Sen. Peter Oberacker

Maddy summaryS 1434 creates a new crime called "stolen valor" by making it illegal for someone to falsely claim military service or decorations to gain money, property, or other tangible benefits. Specifically, the bill prohibits wearing military uniforms or medals to impersonate a service member or veteran, or falsely claiming to have received military medals authorized by federal or state law. Violating this law would be classified as a class A misdemeanor under New York's penal code. The bill directly affects individuals who misrepresent their military status for personal gain, not veterans or service members who truthfully claim their service.

Requires the commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public using facilities under its jurisdiction, which shall include ensuring a minimum staff of three hundred eighty-five permanently appointed, full time regional state park police officers at state parks, beaches, campgrounds, historic sites and concert venues; makes related provisions.

Establishes the crime of aggravated offering of a false accusation against a police officer or peace officer for knowing the information reported to be false or baseless, such person reports, by word or action, to a law enforcement officer or agency, the wrongdoing by a police officer or peace officer in the performance of such officer's duties; requires the posting of bail.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2313) grants New York veteran employees the right to request an unpaid leave of absence from work on Veterans Day (November 11) each year. To qualify, veterans must provide written proof of service to their employer by October 15 and be a New York resident. Employers may deny the leave only if it causes undue hardship to business operations, and the leave must be taken as unpaid time or deducted from existing paid leave. The law does not override collective bargaining agreements or affect veterans covered by other specific laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill permanently extends Kendra's Law, which requires court-ordered outpatient treatment for individuals with serious mental illness who have been involved in the criminal justice system. It removes the existing expiration date (June 30, 2027) from the law, making its provisions permanent. The bill directly affects people with severe mental illness who are subject to court-ordered treatment under Kendra's Law. Key provision: eliminating the temporary nature of the law, ensuring continued access to mandated outpatient care for eligible individuals without a sunset date.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new criminal offense called "vehicular homicide" for drivers who cause another person's death through reckless conduct showing extreme disregard for human life. It directly affects drivers whose actions - like severe speeding or ignoring traffic signals - result in fatalities, even if they didn’t intend to cause death. The law classifies vehicular homicide as a class B felony, the same penalty as second-degree murder in New York, making it a serious criminal charge. This change would replace or add to existing laws for deaths caused by negligent or reckless driving.

Provides for a credit against personal income tax for volunteer firefighters who complete qualifications to become a training instructor; provides that such credit shall be equal to the sum of five hundred dollars or the total amount of the tax owed by the taxpayer if less than five hundred dollars, whichever is lower.

Creates the New York state commission on government efficiency to examine state spending, identify unnecessary and wasteful spending and create a report of recommendations of spending items that can be eliminated by New York state.

Establishes the shovel-ready housing program under which certain municipalities, at their option, may pre-authorize parcels of property for the construction of housing; establishes a shovel-ready community tax rebate for taxpayers residing in municipalities that opt-in to the shovel-ready housing program; provides for annual apportionment to municipalities that have certified participation in the shovel-ready housing program.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the deadline for certain organizations to provide fiscal intermediary services - such as managing payments for home care programs - from April 1, 2025, to July 1, 2025. It requires subcontractors working with the statewide fiscal intermediary to register with the state department within 30 days of being selected. The change directly affects entities currently offering these services, ensuring they can continue operating under the new timeline while meeting registration requirements. The law takes effect immediately but applies retroactively from April 1, 2025.