Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick

Makes life imprisonment without parole mandatory for defendants convicted of murder in the first degree or second degree and the victim is a police officer, peace officer, first responder or correctional officer.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new offense called "aggravated criminal concealment of identity" for individuals who commit certain serious crimes while wearing a mask or face covering. It directly affects people committing listed offenses like assault, stalking, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, or terrorism-related crimes while concealing their identity. The key mechanism is automatic sentencing enhancement: if the underlying crime is a violent felony, this new offense is treated as a violent felony; for other crimes, it elevates the offense category. Minimum sentences are specified, such as at least six years for indeterminate sentences when the underlying crime is a class B felony.

Requires the court to make an individualized determination whether a defendant poses a current physical threat to any person or to public safety when making a bail determination.

Relates to reporting on the metropolitan transportation authority's state of good repair; requires the reporting to be published on the authority's website, outlining the repairs and investments needed to restore the authority's existing transit systems to a state of good repair.

Improves the transportation of children with special needs to and from school; provides that bussing time shall not exceed one and one-half hours; provides a special needs liaison to work with each family with a child with special needs; makes related provisions.

Maddy summaryS 1753, "Bella's Law," requires New York's Office of Children and Family Services to investigate potential domestic violence when someone is accused of or under investigation for animal abuse. It directly affects individuals accused of animal abuse crimes (such as cruelty, abandonment, or harming service animals) and mandates law enforcement to notify child services during such cases. The law creates a mechanism where police must coordinate with child services to determine if animal abuse is linked to domestic violence, requiring a formal investigation and documentation via domestic incident reports. This applies to all animal abuse accusations in New York starting from the law's effective date.

Provides for the rate of employer contributions to the unemployment insurance fund in the 2026 fiscal year; establishes the unemployment insurance solvency reserve fund.

Allows for a new special open enrollment period to choose a new health insurance plan for consumers in certain instances to allow for continuity of care with an existing health care provider.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes it a crime to intentionally stage a construction site accident to file a fraudulent insurance claim. It specifically targets individuals who enter a construction site to create or arrange an accident, or who direct others to do so, with the intent to submit a false insurance claim. The offense is classified as a class E felony, punishable by up to four years in prison. This law directly affects construction workers, contractors, or others involved in insurance claims who might attempt to fabricate accidents for financial gain.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow local governments (counties, cities, towns, villages, or school districts) to create a property tax exemption for the primary residence of veterans with a 100% service-connected disability. To qualify, veterans must have an honorable discharge, a 100% disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and be permanently and totally disabled due to military service. The exemption covers all real property taxes, special district charges, and assessments on their primary home. This policy change directly affects veterans meeting these specific criteria, providing them with tax relief on their main residence starting with 2026 assessment rolls.