Sen. Pat Fahy

Maddy summaryThis bill makes it a crime to intentionally stage a construction site accident to file a fraudulent insurance claim. It specifically targets individuals who enter a construction site to create or arrange an accident, or who direct others to do so, with the intent to submit a false insurance claim. The offense is classified as a class E felony, punishable by up to four years in prison. This law directly affects construction workers, contractors, or others involved in insurance claims who might attempt to fabricate accidents for financial gain.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurers to pay hospitals at contracted rates within specific timeframes, regardless of their own medical necessity or administrative policies. It establishes a joint committee process where insurers can request clinical documentation for up to 10% of paid claims (increasing to 15% if over half of requested claims were inappropriate) to review if care was medically necessary after payment. Hospitals must provide documentation within 60 business days, and unresolved disputes escalate to an independent third-party reviewer whose binding decision may require refunds if services weren't necessary. The policy directly affects hospitals and insurers, ensuring timely payments while creating a structured dispute resolution path for claim reviews. The law takes effect January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new enforcement mechanism allowing certain workers, whistleblowers, or labor organizations to file public lawsuits on behalf of New York's labor department to address violations of specific labor laws. It enables private parties to initiate enforcement actions for issues like unpaid wages or misclassification (covered under Articles 5, 6, 9, 19, 19-A, 19-B, and 25-A), with civil penalties collected going to the state treasury. The law aims to supplement limited public enforcement resources by empowering workers and organizations to act as "private attorneys general" while protecting whistleblowers from retaliation. It explicitly excludes government agencies as targets and applies only to violations covered by designated labor law sections.

Provides that in the case of any application for gas service to a building which is not supplied with gas, a utility corporation or municipality shall be obligated to provide gas service to such building.

Enacts the "freedom to read act"; requires the commissioner of education and school library systems to develop policies to ensure that school libraries and library staff are empowered to curate and develop collections that provide students with access to the widest array of developmentally appropriate materials available.

Provides that beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, certain graduate students shall be required to pay 25% of all current and future mandatory university fees; provides that in the 2027-2028 academic year and thereafter, no mandatory university fees shall be charged, with the exclusion of the graduate student association student activity fee.

Protects individuals who provide or receive legally protected health activity, including reproductive health care and gender-affirming care, from criminal or civil liability or professional sanctions imposed by jurisdictions outside the state.

Provides for the protection of health information; establishes requirements for communications to individuals about their health information; requires either written consent or a designated necessary purpose for the processing of an individual's health information.

Enacts the "fostering affordability and integrity through reasonable (FAIR) business practices act", to expand the attorney general's ability to protect New Yorkers from unfair, deceptive and abusive business practices.

Relates to providing information to patients and the public on hospital rule-based exclusions; requires the commissioner of health to collect from each hospital a list of its hospital rule-based exclusions and publish such information on the department's website.