Sen. Steve Rhoads

Establishes a school air conditioning system grant program to provide schools with funding to install air conditioning systems in certain areas; makes an appropriation therefor.

Gives state income tax credit to volunteer firefighters and members of a volunteer ambulance corps in good standing up to $2500; must be in good standing for a minimum of five years and maintain continued eligibility.

Maddy summaryS 583 establishes New York's "Farmland for a New Generation" program to support farmland access and transfer. It creates a statewide resource center (with American Farmland Trust) and regional navigators (through Cornell Cooperative Extension) to help new farmers find affordable land, assist existing farmers in succession planning, and aid landowners in connecting with farmers. The program also provides financial assistance for conservation easements and farm transitions. Funding for these services is allocated from state appropriations to the Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Relates to protecting witnesses in criminal prosecutions from intimidation and threats by permitting the court to withhold disclosure of names and other information if the court finds on the record that such witness is subject to potential intimidation, violence or threats.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 283) reclassifies attacks against law enforcement officers and graffiti as hate crimes under New York law. It expands the definition of hate crimes to include offenses committed "because of actual or perceived employment as a law enforcement officer" and adds "making graffiti" (specifically under penal law section 145.60) to the list of acts considered hate crimes. This change means that when someone commits assault or vandalism targeting officers or creates graffiti, prosecutors can pursue enhanced penalties under hate crime statutes. The law directly affects individuals committing these acts and changes how such offenses are legally categorized, without altering existing penalties for the underlying crimes.

Requires the notice to crime victims of case disposition to inform the victim of the right to attend interviews between the board of parole and the incarcerated individual in cases where the final disposition includes a felony defined in article one hundred twenty-five of the penal law that results in the commitment of the defendant to the custody of the department of corrections and community supervision for an indeterminate sentence; requires the board of parole to review victim impact statements, failure to review such statements shall make a hearing by the board of parole invalid.

Directs the commissioner of the office of mental health and the director of the state office for the aging shall establish a mental home health services program for the aging to facilitate access to mental home health services to respond to identified mental health needs, including those needs that may have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the aging or families that may not have access to mental health professionals in-person; makes related provisions.

Requires that a minimum of ten percent of the labor hours of the total construction workforce employed by all contractors and subcontractors performing work pursuant to a construction contract shall be performed by a person or persons participating in a certified apprenticeship program; makes technical amendments.

Prohibits state funding of any degree-granting institution of higher education if such institution permits terrorist organizations or activities in support of such organizations on campus; prohibits any student group or organization of receiving funding from the degree-granting institution if such group or organization directly or indirectly promotes, encourages, advocates, or engages in any terrorist advocacy or activities on campus.

Relates to requiring rate components for the non-capital component of rates of payment by governmental agencies for inpatient services provided by residential health care facilities to be updated no later than 1/1/2027, and every 5 years thereafter using the most currently available cost report data.