Sen. James Skoufis

Enacts the nursing education support act to allocate additional funds to nursing programs at community colleges across New York state to expand capacity, improve program quality, and ensure a robust pipeline of skilled nurses to meet the state's healthcare needs.

Improves transparency in the insurance claims process; regulates insurance adjusting professionals; institutes licensing standards for insurance professionals; ensures timely responses to insurance claims; enhances policyholder protections.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes the tax status of certain state-owned lands used for reforestation in New York. It requires these lands to be taxed under real property tax law in all counties except Orange County, where the tax exemption remains. Previously, all such lands were exempt from county-level taxes; this bill removes that exemption for every county except Orange. The change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Relates to the effectiveness of provisions of law relating to the powers of the chairman and members of the state liquor authority (Part A); authorizes special permits to remain open during certain hours of the morning (Part B); permits certain retail licensees to purchase wine and liquor from certain other retail licensees (Part C); relates to permissible sales by license holders (Part D); allows multiple off-premises licenses (Part E); relates to licensing restrictions for manufacturers and wholesalers of alcoholic beverages and retail licensees (Part F); relates to the approval of seven day licenses to sell liquor at retail for consumption off the premises (Part G); adjusts licensing fees regarding certain alcoholic beverages (Part H); relates to changes of ownership of a licensed business (Part I); relates to the issuance of temporary retail permits; makes permanent certain provisions relating to liquidator's permits and temporary retail permits (Part J); establishes a temporary wholesale permit and allows multiple wholesale licenses owned by the same person or entity to be located at the same premises (Part K); relates to licenses issued for on-premises consumption within a certain distance of a building occupied as a school, church, synagogue or other place of worship with consent of such building's owner or administrator (Part L); permits licenses for premises located within five hundred feet of other premises outside of certain counties (Part M).

Prohibits the manufacture, modification, sale, transfer, equipping, use, or operation of a robotic device or an uncrewed aircraft equipped or mounted with a weapon within the state.

Relates to reimbursement for ambulance services; requires insurers to submit payments directly to ambulance providers who are in-network or, for out-of-network ambulance providers, requires the issuance of a joint check to the insured specifying both the insured and the ambulance provider as payees.

Relates to reimbursement for anesthesia services; provides that an insurer may use a time related reimbursement methodology for anesthesia services if such methodology is based upon criteria established by an independent organization.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 5725) would permanently adopt daylight saving time as New York's standard time if Congress amends federal law to allow states to do so. It amends New York's time law to remove the seasonal switch between standard and daylight saving time, making daylight saving time the year-round standard for the entire state and all its political subdivisions. The bill also repeals a specific section of New York City's administrative code related to timekeeping. However, the bill's implementation depends entirely on future federal action - Congress must change 15 U.S.C. § 260a to permit permanent daylight saving time in the eastern time zone.

Establishes the crimes of assault on a child protective services worker, aggravated assault on a child protective services worker and menacing a child protective services worker.

Exempts farmers from commercial driver's license (CDL) requirements when operating a covered farm vehicle within one hundred fifty miles of such farmer's farm.