Sen. Rachel May

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1200) allows veterans to earn academic credit at New York State and City University systems for military training they completed. Specifically, full-time undergraduate veterans enrolled in good standing at these institutions can receive full credit toward their degree for military courses meeting American Council on Education standards - without any fees or tuition charges. It applies to veterans who served honorably in active duty, reserves, or New York National Guard/Militia. The law requires university boards to create procedures for implementing this credit transfer.

Relates to securing payment of wages for work already performed; creates a lien remedy for all employees; provides grounds for attachment; relates to procedures where employees may hold shareholders of non-publicly traded corporations personally liable for wage theft; relates to rights for victims of wage theft to hold the ten members with the largest ownership interests in a company personally liable for wage theft.

Relates to the salaries of certain teachers and aides employed by boards of cooperative educational services; puts limits on certain administrative and clerical expenses.

Provides that state-funded SUNY programs shall be reimbursed at no less than 26% of the direct costs; allows state agencies to fund SUNY programs where such state agencies determine that such program would produce administrative efficiencies or cost savings.

Establishes a co-navigation services program for persons who are deaf-blind to provide services to a person who is deaf-blind that assist the person to physically access the person's environment and to make informed decisions, including providing visual and environmental information or sighted guide services and assisting with communication accessibility by communicating in the preferred language and communication mode of the person who is deaf-blind.

Maddy summaryS 4265 requires sellers of residential properties built before 1978 to provide lead-based paint inspection reports before closing sales. This directly affects home sellers and buyers in New York State, ensuring buyers know if lead paint hazards exist in properties they're purchasing. The bill mandates a one-time lead paint inspection prior to sale (not ongoing inspections) and requires the report to be included in the state's lead inspection registry. It complements existing laws by closing a gap where federal rules only required disclosure of known hazards, not mandatory testing.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3353) exempts sales and installation of geothermal heat pump systems from state sales tax for both residential and commercial properties. It directly affects homeowners and businesses installing ground-source heat pumps that use the ground or groundwater for heating, cooling, or hot water. The key provision removes tax on equipment sales and installation services, excluding recreational facilities or equipment used as storage media. This policy change applies to systems meeting specific technical definitions in the tax law, without altering local tax options for municipalities.

Relates to allowing for students in certain postsecondary education experience or transition programs to receive awards from the tuition assistance program.

Enacts the "community solar opportunity and local approval reform (Community SOLAR) act"; authorizes municipalities to establish standards for distributed generation energy facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New York's agriculture law to explicitly allow hemp seed or hemp seed products in commercial feed for pets, specialty pets, horses, and camelids. It updates the legal definition of "commercial feed" to include these hemp-derived ingredients without requiring additional regulation. The change directly affects feed manufacturers and producers who create pet, horse, or camelid feed, enabling them to legally incorporate hemp seed as an ingredient. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.