Sen. Jim Tedisco

Provides for a credit against personal income tax for volunteer firefighters who complete qualifications to become a training instructor; provides that such credit shall be equal to the sum of five hundred dollars or the total amount of the tax owed by the taxpayer if less than five hundred dollars, whichever is lower.

Creates the New York state commission on government efficiency to examine state spending, identify unnecessary and wasteful spending and create a report of recommendations of spending items that can be eliminated by New York state.

Establishes the shovel-ready housing program under which certain municipalities, at their option, may pre-authorize parcels of property for the construction of housing; establishes a shovel-ready community tax rebate for taxpayers residing in municipalities that opt-in to the shovel-ready housing program; provides for annual apportionment to municipalities that have certified participation in the shovel-ready housing program.

Enacts "Kirby and Quigley's Law"; expands the definition of aggravated cruelty to animals to include harm to a companion animal during the commission of a felony.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all legislation that creates or changes government spending to include the estimated cost of those expenditures directly within the bill text. It applies to any bill that enacts or amends spending or appropriations, affecting all legislators drafting such bills. The key provision mandates that the estimated cost must be stated plainly in the body of the bill itself, rather than in separate documents. This change aims to increase transparency about spending impacts before a bill is considered. The bill does not alter spending policies but changes how cost information is presented to lawmakers and the public.

Enacts the "prison privilege limitation act"; restricts prison privileges, including the wearing of civilian clothing, for certain incarcerated individuals.

Establishes a rental assistance loan-to-grant program to assist landlords of small rental properties who have lost rental income due to the inability of the landlords' tenants to pay rent during the COVID-19 state disaster emergency; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 224) amends New York's penal law to upgrade the felony classifications for unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle (from E to D felony for third degree, D to C for second degree, and C for first degree). It also adds these specific fleeing offenses to the list of crimes subject to bail eligibility determinations under criminal procedure law. Under the changes, courts must evaluate whether a defendant charged with such fleeing offenses (third, second, or first degree) should be released on bail or held, considering factors like "harm to an identifiable person or property" as outlined in sections 510.10, 530.20, and 530.40. This affects individuals charged with these fleeing offenses during bail hearings.

Authorizes the village of Round Lake, county of Saratoga to establish a demonstration program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to stop for a stop sign in such village.

Requires that any ballot proposition creating a state debt shall contain an estimate of the amortization period and the total expected debt service payable thereon until the bonds issued pursuant to such proposition are retired; relates to deposits to the tax stabilization reserve fund; provides that at least 10% of any surplus shall be used to pay down state debt.