Sen. Pam Helming

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (J 1676) congratulating St. John's Episcopal Church in Sodus, New York, on its 200th anniversary. The resolution formally recognizes the church's historical significance as the oldest continuously used building in Sodus for its original purpose, established in 1826. It contains no policy changes, funding, or obligations - it simply resolves to send a congratulatory document to the church. The resolution was adopted by the New York State Senate in March 2026 as a symbolic gesture of recognition.

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 exempts individuals aged 75 or older from jury duty upon their written request. It requires the court to provide a form for seniors to submit, after which they are automatically excused from service unless they later request to be reinstated. The exemption remains in effect until the person formally asks to be considered for jury duty again. This change directly affects New York residents who are 75 years or older and wish to avoid jury service.

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.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires coroners, pathologists, medical examiners, and other qualified medical professionals to report cases of Lyme or other tick-borne diseases discovered during post-mortem examinations to the state health department. It directly affects medical examiners and public health officials by mandating timely reporting of such cases. The key provision specifies that reporting must follow methods set by the health commissioner, ensuring standardized data collection. The goal is to improve public health tracking of tick-borne disease fatalities without changing treatment or prevention policies.

Maddy summaryS 3665 expands the real property tax exemption for new farm buildings. It includes structures used for the on-farm processing of agricultural and horticultural commodities. Additionally, the bill extends the exemption to cover buildings used for the on-farm sale of maple syrup, honey, and beeswax. This change benefits farmers and agricultural businesses by reducing their property tax burden on these specific types of structures. The act takes effect one year after becoming law, applying to assessment rolls prepared on

Maddy summarySenate Bill S 3071 establishes an 18-member task force focused on reviewing and promoting safety in school transportation. This task force will include education stakeholders, parents, teachers, administrators, and school bus personnel, along with state commissioners. Its duties involve studying current state laws, regulations, and programs related to school bus safety, pedestrian safety for students, and identifying best practices for bus stops and driver protocols. The task force is responsible for issuing a final report with recommendations to state leaders within 18 months, and the act itself will expire after 24 months.

Maddy summaryThis bill would provide a full real property tax exemption for the primary residence of disabled veterans who meet specific criteria. To qualify, veterans must have been discharged under honorable conditions, have a qualifying disability or LGBT status recognized under veterans' services law, and be rated as permanently and totally disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The exemption also applies to veterans who are individually unemployable due to their disability and have received government pecuniary assistance for housing modifications. The law ensures the property's taxable value cannot go below zero and does not affect any existing tax exemptions veterans may already receive.

Provides that a member with credited service in excess of twenty-five years shall receive an additional retirement allowance equal to one-sixtieth of such member's final average salary for each year of creditable service in excess of twenty-five years; makes related provisions.