Sen. Lea Webb

Maddy summaryThis bill simplifies enrollment and recertification for New York Medicaid recipients needing long-term care. It automatically assigns people requiring community-based long-term care for over 120 days to a managed care plan (based on prior care workers, quality, and location), unless they choose otherwise. It also allows certain groups - like those in managed long-term care plans, receiving personal care services, or getting fixed Social Security income - to recertify automatically without resubmitting resource documentation, using "attestation" instead. These changes aim to reduce administrative burdens for both recipients and the state.

Requires the commissioner to establish Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history and civic impact curriculum or instructions for school districts.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires healthcare providers found guilty of serious misconduct - such as sexual abuse, drug abuse harming patients, or inappropriate prescribing resulting in harm - to provide written disclosure to current and new patients before treatment. The disclosure must detail their disciplinary status, penalties, practice restrictions, and resources for further information. Providers must obtain a signed copy of this disclosure before the first patient visit or treatment. Exceptions apply in emergencies or if a patient is incapacitated and their representative isn’t available. The law applies to probationary orders issued on or after January 1, 2026.

Establishes the "no severance ultimatums act", which prevents employers from giving coercive ultimatums to employees or former employees relating to severance agreements.

Expands the FreshConnect program, which provides rebates for the purchase of local produce to certain people, to include local produce sold in supermarkets and grocery stores.

Relates to treatment of gains from qualified opportunity zones in calculating taxable income; removes exclusion of gains on property in qualified opportunity zones in calculation of income.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "Sickle Cell Treatment Act" to improve care for sickle cell disease patients in New York. It designates five "centers for excellence" (with two north of Putnam/Orange counties) and ten outpatient treatment centers based on patient populations, providing each center with annual funding ($500,000 for excellence centers, $250,000 for outpatient centers) to support specialized care, research, and equipment. The bill also modifies opioid prescribing rules to exempt sickle cell disease patients from a three-month opioid limit, ensuring they can receive necessary pain management without restrictive barriers. These changes directly affect hospitals designated as centers, sickle cell patients requiring specialized care, and healthcare providers managing chronic pain.

Relates to participation in World Trade Center rescue, recovery and cleanup operations by members of the organized militia; provides that members of the organized militia shall qualify as employees for the purposes of making a claim under the workers' compensation law for participation in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery and cleanup operations.

Enacts the "student voter empowerment act"; requires each institution of higher education to designate a staff member to act as a student voting coordinator; requires such coordinator to develop and implement a student voting action plan to increase student voter registration and voting and democratic participation among students.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 4955) sets new standards for how New York's Medicaid Inspector General audits and reviews payments to healthcare providers. It requires the Inspector General to follow specific protocols when checking claims, cost reports, or payments, including providing providers access to applicable standards before audits begin. Key provisions include mandating detailed explanations in audit reports, considering factors like whether errors were minor clerical mistakes (e.g., transposed codes), and limiting recoupment for isolated errors. The bill directly affects Medicaid providers who receive state medical assistance payments, ensuring audits are transparent, fair, and based on clear, documented procedures.