Sen. Jeremy Zellner

Authorizes and directs the public service commission to establish rules to limit a utility's ability to recover its direct or indirect costs associated with its attendance in, participation in, preparation for, or appeal of any rate proceeding conducted before the commission.

Prohibits utility corporations from imposing late fees, interest, or penalties during an investigation by the commission; allows retroactive late fees, interest, or penalties if a determination is made in favor of such utility corporation; prohibits utility services from being terminated during an investigation by the commission; requires utility corporations to notify customers of investigations; requires notice to the general public; requires the public service commission to prepare reports on investigatory proceedings relating to gas, electric, and steam service.

Provides that credits for excess electricity generated by customer-generators subject to net energy metering by an electric corporation or the Long Island power authority may be carried over indefinitely and used against any charges imposed by an electric corporation or the Long Island power authority when the customer-generator uses more electricity than such customer generates; provides for the accounting of credits once every 5 years and the electric corporation or Long Island power authority shall reimburse the customer-generator for the accumulated credits.

Requires social services districts to, every heating season, automatically re-enroll persons or households currently receiving assistance through the low-income home energy assistance program, so long as each person or household maintains eligibility.

Increases the number of entities to whom the New York state energy research and development authority must submit an annual report; requires the report to include a brief summary of all proceeds collected and administered by the authority pursuant to an order of the public service commission or pursuant to regulation, including, but not limited to, assessments, fees, taxes, transfers, corporate income or surcharges imposed on energy consumers or power generators.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a maximum caseload limit of twelve families per month for preventative case planning caseworkers to ensure manageable workloads. It grants the Office of Children and Family Services the authority to set these standards in consultation with local districts while allowing for stricter local guidelines if desired. Additionally, the bill adjusts state reimbursement rates, offering full funding for preventative services provided that local districts maintain spending levels comparable to the 2025 fiscal year. The changes to funding and caseload rules are scheduled to take effect two years after the law is enacted.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New York State residents aged 65 and older to enroll in up to nine credit hours of courses at state and city universities without paying tuition. The provision applies to both the State University of New York system and the City University of New York, permitting these seniors to take classes for academic credit. Eligible individuals must be state residents, and the bill specifies that this tuition waiver takes effect starting April 1 of the following year.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Child Abuse Reporting Expansion Act, requires clergy members and other religious leaders to report suspected child abuse or mistreatment when they encounter it in their professional or official capacity. While it maintains a confidentiality privilege for information shared during spiritual confessions or confidences, it mandates that clergy must still report abuse if they learn of it through other means, such as observing a child or hearing it from a parent. The law also clarifies that religious leaders remain subject to other legal duties to stop ongoing abuse and defines specific terms regarding who qualifies as clergy and religious institutions. This change directly affects ministers, Christian Science practitioners, and religious supervisors who interact with children in their official roles.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the time limits for filing civil lawsuits related to child sexual assault, incest, and the use of children in sexual performances. It allows victims to seek compensation for physical or psychological injuries at any time, even if years have passed since the abuse occurred. The law applies to cases involving offenders who were under eighteen years old at the time of the incident and does not require a prior criminal conviction to proceed. Additionally, the bill revives specific lawsuits that were previously dismissed because the filing deadline had expired, giving those plaintiffs a window to restart their legal claims.

Establishes confirmatory adoptions providing for the adoption of children born as a result of assisted reproduction; allows for more than two persons to be named parents of a child; establishes presumed parentage and provides for the challenge and adjudication thereof; repeals certain provisions relating thereto.