Sen. George Borrello

Ensures zero-emission school buses and major components thereof are manufactured and assembled within the United States; provides for waivers of zero-emission school bus requirements in certain circumstances.

Requires housing affordability impact notes in relation to rules with the purpose or effect to increase or decrease the cost of constructing, purchasing, owning or selling a single family residence or a multi-unit housing development, either directly or indirectly.

Establishes the city of Dunkirk interim finance authority; provides for its functions, powers and duties; repeals the city of Dunkirk fiscal recovery act.

Maddy summaryBill S 7021 establishes a new retirement service credit for members of New York State public retirement systems who serve as volunteer firefighters or emergency service providers. Eligible members can receive one year of service credit for every five years of volunteer service, up to a maximum of three years of credit for fifteen years of service. To qualify, members must have at least five years of existing credited service and will pay a portion of the cost, calculated as three percent of their compensation for the twelve months preceding the application. The bill requires volunteer service to be certified by the agency and applications to be submitted before retirement.

Provides for the licensing, inspection and regulation of animal boarding kennels; authorizes the department of agriculture and markets to license, inspect and regulate animal boarding kennels.

Relates to the required disclosure upon the release of a juvenile or adolescent offender from the custody of the office of children and family services of certain records that are necessary to ascertain the nature of such offender's conviction and would be beneficial in identifying and mitigating any risk that such offender could pose if released.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits smoking or using cannabis in public spaces like streets, sidewalks, parks, and outdoor restaurant areas unless a local government specifically designates those areas for cannabis use. It establishes a $125 fine for violations, payable to the local government where the offense occurred, and requires the Cannabis Control Board to work with local governments on implementing rules for designated zones. The law directly affects cannabis users in public settings and local governments responsible for designating permitted areas, while maintaining New York's existing legal framework for personal cannabis use.

Provides that real property tax exemptions granted to real property owned by corporations or associations organized or conducted exclusively for hospital or for purposes related to the moral or mental improvement of men, women, or children and used exclusively for carrying out such purposes shall only be granted if the property owner can prove by clear and convincing evidence that each acre is actually used for such purpose at least 120 days a year.

Maddy summaryS 58 creates a new criminal offense for making threats of violence against police officers, classifying it as a class C felony. The bill defines the crime as threatening to commit violence against an officer with the intent to intimidate civilians, influence government policy, or disrupt government operations. It explicitly states that lacking the intent or ability to carry out the threat is not a valid defense. This law directly affects individuals who make such threats, imposing felony penalties rather than lesser offenses. The bill aims to strengthen legal consequences for threats targeting law enforcement personnel.

Authorizes municipalities to fund training of firefighters; allows a municipality to recoup the cost of sending a firefighter to training school from another municipality that hires that firefighter within three years of their training.