Sen. Rachel May

Maddy summaryS 415 establishes minimum cash wage requirements for "miscellaneous industry workers" in New York, including car wash attendants, nail salon staff, dog groomers, tour guides, and valet attendants. It mandates that employers pay these workers a specific hourly cash wage before tips, with rates varying by location: $12.77 in NYC starting 2026, $11.50 in other areas, and phased increases through 2029. The bill also includes a "one fair wage reimbursement credit" to help employers offset costs. The law modifies existing wage orders to ensure total pay (cash wage + tips) meets the state minimum wage, applying only to workers covered under specific state regulations for non-food service industries.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Municipal Broadband Financing Modernization Improvement Act of 2026, changes how long local governments can claim broadband infrastructure remains useful for financing purposes. It directly affects municipalities that build or upgrade internet networks by extending the official "probable usefulness" period from ten years to thirty years. The key provision amends the Local Finance Law to allow these infrastructure projects to be financed over a longer timeframe, which could impact how loans are structured and repaid. The change takes effect immediately upon passage and applies to broadband and telecommunications infrastructure acquired, constructed, or replaced under existing municipal laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill protects library access to electronic books and digital audiobooks by prohibiting restrictive clauses in contracts between publishers and libraries. It directly affects public libraries, school libraries, academic institutions, and other library types by banning terms that limit lending, loan periods, interlibrary loans, or the use of security measures for digital materials. The law declares contracts containing these prohibited provisions unenforceable and allows libraries, borrowers, or the attorney general to seek legal remedies, including civil penalties for violations.

Relates to false or misleading advertisements of food and food products; provides factors to determine whether an advertisement is false or misleading; provides for enforcement and a private right of action.

Defines "professional journalist"; provides press access to open meanings of an agency or authority; prohibits the adoption of policies or rules restricting such access; requires notice of such meetings to local governments.

Maddy summaryS 1527 creates a sales tax exemption for commercial energy storage systems equipment and their installation costs. This directly affects businesses installing such systems on non-residential properties to store electricity for later use in heating, cooling, hot water, or power. The bill amends tax law to exempt these systems from state sales tax, covering both the equipment and installation services. Local governments must explicitly adopt this exemption in their tax ordinances to apply it.

Requires applications for licenses granted by certain entities to include specific information to enable such entities to evaluate such license applications for compliance with the goals set forth in the New York state climate leadership and community protection act.

Establishes the New York state cooperative watershed management program within the department of environmental conservation under which watershed networks may apply for grants for watershed network development and watershed network professionalization, subject to appropriation of funds from the legislature.

Authorizes the attorney general to approve certain state land acquisitions made for the purposes of land conservation, and to accept a title policy from a commercial insurer to cover any title defects that would otherwise render the title unmarketable.

Requires landlords to ensure rental properties are equipped with utility services prior to renting such properties; requires landlords to keep utility services connected in between tenants.