Sen. Jake Ashby

Maddy summaryThis bill is a Senate resolution honoring the life and legacy of Pastor Constance Marie Hulla, a religious leader and community figure from Coney Island who passed away in May 2024. The measure formally recognizes her contributions to her community, her role in promoting peace, and her dedication to serving those in need. It directs the legislative body to pause its proceedings to express condolences to her family and authorizes the transmission of a copy of the resolution to them.

Relates to Gold Star families; provides for the equitable treatment for all parents, spouses and minor children of service members who are killed in action and family members of service members killed during peacetime.

Relates to requiring coverage for volunteer firefighters for full cancer screenings upon entry of service to a fire department or fire company and annually thereafter; provides that the costs of such screenings shall be covered by the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Syd O. Sotillo Sickle Cell Treatment Act to improve care for people with sickle cell disease by designating specific hospitals as centers of excellence and outpatient treatment centers. The centers of excellence will receive annual funding for research and must partner with medical colleges, while outpatient centers will get funding to manage equipment and care for patients without needing to be admitted to the hospital. Additionally, the law clarifies that patients with sickle cell disease not in remission are exempt from strict opioid prescription limits that apply to other long-term pain conditions. These changes aim to standardize specialized care and ensure adequate resources for treating sickle cell disease across the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the legal requirement that a veteran must have served during a declared war to qualify for certain state benefits and protections. By amending the definition of "veteran" in the Social Services Law, the legislation expands eligibility to include service members who served in specific conflicts such as Lebanon, Grenada, and Panama, as well as those with qualifying medical conditions or LGBT status regardless of discharge type. The changes apply to state and local veterans' service agencies, which will now assist a broader range of individuals in accessing educational, medical, employment, and other support services. Ultimately, the bill ensures that these benefits are available based on service and specific circumstances rather than strictly on wartime participation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires colleges and universities to run education campaigns informing students, faculty, and staff about the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline and the crisis text line. Under the law, student identification cards must display contact information for these services, or institutions without such cards must distribute the contact details annually. The mandate applies to all student IDs issued, updated, or altered on or after July 1, 2025.

Relates to the availability of opioid reversal agents; requires the department of health to make available any formulation and dosage of opioid reversal agents approved by the federal food and drug administration.

Directs all state agencies to designate a veterans' liaison to provide information and assistance to veterans regarding benefits and services available to veterans within the various state agencies.

Clarifies the application of standardized testing requirements to the general education development exam by explicitly including it in the definition of "standardized test" and "test".

Maddy summaryThis bill asks Governor Kathy Hochul to officially declare June 2024 as Dairy Month in New York. It aims to honor the dairy industry and acknowledge the work of the state's dairy farmers, who are a significant part of New York's agricultural sector. The resolution highlights the economic importance of dairy farming and the nutritional benefits of dairy products for the public.