Sen. Steve Rhoads

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (J 1680) designates March 10, 2026, as "Bronx Day" to honor the borough's history and cultural significance. It directs the New York State Legislature to pause its proceedings on that date to recognize the Bronx's contributions, including its role as the birthplace of hip-hop, historical sites, and diverse communities. The resolution will be transmitted to the Bronx Borough President and Bronx Chamber of Commerce. As a commemorative measure, it has no binding policy impact or direct effect on residents or programs.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (J 1681) congratulating the Potsdam Central High School Girls Hockey Team for winning the 2026 NYSPHSAA Girls Hockey Championship. It formally recognizes the team's 17-3-2 season record, their 3-2 championship victory over Adirondack United, and their status as the school's first girls hockey champions in over a decade. The resolution specifically names all 25 players and coaches (including Head Coach Joe Stark and Assistant Coaches Lindsay LaSala and Olivia Scott) and directs that engrossed copies be sent to them. As a symbolic gesture with no policy impact, it does not create new laws or affect any regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a temporary 9-member commission to address workforce challenges in New York's public retirement system, specifically targeting Tier VI membership status. The commission will study recruitment/retention issues and retirement wave impacts (over 25% of current workforce eligible to retire within 5 years) and submit reform recommendations within one year. It mandates public hearings, access to state data, and requires the commission to report to the governor and legislative leaders by the deadline. The commission expires one year after the bill's effective date. This procedural bill establishes a process for potential retirement system changes but does not enact new policy itself.

Provides that family members of paid professional firefighters who died in the line-of-duty may obtain a "Survivor of the Bravest" license plate; provides for the annual service charge collected to be deposited into the department of motor vehicles distinctive license plate development fund.

Enacts the whale awareness act directing the department of environmental conservation to establish recommendations and educational materials for reduction of marine mammal interactions.

Maddy summaryS 1285, the "Tiarah Poyau Act," allows juries in criminal trials to request written instructions about legal requirements (such as offense elements or defenses) during deliberations. The bill requires courts to provide these written instructions upon request, after giving attorneys a chance to review and comment on them. This change aims to clarify legal standards for juries without altering substantive law. It directly affects juries, judges, and defense/prosecution attorneys in criminal cases. The bill passed the Senate in April 2025 and is now in the Assembly.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the legal definition of "victim of a sexual offense" to include individuals who are victims of the unlawful dissemination or publication of intimate images. It directly affects people whose private images are shared without consent, ensuring they are covered under existing protections for sexual offense victims. The key change amends New York's Executive Law to add this specific scenario to the definition, aligning it with related penal law provisions. This update provides a clearer legal framework for supporting victims of non-consensual image sharing.

Allows for treatment costing less than $1,500 to be done without prior approval, and more clearly defines the list of "pre-authorized procedures" as a floor on treatment as opposed to its current status as a ceiling; allows non-network providers of testing to be compensated at the provider network rate negotiated by the carrier.

Enacts the climate resilient New York act; establishes the office of resilience and a resilience task force to assess and identify climate related threats and develop a statewide resilience plan.

Includes instances of sexual conduct against a child less than seventeen years of age to certain sex offenses; removes the time limit to bring subsequent sexual offenses.