Sen. Pam Helming

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3081) removes a legal duty for property owners (including owners, lessees, or occupants) to maintain safe premises for people engaging in noncommercial aviation activities, such as private flying or recreational flying. It amends New York's General Obligations Law to explicitly exclude "noncommercial aviation" from the list of activities where property owners must ensure safety or warn about hazards. The change applies directly to property owners and individuals participating in noncommercial aviation, clarifying that owners owe no duty of care for injuries occurring during such activities on their property.

Maddy summaryS 2465 would allow home-schooled children residing in a school district to participate in that district's interscholastic sports and driver's education programs, provided they meet the program's requirements and pay any applicable fees. The bill amends education law to permit this participation even if the child does not attend a public school within the district. It specifically states that home-schooled students cannot be enrolled in another school within the same district while participating. This change directly affects home-schooled students and school districts offering these activities. The bill is currently pending in the Education committee.

Enacts "Chelsey's law"; provides that a person commits the crime of manslaughter or aggravated manslaughter when such person knows or has reasonable grounds to know that a controlled substance is likely to cause the death of another person and sells, administers, delivers, or causes the delivery of a controlled substance to another person and such substance causes, contributes to, or aids in the death of such other person.

Maddy summaryThis bill lowers the minimum age for obtaining a hunting license in New York from 14 to 12 years old, directly affecting young hunters aged 12-13. Key provisions require that 12-13-year-olds must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or designated adult (21+ with 3+ years' big game hunting experience) holding a valid license while hunting deer, bear, or using firearms/crossbows. The bill also updates age requirements for muzzle-loading firearms and crossbow use, maintaining supervision rules for younger hunters. These changes apply specifically to hunting regulations for big game and firearms under the Environmental Conservation Law.

Enhances sentences for certain offenses involving weapons on or near school grounds; relates to the availability of certain records of juvenile delinquents or youthful offenders; relates to annual earnings limitations for certain retired police officers employed by a school district or a board of cooperative educational services; adds a defendant's identifiable ties to the community and state to consideration for whether to fix a securing order, including residence, employment, enrollment with an educational institution, and immediate family; allows courts to hold a pre-trial community safety and well-being hearing; relates to the court's consideration of the existence of extraordinary circumstances and significant physical injury in determining whether to remove adolescent offenders to family court; defines such terms; provides factors for the court's consideration of whether extraordinary circumstances exist; exempts adolescent offenders who were illegally in possession of a loaded firearm from those authorized to be removed to family court; modifies the crime of criminal solicitation in the third degree.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1200) allows veterans to earn academic credit at New York State and City University systems for military training they completed. Specifically, full-time undergraduate veterans enrolled in good standing at these institutions can receive full credit toward their degree for military courses meeting American Council on Education standards - without any fees or tuition charges. It applies to veterans who served honorably in active duty, reserves, or New York National Guard/Militia. The law requires university boards to create procedures for implementing this credit transfer.

Repeals the provision of law that volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers who receive a real property tax exemption for service may not receive the income tax credit for such service.

Establishes the New York state volunteer fire protection emergency reimbursement account; provides reimbursement for expenses incurred related to procurement of personal protective equipment and other expenses.

Establishes offenses of sexual assault against a child by a person in a position of trust for the subjection of a child to sexual contact by a person in a position of trust; defines "person in a position of trust" as a person charged with the duty or responsibility for the health, education, welfare or supervision of a child; establishes such offenses shall be violent felony offenses.

Requires the division of state police to send renewal notices to holders of a license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver at least 90 days before expiration of such license.