Sen. Rachel May

Creates statewide emergency and crisis response council to work in conjunction with the commissioners of mental health and addiction services to jointly approve emergency and crisis services plans submitted by local governments, and provide supports regarding the operation and financing of high-quality emergency and crisis services provided to persons experiencing a mental health, alcohol use, or substance use crisis.

Maddy summaryS 2429 creates a New York state tax credit for employers who hire residents from targeted groups (like veterans, ex-offenders, or long-term unemployed individuals) as defined by federal law. Employers can claim up to $500 per eligible employee annually, with a total lifetime cap of $90 million and an annual limit of $30 million. The credit reduces state tax liability but cannot lower tax below minimum thresholds, and any unused credit is treated as an overpayment. The program applies to wages paid starting January 1, 2026, and expires December 31, 2028. It directly affects New York employers hiring from specified target populations.

Directs the department of education to issue guidance for schools to offer take-home meals in the event of a disruption in food assistance programs or other circumstances identified by the department as creating a risk of food insecurity among students.

Directs the department of environmental conservation to establish a perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances removal treatment installation grant program, providing a one-time grant to private well users for the installation of PFAS treatment or service connection to a public water system; directs the department of environmental conservation to establish a perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances removal treatment maintenance rebate program, providing a rebate to private well users for the maintenance of PFAS treatment equipment.

Relates to the creation of the New York farm to school and school garden fund; allows individuals to make a gift on their personal tax form for such fund; provides such fund will be used to establish school gardens and purchase equipment and educational materials to promote students' consumption of local products conducted in cooperation with the department of agriculture and markets.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 4831) changes how legal fees are handled for volunteer firefighters seeking benefits under New York's volunteer firefighter benefit law. It requires the board to consider a claimant's request to have the insurance company (not the firefighter) pay legal costs for claims filed under this law. If approved, attorneys are paid based on the board's standard fee schedule, proportional to the services provided. The law directly affects volunteer firefighters pursuing benefit claims and their insurance carriers, shifting the financial responsibility for legal representation.

Repeals and reenacts statute of limitation provisions on wrongful death, personal injury and property damage actions against professional engineers, architects, landscape architects, land surveyors, geologists and construction contractors to provide for a limitations period of ten years after completion of improvement to real property; "completion", which constitutes the accrual date for the limitations period, is defined; provides for a one year extension for injuries to person or property or wrongful death which occur during the tenth year after completion.

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.

Requires every franchisor, including its affiliates and subsidiaries to properly fulfill any warranty agreement and/or franchisor's service contract and to compensate each of its franchised motor vehicle dealers for warranty parts and labor, including but not limited to all warranty repairs, extended service contract repairs, extended warranty repairs, campaigns, service bulletins, policy repairs, component part warranties, factory compensated repairs, recalls, diagnostics, parts and other voluntary stop-sell repairs, and any other franchisor compensated repairs; relates to reimbursement to a motor vehicle dealer from a motor vehicle franchisor.

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.