Sen. Kristen Gonzalez

Relates to returnable bottles; adds noncarbonated soft drinks, certain noncarbonated fruit or vegetable juices, coffee and tea beverages, carbonated fruit beverages and cider to the definition of "beverage"; provides that beginning April 1, 2027, the handling fee will be six cents for each beverage container accepted by a deposit initiator from a dealer or operator of a redemption center; directs the multi-agency bottle bill fraud investigation team to submit a report on findings of pervasive bottle redemption fraud in New York state.

Enacts the "New York city small business rent stabilization act" instituting a commercial rent control system in the city of New York; creates the commercial rent guidelines board.

Relates to correctional facility visits by the correctional association; authorizes the correctional association to visit correctional facilities at any time and without advance notice; grants the correctional association access to certain records and information of correctional facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases fines for property owners who fail to file required rent registration statements on time. It raises the penalty from $500 to $1,000 per unregistered unit per month for late filings after receiving written notice from housing authorities. Owners must file the registration to stop the fine and avoid being barred from collecting rent above regulated rates. The fine becomes enforceable as a court judgment after the review period expires. The change directly affects landlords of rental properties in New York City that must comply with rent registration rules.

Establishes the healthy and safe students act; requires comprehensive sexuality instruction for students in grades K-12 which includes a model curricula for comprehensive sexuality education and at a minimum conforms to the content and scope of national sexuality education standards.

Establishes clean energy goals of reducing the annual total of vehicle miles traveled within the state by 20% by the year 2050; requires state and local highway projects to comply with reductions to vehicle miles traveled targets.

Provides notice of the death of an incarcerated individual occurring in the custody of the department of corrections and community supervision; requires the department to promptly notify the next kin and any other person designated as the representative of any incarcerated individual whose death takes place during custody.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals two specific provisions in New York's education law that previously required a reduction in state funding for charter schools. It removes paragraph (e) of section 2853 and subdivision 6-g of section 3602, which mandated the funding rollback. As a result, charter schools will no longer be subject to this specific reduction in state aid. The change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Establishes the professional practice of community midwifery; defines as the management in the home, birth center, or community setting, of normal pregnancies, child birth, and postpartum care, including newborn evaluation, resuscitation and referral for infants; sets requirements for license and practice.

Maddy summaryS 1439 (New York) imposes a new tax on investment income from long-term capital gains, dividends, and other low-taxed federal income types. It directly affects high-income New York residents with significant investment earnings, targeting individuals and estates with taxable income above specific thresholds. The bill adds a 7.5% tax on long-term capital gains above $400,000-$500,000 (depending on filing status), gradually increasing to 15% above $800,000-$1 million. This tax phases in over defined income ranges and is administered like existing state income tax. The bill is currently referred to the Budget and Revenue committee.