Sen. Lea Webb

Relates to low or moderate income housing developments; allows local zoning boards of appeals to approve affordable housing developments; provides for an appeals process to the division of housing and community renewal; creates a state zoning board of appeals within the division to hear such appeals; directs the division to conduct a study to integrate low income housing tax credit applications with the zoning application process under this act.

Defines the practice of certified registered nurse anesthetist; requires collaboration with a licensed physician qualified to determine the need for anesthesia services; requires licensing; defines qualifications.

Enacts the "safer health care facility construction act"; requires the commissioner of health to adopt infection control risk assessment (ICRA) standards to reduce the risk from infection in all health care facilities; requires all construction work performed on a new health care facility and on the expansion of an existing health care facility to be compliant with ICRA standards; requires people performing construction work on a health care facility be certified in compliance with ICRA standards.

Improves transparency in the insurance claims process; regulates insurance adjusting professionals; institutes licensing standards for insurance professionals; ensures timely responses to insurance claims; enhances policyholder protections.

Maddy summaryS 656 requires new homes built with certain New York state or federal financial assistance to include basic accessibility features for people with disabilities. It mandates step-free entrances, 36-inch wide interior doors, environmental controls at accessible heights (15-48 inches above floor), and specific bathroom requirements including grab bar reinforcements and minimum clear floor space. The law applies to detached single-family homes, ground-floor townhouses, or ground-floor units in buildings with three or fewer units. Exclusions cover sites with physically unreasonable constraints and certain mortgage-backed loans (like FHA or Fannie Mae). Violations carry civil penalties of $50-$500 per offense.

Encourages the participation of minority- and women-owned business enterprises in state contracts by avoiding unnecessary and unjustified bundling of contract requirements that preclude minority- and women-owned business participation.

Requires student onboarding and ongoing education on reproductive health services available to students including where the closest reproductive health clinics are located; all resources available to a student seeking reproductive health services including but not limited to financial assistance and mental health services and any reproductive health resources available to a student through the institution.

Relates to motions to vacate judgment; authorizes filing motions to vacate judgment due to a change in law; authorizes motions to vacate judgment to be filed at any time after entry of a judgment obtained at trial or by plea; relates to the requirements of discovery.

Requires the addition of fog lines on all state highways and other public ways under the jurisdiction of the department of transportation when such highway or public way is repaved.

Provides that the tax levy limit shall be equal to a zero percent increase over the prior year tax levy when the difference between the total amount of taxes levied for the prior year less the tax levy limit results in a negative number.