of consumers utilizing the program; requires the statewide fiscal intermediary to provide data regarding customer service requests, complaints, and accessibility.

Relates to the redistricting of congressional and state legislative districts and to redistricting in the event that another state has acted to determine the district lines for congressional offices more than once in less than ten years.

Authorizes the public service commission to consider non-economic loss suffered by consumers, including pain and suffering or mental anguish, when determining penalties against a public utility company, corporation or person or a combination gas and electric corporation.

Relates to re-defining the term physically helpless to mean an individual who is physically unable to communicate affirmative consent through words or clear actions that offer permission and a willingness to engage in sexual activity.

Provides that gas, electric, or combination gas and electric corporations shall not be permitted to retain revenues derived from their actual return on equity in excess of authorized rates of return on equity.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates fees for New York state veterans who are honorably discharged and have a qualifying disability (40%+ service-connected) or meet specific veteran status criteria under the Veterans' Services Law. It directly affects eligible veterans by removing the $765 fee for a lifetime hunting, fishing, and turkey permit license, changing it to $0. The key mechanism updates the environmental conservation law to create a new fee category specifically for these veterans, while maintaining standard fees for other license types. The policy change applies immediately upon enactment, providing permanent fee relief for qualifying veterans purchasing this combined license.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires money transfer services (like Western Union or online platforms) to provide a clear, upfront warning to consumers before they send funds. The warning must include bold text about fraud risks, examples of common scams (such as fake lottery winnings or loans), and instructions on how to ask questions or stop a transfer. It applies to in-person, phone, or online money transfers but excludes gift cards and certain electronic transfers. Violations could result in civil penalties up to $500 per offense.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (J 1535) requests Governor Kathy Hochul to officially proclaim February 2026 as Black History Month in New York State. It does not create new law but asks the Governor to issue a formal state recognition. The resolution cites historical contributions of Black Americans across civil rights, culture, science, and innovation as context for the observance. The Senate adopted the resolution on February 4, 2026, sending it to the Governor for action.