Sen. Steve Rhoads

Establishes a blue envelope program for persons with mental health disorders, behavioral disorders and persons who are neurodivergent to be provided with blue envelopes to keep their identification, vehicle registration, and other related documents to improve their safety during law enforcement interactions; requires the municipal police training council to promulgate rules and regulations requiring training and instruction for all police officers with respect to the blue envelope program.

Directs the office of children and family services to establish a center for fatherhood initiatives to issue grants to initiatives regarding the promotion and advancement of fatherhood, including but not limited to all underserved fatherhood groups to help expand opportunities to improve parenting knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy.

Establishes the New York state youth in agriculture and entrepreneurship summer employment program to provide students with the opportunity to be educated on the agricultural industry and alternative career paths and to provide agricultural work experience and entrepreneurship work experience.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the state education commissioner to require public school districts to report on their compliance with existing art education instruction requirements for elementary and secondary grades. Districts must detail which schools lack art education, reasons for non-compliance, student participation, and if they employ certified art teachers or provide sufficient class time. Superintendents of non-compliant districts must develop and implement corrective action plans, and districts failing to report will be listed publicly. The commissioner will also provide an annual report to the governor and legislative leaders analyzing the data and suggesting steps to ensure compliance across all public schools.

Relates to the provision of financial assistance to museums, zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums and other cultural institutions located in low-income urban, suburban or rural communities, or that provide educational services to students from such communities.

Includes certain land that is owned or rented as a farm operation for the production for sale of crops, livestock or livestock products as land used in agricultural production.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New York's definition of "period of war" in the real property tax law to expand eligibility for the alternative veterans' exemption. It adds specific recent military conflicts to the existing list, including the Global War on Terrorism (September 11, 2001, through end of hostilities), and NATO combat operations in Somalia (1992-1994), Bosnia (1995-2004), and Kosovo (1999-1999). Veterans who served during these newly included periods will now qualify for the tax exemption. The change directly affects veterans whose service falls within these defined modern conflicts, ensuring they meet the eligibility criteria under current law.

Requires mandatory background checks for persons employed by or volunteering at any business corporation, not-for-profit corporation, limited liability company, or limited partnership that regularly provides instructional, recreational or extracurricular services to minors, including but not limited to dance studios, gymnastic schools, martial arts academies, sports training facilities, music schools and performing arts schools, tutoring and academic enrichment centers; provides for enforcement and penalties; prohibits certain people from owning such businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill guarantees ovarian cancer survivors can access necessary genetic testing without insurance restrictions. It requires coverage for specific tests including BRCA1/BRCA2 gene analysis, Lynch syndrome screening, and other mutation tests as determined by a doctor. Insurers cannot impose frequency limits or deny these tests based on a patient’s cancer history. The law directly affects survivors needing ongoing monitoring for inherited cancer risks, ensuring they receive medically appropriate genetic screenings.

Establishes fetal and infant mortality review boards to study fetal and infant mortality and morbidity and make recommendations on policies, best practices, and strategies to reduce fetal and infant mortality and morbidity.