Senior Drug Guide Requires the New York State Office for the Aging to publish a guide explaining the purpose, function, and potential drug interactions of drugs commonly used by persons over the age of 62. The measure aims to keep seniors better informed about how the human body reacts to these frequently prescribed medications. (A.1962; Passed Assembly)
Underserved Aging Populations Requires the Office for the Aging to compile an annual report with recommendations and assessments on progress, problems and the effectiveness of services that are aimed at addressing the needs of traditionally underserved senior populations. (A.3956; Passed Assembly / S.1385; Third Reading)
Missing Person Alert System Authorizes the Department of Criminal Justice to develop a system to find missing individuals age 18 or older who have a cognitive impairment, mental disability, or brain disorder. Under the bill, once local law enforcement personnel confirm a report of a missing vulnerable adult, the system would begin the distribution of the missing person's name, their description, and other pertinent information to broadcast media outlets and internet service and commercial mobile service providers. The information would be made available in a way that ensures the missing person's disabilities or vulnerabilities are not disclosed. (A.5220-B / S.2056-B; Veto 6751)
Long-Term Care Worker Training Expands access to quality training for long-term care workers to improve the quality of care available to seniors and improve access to such care in high needs areas of the state. The bill addresses the increasing number of older adults who have chronic health problems and need supportive services such as recreation, income assistance, transportation, wellness education, home health care, housing or institutional care. (A.5864; Passed Assembly / S.5455; Finance)
Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) Eligibility Ensures continuing EPIC eligibility for seniors who receive small cost of living increases in Social Security or pension benefits. (A.6646; Passed Assembly)
NORC Matching Requirement Assists Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC) that are established in lower income areas. The bill allows NORCs, subject to the approval of the state Office for the Aging, to count in-kind donations from the building and community toward their required match of state funds. (A.9841-A / S.7512-A; Chapter 410)
NORC Program Eligibility Removes the requirement that elderly individuals be heads of households in order to be counted toward the minimum number of elderly residents necessary for the establishment of a NORC. This would make it easier for local programs to meet the requirements necessary to establish a NORC. (A.9838 / S.7647; Chapter 348)
Community Gardens Requires that a percentage of the proceeds gained from the sale of property used as a community garden be used to fund the Community Gardens Program. (A.6442-A / S.6343-A; Veto 67)
Conservation Easement Financial Assistance Provides financial assistance payments to help fund up to 75 percent of the cost of conservation easements purchased by counties and municipalities that are subjected to a county or municipal farmland protection plan. (A.6686-A / S.5414-A; Chapter 234)
Farmland Protection Permits certain not-for-profit conservation organizations to work more directly with towns and counties in applying for state agricultural protection assistance payments, a program that aims to preserve the state's farmland. (A.6687 / S.4476; Chapter 93)
Farming Activity Disclosure Requires purchasers of real property within 500 feet of the boundary of an agricultural district to be notified of the farming activities that occur within such a district. (A.7835; Passed Assembly / S.5428; Agriculture)
Food Donations Protects those donating canned or perishable goods to charity from criminal and civil liability. (A.9252-A / S.6303-A; Chapter 438)
Animal Abuse Requires that individuals convicted of certain animal cruelty and animal fight offenses reimburse the organizations caring for these animals. (A.9400; Passed Assembly / S.3155; Agriculture)
Pure Maple Products Includes "pure" maple products under the definition of "agricultural commodity" to allow producers to apply for federal funding to assist with their production. (A.9520-A / S.6317-A; Chapter 78)
Maple Sap and Pure Maple Products Includes the production of maple sap and pure maple products within the definition of agricultural tourism. (A.9814-A / S.6443-A; Chapter 87)
Wine and Grape Industry Allows the manufacture and sale of wine ice cream and other frozen desserts made with wine. (A.9859-A; Passed Assembly /S.6780-A; Third Reading)
Pet Store Cats and Dogs Increases the standards of care provided by licensed pet dealers to enhance the health and well-being of cats and dogs. (A.10509-C; Passed Assembly / S.7511-C; Rules)
Slaughterhouse Licensing Conforms the qualifications for obtaining a slaughterhouse license, and the conditions under which a license may be declined, suspended or revoked, to the qualifications and conditions applicable to licensed food processing establishments. (A.10557 / S.7099; Chapter 211)
State-Funded Animal Shelters Requires animal shelters that receive state funding to compile and make public annual reports on intake and disposition of animals. (A.10872A.10872 /S.7612-A; Veto 6782)
Out-of-State Dumping Requires the identification of practices most susceptible to threats from dumping out-of-state products. (A.10872 / S.7656; Chapter 527)
Animal Euthanasia Adds duly incorporated humane societies to the list of places that may receive, release for adoption or humanely destroy certain abandoned animals and authorizes certified euthanasia technicians to perform certain veterinary medicine practices without a license. (A.11178-A / S.7955-A; Chapter 449)
Alcoholism Educational Materials Requires the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, in consultation with the Department of Health, to provide and publish educational materials for health care providers regarding screening, assessment, and diagnosis of women for alcoholism and chemical dependency. (A.10083-A; Passed Assembly / S.7530; Health)
Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Includes "relapse prevention and recovery maintenance" within the scope of responsibilities of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). This legislation would allow OASAS to develop and maintain a list of qualified Driving While Intoxicated assessment providers and allows OASAS to extend the maximum operating certificate term from three years to five years. (A.11034-A / S.7255-A; Chapter 271)
Protection from Unscrupulous Contractors Prohibits home improvement contractors from representing mortgage brokers in any form. The measure also prevents consumers from paying excessive interest rates on loans arranged with the contractors who perform the work. The bill provides protections to homeowners from the high pressure sales tactics used by contractors selling second mortgages. (A.170; Passed Assembly / S.5102; Banks)
Foreclosure Compensation Allows homeowners who prevail in foreclosure proceedings the right to seek reimbursement from their lending company for attorney fees. (A.1239-B / S.2614-B; Chapter 550)
Social Security Check-Cashing Enables senior citizens to cash social security checks at any banking institution. (A.2600-A; Passed the Assembly / S.7946; Third Reading)
Basic Banking Account Withdrawals Increases the minimum number of free withdrawals, from eight to 12, from basic banking accounts held by customers who are 65 years of age or older. (A.3072; Passed the Assembly / S.5599; Banks)
Increasing Access to ATMs Requires ATMs to use both audio and visual communication systems to relay messages to customers to ensure all individuals have equal access to ATM services. (A.4766-A; Passed Assembly)
Check Paying Requires that banks make payments on checks in the order received. The bill also provides that if a check is dishonored because of insufficient funds, banks would still be required to honor the subsequent checks that follow if their amounts do not exceed the funds available in the individual's bank account. (A.6685; Passed Assembly / S.8146; Banks)
Mortgage Bill of Rights Requires mortgage lenders and brokers to provide customers with a mortgage bill of rights pamphlet to be read and signed by the consumer prior to applying for a mortgage. (A.10502 / S.7399; Veto 6781)
Safe Deposit Boxes Requires banking organizations to provide notices of fees and charges to renters of safe deposit boxes. It also prohibits these organizations from imposing fees or charges on a lessee when an act of God, common disaster or emergency situation renders the lessee unable to access the safe deposit box. (A.10918 / S.8066; Veto 6784)
Banking Law Conformity Allows various banking institutions to hold authorized but unissued shares. The bill also would ensure that the Banking Law conforms to the Business Corporation Law with respect to preemptive rights. (A.10930 / S.7444; Chapter 216)
Increased Certainty and Stability for Check Cashing Industry Extends to August 1, 2013 the law that requires any separate check cashing facilities established by banking institutions be subject to the existing distance standard. (A.10941 / S.6699; Chapter 209)
Streamlining Bank Holdings Eliminates the requirement that companies obtain prior approval from the Banking Board to own or control two or more banking institutions with principal offices in New York State. (A.11120 / S.7446; Chapter 217)
Child Day Care Closure Notification Requires the City of New York to provide six months notice to providers and parents before closing a child day care, except where the city seeks to close a center for reasons of public safety, criminal behavior by the provider, breach of contract, or suspension or revocation of the center's license for non-economic reasons. (A.3065-E / S.3601-D; Chapter 462)
Office of the Child Advocate Establishes an independent Office of the Child Advocate to oversee publicly funded juvenile justice programs. (A.3233-B/ S.6877; Veto 6819)
Parental Notification Requires a police officer to immediately notify the parent or guardian of a youth upon the arrest of the youth or upon the issuance of an appearance ticket. (A.4616-A; Passed Assembly / S.2726-A; Codes)
Youth in Progress Advisory Board Establishes a statewide Youth in Progress Advisory Board to advocate for adolescents in foster care. (A.6362; Passed Assembly / S.5714; Finance)
Family Day Care Modifies the staff to child ratio permitted in group family day care homes. The bill also authorizes the Office of Children and Family Services to impose a penalty on providers who commit serious offenses, whether or not the provider subsequently rectifies the violation. The measure also allows a license to remain valid for four years, rather than two years for childcare providers who are in compliance with state regulations. (A.8827-A / S.3895-B ; Chapter 117)
Detention Program Service Sharing Requires the Office of Children and Family Services to provide technical assistance in the utilization and sharing of existing alternatives to detention programs between counties. (A.11137-A; Passed Assembly / S.8006-A; Rules)
Adoption Resources Requires local social services districts to develop resource guides containing information on post-adoption services. The legislation also mandates that the guides be made available to adoptive parents at, or prior to, the final adoption proceeding. (A.11175; Passed Assembly)
Landlord Harassment Penalties Discourages landlords from filing frivolous primary residence eviction proceedings by allowing tenants to recover attorney fees and damages. (A.473-B; Passed Assembly)
Electronic Key Entry Card Restrictions Prohibits the use of electronic key entry cards that record information about a tenant, such as entry time to a building, the tenant's name, photo, address or apartment number. (A.514; Passed Assembly / S.5368; Cities)
Referendum "Bumping" Rule Terminated Eliminates a provision in the law that allows local referendum proposals to be removed from the ballot whenever a city charter revision commission puts a referendum before voters. The measure would do away with the procedure that allows city charter revision referendums to preempt other local referendums. (A.6019; Passed Assembly)
Timely Consideration of Charter Revision Proposals Prevents any charter revision commission appointed by a mayor after February 15, from putting anything on the ballot until the next year. The measure also would require public hearings before and after such commissions make proposals. (A.10172; Passed Assembly / S.7344; Third Reading)
Extension of Energy Cost Savings Program and Lower Manhattan Energy Program Extends the provisions of the Energy Cost Savings Program (ECSP) and the Lower Manhattan Energy Program (LMEP) until 2013. ECSP provides special rebates and discounts to firms moving to designated areas of New York City or making certain levels of investment to expand or upgrade their facilities in the five boroughs. LMEP provides similar benefits to owners of buildings in Lower Manhattan. (A.11041 / S.7327-A; Chapter 406)
Water Charge Reduction/Exemption for Certain Organizations in New York City Extends full or partial water usage exemptions for an additional two years. Under the bill, the list of not-for-profit organizations that would be eligible for the exemption would include: hospitals, women's shelters, day care centers, public baths, religious sites used exclusively for public worship, social settlements, certain non-public schools and others. (A.11042; Passed Assembly)
Strangulation and Related Offenses Defines new crimes that include obstruction of breathing and strangulation under the Penal Law and makes conforming changes throughout the laws to afford protections for victims of such offenses. (A.10161-A / S.6987-A; Chapter 405)
Increased Penalties for Sexual Contact with Minors Establishes that sexual contact with a person under the age of 13 by a person 21 years of age or older is a crime of sexual abuse in the first degree. (A.1067-A; Passed Assembly)
Protect Victims of Child Sex Offenses Mandates that a person is guilty of criminal trespass in the second degree when an individual, who is required to register as a sex offender, enters or remains in a school knowing that the victim of his or her offense attends or formerly attended that school. (A.2257-B / S.1606-B; Chapter 315)
Expand Definition of Sexual Contact Expands the definition of sexual contact to cover other conduct of an illegal, sexual nature. (A.9938-A / S.7702-A; Chapter 193)
Execution of Bench Warrants Authorizes court security officers throughout the state to execute bench warrants. (A.602 / S.6724; Chapter 10)
Larceny of ATM Creates new crimes of larceny when ATM machines or their operation are tampered with. The bill aims to provide greater protections for customers and ATM banking equipment. (A.1431-B / S.5536-A; Chapter 464)
Expand Eligibility for Crime Victims' Compensation to Domestic Partners Expands the eligibility for crime victims' compensation to include domestic partners. The bill would allow people with long-term relationships who are not recognized by the law and whose loved one was a victim of a homicide to be eligible for compensation. The measure's definition of domestic partners would include elderly siblings or relatives sharing living quarters, unmarried adults living together in long-term committed relationships and parent-child relationships where adoption has never been formalized. (A.4089; Passed Assembly / S.1422-A; Rules)
Microstamping Firearms Mandates that manufacturers of semiautomatic pistols delivered to licensed firearms dealers in New York State be capable of microstamping each weapon. The legislation would ensure that when a gun is fired, the information identifying the make, model and serial number of the gun is stamped onto the cartridge as numbers and letters. (A.6468-C; Passed Assembly / S.6005-A; Third Reading)
Ban Ethnic and Racial Profiling Prohibits law enforcement officers from using racial profiling. The bill also would require police departments to collect and maintain records related to traffic stops and "stop and frisk" actions and regularly submit the information to the Division of Criminal Justice Services. The legislation also would permit victims of racial or ethnic profiling to seek recourse against those who use race and ethnicity as a basis for exercising their powers. (A.1676-A; Passed Assembly)
Protecting Domestic Violence Victims from Firearms Bans domestic violence perpetrators from legally possessing firearms. (A.7575-A; Passed Assembly)
Judicial Firearm Ownership Inquiry Requires judges, in domestic violence cases pending in criminal or family court, to ask the involved parties whether they own a gun. The measure aims to prevent additional crimes of violence. (A.4320-A; Passed Assembly / S.1647-A; Codes)
Revocation of Firearms Licenses of Some Individuals Empowers courts to revoke firearms and licenses and seize weapons of individuals whom a judge has determined are incapacitated or are ordered for treatment at a mental health facility. (A.7733-A; Passed Assembly / S.5466; Codes)
Domestic Violence Damage Recovery Permits victims to recover non-economic and economic damages from those found liable for committing acts of domestic violence as well as from those government agencies that fail to enforce orders of protection. (A.5516; Passed Assembly / S.4452; Codes)
Ensure Defendants Can Contact Attorney or Family Upon Arrest Entitles defendants charged with an offense to telephone any number located in the United States, its territories and outlying areas for the purpose of obtaining counsel and informing a relative or friend. The bill also would provide protection against any misuse of this entitlement. (A.8530-E / S.5688-D; Chapter 94)
Help Victims of Human Trafficking Reenter Society Permits motions to vacate a conviction for prostitution when the individual is a victim of sex trafficking. (A.7670 / S.4429; Chapter 332)
Encouraging Others to Notify Authorities of Drug Overdoses Provides "good Samaritan" protection to someone who in "good faith" notifies health-care providers of a drug overdose. (A.8147-A; Passed Assembly / S.5191-A; Codes)
Protect Those Afflicted with Drug Addiction from Exposure to Diseases Reinforces current law that protects individuals in state sponsored needle exchange programs from being unnecessarily targeted for prosecution. (A.8396-A / S.5620-A; Chapter 284)
Update Peace Officer Training Establishes greater state oversight of uniformity in peace officer training. (A.7957-A / S.6102-A; Chapter 491)
Innocence Commission Established, Protections for the Wrongfully Convicted Strengthens and expands the use of DNA evidence to both convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent by establishing statewide standards for the preservation and cataloguing of DNA evidence. The bill also would set formal procedures for individuals who may be innocent to seek a comparison between the DNA evidence taken from the crime scene and their DNA profile.
The legislation also establishes the Integrity of the Criminal Justice System Commission to study the errors made in wrongful conviction cases and to make recommendations to prevent such breakdowns in the justice system from occurring again. In addition, to reduce wrongful convictions, the measure also mandates the videotaping of custodial interrogations conducted in police stations for felony cases. (A.6528; Passed Assembly / S.4668; Finance)
Criminal Mischief Law Updated Raises the threshold level of damage for committing the felony crime of criminal mischief in the third degree. (A.5012; Passed Assembly / S.4636; Codes)
Order of Protections Expanded Clarifies the law so that when an order of protection is issued in relation to a family offense, it expires at the time of sentencing and not at the time of conviction. (A.8807-B; Passed Assembly)
Increase Availability of Class Action Proceedings Prohibits a court from denying class certification solely because the action involves governmental operations. (A.5019; Passed Assembly / S.5394; Codes)
Protect Disabled Persons from Violence Creates felony offenses for endangering the welfare of physically disabled or incompetent individuals thereby providing greater protection for them. (A.9534 / S.6728; Chapter 14)
Protect Nurses from Violence Increases the penalties for assaulting nursing professionals while in the performance of their duties. (A.3103-A / S.401-A; Chapter 318)
Protect For-Hire Vehicle Drivers from Violence Imposes a range of stiffer penalties on those who assault for-hire vehicle drivers and would permit a warning sign of such penalties to be posted on delivery vehicles. (A.10058-A / S.7022-B; Veto 6808)
Protect Sanitation Enforcement Agents from Violence Increases the penalties for assaulting sanitation enforcement agents while performing their duties. (A.9186-B / S. 6079-B; Chapter 345)
Expands Sentencing for Hate Crime Defendants Establishes greater sentencing alternatives for defendants convicted of hate crimes. (A.9220-A / S.7575; Chapter 158)
Exempting Religious Organizations from Fireworks-Related Fees Exempts qualified religious organizations from paying a permit fee to display fireworks for religious events. While the bill would exempt these fees, it still requires such organizations to secure permits. (A.10300-A; Passed Assembly / S.7448-A; Third Reading)
Provides Remedies to Victims of Fraud Assists individuals who have been victimized by false financial claims, which can be devastating to a victim's credit. Under the bill, upon the conviction of an individual for filing a false financial statement, the court would be required to issue and file with the Secretary of State a certificate of the conviction. This certificate would identify the defendant and details of the case, thereby providing victims proof of the fraudulent financial statements that were filed against them and help them to repair the damage caused to their credit history. (A.10572; Passed Assembly)
"Elle's Law" Increasing Penalties for Unsafe Drivers Increases penalties for individuals who violate traffic laws that cause serious physical injury to others. The bill addresses the reckless operation of a motor vehicle as was the case in 2009 when three year old Elle Vandenberghe of Manhattan suffered severe brain damage after she was hit by a motorist driving in reverse while in pursuit of a parking space. (A.10617-A / S.7485-A; Chapter 409)
Clarify Sentences Under Drug Law Reform Act Clarifies the availability of a sentence of parole supervision under the Drug Law Reform Act enacted in 2009. (A.11051 / S.2405; Chapter 121)
Coordinate Resources for Use Against Gang Violence Requires the Division of Criminal Justice Services to deploy the state police to develop a coordinated law enforcement response to gang-related criminal activity. (A.11087 / S.8308; Veto 6785)
Protection of Abandoned Infants Amends the Abandoned Infant Protection Act by removing criminal liability when a parent or guardian leaves a child with an appropriate person or in a suitable location. The measure also increases the age at which a parent or guardian can legally and safely surrender an infant from five days to no more than 30 days old. (A.11111 / S.2950-D; Chapter 447)
Protect Privacy of Innocent Individuals Prohibits the electronic recording of personal identifying information of a person who law enforcement officials have stopped, questioned or frisked when no further legal action has been taken against the individual. (A.11177-A / S.7945-A; Chapter 176)
Protect Religious Property Expands the definition of theft of property to include outdoor religious displays, making such crimes a class "E" felony punishable by up to four years in prison. (A.11485 / S.8175; Chapter 479)
Increase Judicial Efficiency Waives the requirement for certain misdemeanor charges that a probation report be prepared when the court and the parties agree to a sentence of 180 days or less. Under the bill, a probation report would still be provided if requested by the court or one of the involved parties. (A.7961 / S.5963; Chapter 179)
Debt Collection Requires creditors or debt collectors attempting to collect a debt owed by a deceased individual to notify the person from whom they are seeking payment that they are not legally obligated to pay the amount owed by the deceased. (A.7889-B; Passed Assembly / S.7205; Consumer Protection)
Consumer Arbitration Case Disclosure Requires private arbitration organizations involved in consumer arbitration cases to make information regarding the outcome of such cases available to the public on its website. (A.7943-B; Passed Assembly / S.7270-A; Consumer Protection)
Identifying Technology Review Establishes a task force to assess various privacy issues associated with the use of automatic identification technology. The task force would provide the legislature with a report of its findings and legislative recommendations. (A.275-A / S.7269; Veto 6771)
Energy Service Contract Protections Provides important consumer safeguards related to the marketing and offering of contracts for energy services to residential customers. (A.1558-C / S.2361-C; Chapter 416)
Telemarketer Disclosure Mandates telemarketers provide consumers with the identity of the telemarketer and seller, the purpose of the call, and the identity and cost of the goods or services being offered. The bill also clarifies that prerecorded telephone messages and any message delivered to a consumer's voicemail are considered calls that are subject to the Do-Not-Call Law. (A.8839; Chapter 344)
Rent to Own Law Makes significant changes to the Rent-to-Own Law (Article 11 of the Personal Property Law), including the establishment of well-defined price controls. It also requires rent-to-own merchants to provide consumers with enhanced contract disclosures. (A.3083-E / S.557-C; Chapter 309)
Bans Fee for Receiving Bills By Mail Prohibits businesses from charging an additional rate or fee to consumers who choose to receive paper-billing statements or pay checks through the United States mail. (A.9541-A / S.7296-A; Chapter 556)
Licensing Debt Collectors Requires third party debt collectors and debt buyers to obtain a license from the Department of State. (A.3926-D; Passed Assembly / S.7071-A; Consumer Protection)
Sunscreen Effectiveness Mandates sunscreen products to be labeled with "best if used before" dates and storage recommendations to ensure consumers are receiving maximum protection from the sun. (A.6367; Passed Assembly/ S.3463; Consumer Protection)
Payoff Deadline Set for Car Dealers on Trade-in-Vehicles with Balances Requires automobile dealers who take a vehicle in trade and who agree to payoff the balance owed on said vehicle, to payoff said balance within 21 days. Under the bill, dealers would be prohibited from selling or transferring any ownership interest in the vehicle until the balance has been paid off. (A.10000-A / S.7300-A; Chapter 254)
Baby Crib Safety Protections Prohibits any person or business from importing, manufacturing or selling a baby crib that does not meet the standards established by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the American Society for Testing and Materials. (A.9223-C / S.6356-B; Chapter 245)
Rebate Disclosure Requires merchants that offer rebates to disclose whether the rebate will be issued in any form other than cash or a check. Under the bill, Merchants also would be required to disclose the additional fees that will be charged to consumers, whether or not they use the rebate offer. (A.11007-A / S.7609-A; Chapter 269)
Donated Clothing Collection Requires organizations that place a clothing donation bin in a public space to affix to it a label that clearly and conspicuously displays the name, address, and telephone number of the organization. The bill also requires that the label disclose whether the items placed in the container will be used for charitable purposes or for profit. (A.10766-A / S.7558; Chapter 264)
Campground Contract Termination Provides individuals who have a membership to a campground with the ability to cancel their contract under certain circumstances, including cases when the purchaser enters a nursing home or suffers a serious injury or illness. (A.11119-B; Passed Assembly)
In-Depth Study of Telephone Corporation Mergers Requires the Public Service Commission (PSC) to provide closer scrutiny of proposed telecommunications industry mergers and or transfers of control. The bill would mandate the PSC to conduct an in depth study of such mergers and their potential impact on ratepayers. (A.2208-D; Passed Assembly / S.7263-C; Third Reading)
Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Election Districts Creates election districts for the election of LIPA trustees. (A.2695-A; Passed Assembly)
Public Non-Disclosure Agreements Prohibits public authorities from requiring an employee to agree to a non-disclosure contract as a condition of employment. By banning such contracts, the bill aims to promote openness and transparency and public scrutiny of the states public authorities. (A.4296-C/S.5915-A; Chapter 39)
Unlisted Numbers for Domestic Violence Victims Requires telephone companies to provide unlisted phone numbers, free of charge, to victims of domestic abuse who have been issued an order of protection by a court. (A.6509-B / S.5615-A; Chapter 327)
North Country Power Authority Establishes the North Country Power Authority to provide electric power services to municipalities in St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties. (A.6694-D / S.2813-C; Chapter 533)
Non-Voting MTA Board Membership Extends until 2012 the participation of two non-voting members on the MTA Board that represent the users of the transit system and the labor organization representing the majority of MTA employees. (A.7137-B / S.4480-C; Chapter 2)
Utility Service Call Centers in New York State Requires gas and electric utility companies to provide ratepayers with service assistance centers that are located within New York State, the utility's service territory and geographic service area. (A.7593-B / S.4208-B; Chapter 330)
New York Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act Establishes prudent oversight and flexibility for charitable endowments. (A.7907-D / S.4778-C; Chapter 490)
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Small Business Mentoring Program Establishes the MTA Small Business Mentoring Program. Under the bill, independent businesses that are in the construction trade and that have annual revenues of less than $5 million will have the opportunity to compete for MTA public work contracts. The bill permits these contractors to perform the work for the MTA with the advice and technical assistance of experienced firms within the construction industry. (A.8681-B / S.5987-B; Chapter 206)
Walkway Over the Hudson Bridge Authorizes the New York State Bridge Authority to accept ownership of the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge, which will be known as the "Walkway over the Hudson Bridge." (A.9051-A / S.7715-A; Chapter 219)
State of New York Mortgage Agency Authorizes the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) to purchase and insure second mortgage loans in situations where a government sponsored enterprise is purchasing the first mortgage loan and allows SONYMA to participate in a federal program designed to increase lending in the housing market. (A.9149-A / S.6150-A; Chapter 208)
Payment Protection for Certain Subcontractors on NYC School Construction Projects Eliminates double withholding of payments to contractors on New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) construction contracts. The bill would establish that subcontractors who file mechanics' liens will not be entitled to payment protection through the SCA. (A.10147-A / S.7365-A; Chapter 523)
Notice Requirements for Residential Health Care Facilities Mandates that the state Ombudsman for long term care be added to the list of officials notified by utility companies when electrical service will be discontinued to multiple dwelling buildings that serve as residential health care, adult care or assisted living residence facilities. (A.10551 / S.7279; Chapter 195)
Debt Reduction Policies for State Authorities Requires that the Independent Authorities Budget Office implement debt limitation and reduction policies for all state authorities. (A.11222-A; Passed Assembly / S.8425; Rules)
Independent Authorities Budget Office Makes technical changes to the Public Authorities Reform Act of 2009 which created the new Independent Authorities Budget Office (IABO). The bill would clarify the powers of the IABO to determine whether authorities are complying with the reporting requirements, allows the IABO to hire and set compensation for employees, amends the definition of local authority to include Limited Development Corporations and conforms the reporting requirements for Industrial Development Agencies with the Public Authority Law. (A.11223-A; Passed Assembly)
Expanding Opportunities for Minority and Women Business Enterprises (MWBE) Requires officials who appoint members of public authorities to consider diversity when making appointments. The bill also requires that the guidelines adopted by a public authority to govern its procurements include a waiver of any competitive bid requirement from small businesses or MWBEs for purchases of recycled or remanufactured goods that are not more than $200,000. (A.11526 / S.8313; Chapter 174)
Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) Addresses a technical deficiency within state law that authorizes DASNY, through its Tax Exempt Leasing Program (TELP), to finance the lease acquisition of certain equipment. Under the bill, health information technology equipment, software, intellectual property, other intangible property and ancillary costs associated with that equipment would be included in DASNY's leasing program. (A.11546 / S.8339; Chapter 452)
Sex Offender Signed Verification Establishes procedures in the event a sex offender fails to mail a signed verification within 20 calendar days of receiving the document from the Division of Criminal Justice Services. (A.841; Passed Assembly / S.2604; Codes)
Violation of Registration Requires the Division of Criminal Justice Services to include information in the sex offender registry when a sex offender is in violation of registration requirements (A.2108 / S.2923; Veto 6789)
Failure to Register Establishes that the number of days a sex offender fails to register or verify his or her status with the Division of Criminal Justice will be added to the time such person is mandated to register as a sex offender. (A.2132 / S.4743; Veto 6743)
Housing Authority Notice Notifies municipal housing authorities whenever certain sex offenders are living in public housing. (A.3024-F / S.2490-E; Chapter 278)
Registry Information Requires the sex offender registry to include information about the type and length of supervision an offender is serving. (A.10777; Passed Assembly)
Temporary Housing Notice Requires law enforcement agencies to be notified when sex offenders in Suffolk County are placed in temporary housing. (A.10973-A / S.8026-A; Veto 6812)
Community Notice Permits law enforcement officers to notify communities about the exact address of certain sex offenders who move into their neighborhood. (A.10974; Passed Assembly / S.8136; Crime Victims, Crime and Correction)
Public Agency Discrimination Allows the Division on Human Rights to enforce the provisions of Article 23-A of the Correction Law when a person is discriminated against by a public agency. (A.8012 / S.4687; Veto 6756)
Inmate Employment Permits inmates in state and local correctional facilities to perform work for non-profit corporations. (A.10061 / S. 8317; Chapter 256)
Inmate Credit Eligibility Expands the eligibility for limited credit time allowance for inmates. Under the bill, four new advanced skill programs would be added to the list of programs that allow an inmate to be eligible for credit time. (A.10611 / S.7864; Chapter 412)
DOCS Annual Reports Requires the Department of Correctional Services to provide an annual report to the Legislature on staffing and bed capacity in state correctional facilities, including information as to the number of inmates living in double-bunked and double-celled conditions. The measure also would mandate that such reports include an analysis of any proposed prison closure and its impact on inmate security level classification, correctional employees, facility staffing and available bed capacity. (A.11330-A / S.8022; Veto 6767)
Shock Incarceration Program Expands eligibility for the Shock Incarceration Program to certain non-violent offenders. The program provides inmates with an opportunity for early release from prison following a six month regimen of intensive treatment and education. The program has proven to be effective at reducing recidivism upon release and saving the state money. (A.11391 / S.8228; Chapter 377)
Interstate Compact for Juveniles Enacts the new Interstate Compact for Juveniles (ICJ) which will govern the interstate management, monitoring, and supervision of juvenile delinquents and provide for the return of non-adjudicated juveniles who have run away from home to another state. This legislation also establishes the Council for Interstate Juveniles Supervision to oversee the state's interaction with the interstate commission and to provide the legislature with an annual report about the state's participation in the ICJ. (A.11400-A / S.8279; Veto 6737)
Full Service Fueling Provides that any retail facility that sells motor fuel and which offers full service in addition to self service, must provide full service between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to disabled persons with a valid parking permit for handicapped access. Under the bill, this full service would be offered at the same price charged for self service. (A.629 / S.2752; Chapter 228)
Bioscience Assistance Provides assistance to local economic development entities in efforts to establish bioscience facilities revolving loan funds. (A.5255-A / S.7228-A; Veto 6802)
CATs Funding Resources Enhances the operation and effectiveness of the state's Centers For Advanced Technology (CATs) by permitting the matching requirement for state fund eligibility to be an over all match and not based on a project by project basis. (A.9810 / S.6854; Chapter 191)
Bank Export Incentive Program Directs the Job Development Authority to establish the New York State Bank Export Incentive Program. The bill aims to increase the availability of medium term loans at competitive interest rates to New York firms with under 500 employees. The measure addresses the difficulty companies experience in securing working capital to produce products and provide services for foreign customers. (A.4881; Passed Assembly)
Motor Fuel Dealer Prohibits a producer/refiner from selling, transferring, or assigning interest in a retail outlet that is leased to a dealer unless the producer/refiner first offers its interest in the retail operation to the dealer. This bill also requires that the producer/refiner provide the right of first refusal to the dealer of any offer to purchase interest in the retail operation. (A.6036-B / S.7410-B; Veto 6769)
2nd Avenue Subway Construction Economic Development Grant Program Creates the 2nd Avenue Subway Construction Economic Development Grant Program to provide financial and technical assistance to businesses located within the 2nd Avenue Subway Construction Business Zone area. The program would provide funding to businesses for the purpose of improving signage, expanding existing entry ways, and improving ventilation. The bill also permits businesses to use the funds for marketing, advertising, rental payment assistance and professional counseling services. (A.6137-A; Passed Assembly / S.3798-A; Finance)
Nail Salon Protective Masks and Gloves Requires all owners of appearance enhancement businesses to provide protective gloves and masks, upon request, to their employees. (A.7078-A / S.8096; Chapter 489)
Sale of Engine Coolant and Antifreeze Requires that any engine coolant or antifreeze that contains 10 percent or more of the poisonous substance ethylene glycol must contain at least 30 parts per million of the nontoxic additive denatonium benzoate. (A.7602-A; Passed Assembly)
Motor Fuel Marketing Practices Act Creates the Motor Fuel Marketing Practices Act making it unlawful to change the price of any grade or quality of motor fuel more than once in 24 hours. (A.2323; Passed Assembly)
Electrical Products Sold with Fraudulent Labeling Prohibits the sale of electrical extension cords with fraudulent seals from the Underwriter's Laboratory. (A.2326A; Passed Assembly / S.2682-A; Consumer Protection)
Restore New York's Communities Initiative Requires minority- or women- owned business enterprises or locally owned and operated businesses to be given priority in the awarding of certain contracts by grant recipients of the Restore New York's Communities Initiative. (A.3725; Passed Assembly)
Custom Crush Wine Production Authorizes farm winery licensees to offer custom crush wine production to allow customers to take part in the production of wine products they intend to purchase for personal or family use. The bill would also require that the owners of such wineries be present at all times during production. (A.2322 / S.3602; Veto 6821)
Sale of New York State Wine at Festivals Allows licensed wineries or farm wineries to sell wine for consumption on the premises of a food festival or similar event. The legislation would require these wineries to register for participating in the event and secure written permission from the municipality where the festival is being held. Under the bill, servings of wine must be dispensed in 10 ounce servings or less. (A.8172-C / S.5440-C; Veto 6711)
New York State Fairgrounds Wine Sale and Consumption Permits the holder of a temporary wine and beer permit to sell wine for consumption on the state fairgrounds so long as a concessionaires license has been obtained from the Department of Agriculture and Markets. The measure requires that the wine be sold in 10 ounce servings or less. (A.10673-A / S. 7480-A; Chapter 408)
Liquor License Notification Permits in certain cases, notification to community boards of an application for a liquor license by overnight delivery service. (A.10856 / S.7149; Chapter 213)
Liquor License Revocation Requires the revocation of a liquor license upon the sixth violation of local ordinances for noise, community disturbance or disorderly conduct that is related to the operation of the licensed premises. (A.10857-A / S.7378-A; Chapter 364)
Agricultural Alcohol Authorizes certain licensees to sell low alcohol liquors, spirits, distillates, and other alcoholic beverages that contain not more than 24 percent alcohol and are derived from agricultural products. (A.711; Passed Assembly)
Special Retail Liquor Licenses Requires a 30 day notice be given to community boards when the state receives an application for a retail liquor license that relates to the 500 foot rule. (A.3828; Passed Assembly)
Sale of Alcoholic Beverages to Underage Persons Requires employees of individuals who are licensed to sell alcoholic beverages to attend an alcohol training awareness program when there are allegations of the sale of alcohol to a person under the age of 21 or to any visibly intoxicated person. Under the bill, all employees must complete the program within 90 days of the finding before the civil fine would be reduced by 25 percent. (A.8645-B / S. 5803-B; Chapter 435)
Alcoholic Beverage Liquidator's Permits and Temporary Retail Permits Requires that the State Liquor Authority include in their annual report to the legislature information about the number of licenses applied for and the length of time it took for their approval or denial. It also would provide a temporary permit system for new on-premises locations. In addition, the measure would ban a delinquent owner from selling or transferring stock upon liquidation. (A.9227-B / S.6231-C; Chapter 396)
Beer /Malt Beverage Tasting Permits Clarifies the legislative intent in the enactment of an earlier bill which gave brewers and beer distributors the authority to apply for an annual tasting permit in addition to daily permits. (A.9923 / S.6816-B; Chapter 292)
Brewer Licensing Allows a brewer to rent space and equipment to a tenant brewer, provided that the tenant brewer has applied for and been granted a license by the State Liquor Authority. (A.10031 / S.6970; Chapter 471)
Means of Payment Adds electronic fund transfers to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law list of acceptable means of payment to a wholesaler or manufacturer. (A.10569 / S.7314; Chapter 298)
Regional Marketing Programs Seeks to stimulate economic activity by granting matching funds to eligible applicants to assist in implementing regional marketing programs. (A.2934; Passed Assembly / S.4161; Economic Development)
Sustainable Development Task Force Creates a task force to study the feasibility of adopting a regulatory system to achieve the goals of sustainable development. (A.2320; Passed Assembly / S.4293; Finance)
Education Funding Recognizes the damaging impacts of the Executive's deep reductions to school aid in the budget and restores $600 million in education funding. This bill would help provide property tax relief and ensure that schools can avoid layoffs and cuts to vital programs. (A.9703-C / S.6603-B; Veto Line; 15)
Teacher and Principal Evaluations and Educational Partnership Organizations Establishes requirements for new, more rigorous, annual professional performance reviews of classroom teachers and building principals.
In addition, the legislation authorizes a school district's board of education, or the chancellor of the New York City School District, with the approval of the state education commissioner, to enter into a contract with an approved educational partnership organization for a term of up to five years to manage a school that has been identified as a persistently low-achieving, or a School Under Registration Review (SURR). (A.11171 / S.7991; Chapter 103)
Charter Schools Expansion Process Establishes a new process for the issuance of 260 additional charters through annual request for proposals developed by the Board of Regents and the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (SUNY Trustees). This legislation sets new enrollment and retention targets to promote equal access for students with disabilities, English language learners, and students eligible for the free and reduced price lunch program. It also creates new procedures for the co-location of charter schools in New York City public school buildings.
The bill would prohibit for-profit corporations or entities from applying for, managing or operating any new charter schools. It also enacts several new measures to ensure greater accountability, transparency and public participation. (A.11310 / S.7990; Chapter 101)
School District Reporting and Regional Transportation Authorizes the education commissioner to receive and accept information required to be reported to the State Education Department through electronic means to ensure that important information, data and statistics may be more efficiently submitted.
The bill would require the commissioner to review all existing reports and plans and issue specific recommendations for the elimination or consolidation of unnecessary or duplicative reporting requirements for school districts and BOCES.
The legislation also authorizes the commissioner to conduct pilot projects in order to analyze the extent to which school districts, BOCES, and other participating entities can achieve savings through the formation of regional transportation systems. (A.11566 / S.8376; Chapter 378)
Rochester City School District Governance Reform Act Provides the Mayor of the City of Rochester and the school district superintendent with greater control over the management of the city school district. Under the bill, the Board of Education would become known as the Education Commission on July 1, 2011. This newly established commission will consist of nine members, five appointed by the mayor and four appointed by the common council. The commission would be a policy board and hold no administrative or executive functions.
The legislation calls for the school district superintendent to serve at the pleasure of the mayor, subject to the initial confirmation by the common council, and to serve as the chief executive officer of the school district. In addition, to ensure greater parental participation and input, the bill would establish a citywide council on special education, a citywide council on English language learners, and community schools advisory council. (A.11404; Passed Assembly / S.8156; Third Reading)
Dignity For All Students Act Requires that school districts have policies and guidelines aimed at prohibiting discrimination and harassment on school grounds or at any school function. (A.3661-C / S.1987-B; Chapter 482)
Environmentally Preferred Products Requires the commissioner of the Office of General Services, in consultation with the commissioners of the Departments of Education, Labor and Health, to establish guidelines and specifications for the purchase of environmentally preferred products and services for use in school buildings. (A.1355-A; Passed Assembly)
Board of Education Member Training Requires all first-term, board of education members to attend training sessions within one year of taking office. The legislation would ensure that recently elected board members are informed of the office's responsibilities, powers, functions and duties and are aware of the other administrative authorities that affect public education. (A.2693-B / S.4658-B; Chapter 388)
Youth Suicide Prevention Directs the state education commissioner, in consultation with the Department of Health and the Office of Children and Family Services, to develop youth suicide prevention training programs. These preventive measures would then be provided to classroom teachers, teaching assistants, pupil and personnel services professionals, as well as school administrators. (A.7161-A; Passed Assembly)
Students with Concussions Requires school districts to establish and implement guidelines that include, at minimum, a doctor's written clearance before a student that was diagnosed with a concussion can return to athletic competition, gym class, or a school sponsored recreational activity. (A.8385-A; Passed Assembly)
Provide Accessible Polling Places for the Disabled Requires polling places to be accessible to physically disabled voters and provides guidelines in accordance with the accessibility requirements that are mandated by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. (A.10946 / S.7860; Chapter 505)
Set Machine Storage Requirements for New York City Mandates the New York City Board of Elections to maintain a voting machine storage and preparation facility in each of the city's five boroughs. (A.1458 / S.7222; Veto 6816)
Authorize Withdrawal from a Primary Runoff Establishes a process for a qualifying candidate to withdraw from a primary election runoff within the three days of the initial primary. (A.3563 / S.7980; Chapter 424)
Locate Polling Places Near Public Transportation Ensures accessibility to polling places by requiring that polling locations be established along public transportation routes. The legislation aims to assist voters who rely on mass transportation to get to and from their polling destinations. (A.7850 / S.8030; Chapter 432)
Board of Election Flexibility for New Electronic Voting Machines Provides boards of elections throughout the state with the flexibility necessary to fully utilize the features and capabilities of the state's new, electronic voting machines. Under the bill, boards of elections would be able to use one machine to count ballots for more than one election district so long as the machine produces the total vote count for each of the respective districts and adequate space is available to accommodate voters. (A.8692-C / S.5447-C; Chapter 512)
Authorize Registration Records of Domestic Violence Victims to be Kept Confidential Allows a victim of domestic violence to seek a court order directing that his or her voter registration records be kept confidential. (A.9368-A / S.5945-A; Chapter 73)
Employment of Election Inspectors Authorizes the Board of Elections to employ election inspectors to work half-day shifts with adjusted compensation. The bill also would require county boards of elections to prescribe the necessary rules and procedures to ensure proper poll site operations. (A.1308 / S.1836-A; Chapter 5)
Expanded Use of Braille Ballots Requires that ballots for all elections be made available in Braille, upon the request of a blind or visually impaired voter for all elections, including school elections. The bill would direct the state Board of Elections, and the commissioner of education, to establish rules for the preparation, distribution, casting, and canvass of Braille ballots. (A.3738-A; Passed Assembly / S.4843-A; Finance)
Expanded Use of Domestic Violence Victims Ballots Clarifies the definition in Election Law of "victim of domestic violence" to include harassment and menacing and emotional harm, in order to authorize special ballots for victims who have been forced to leave their homes due to such violence and who wish to vote. The bill would ensure that victims of domestic violence can exercise their voting rights without jeopardizing their personal safety. (A.3910-A / S.1535-A; Chapter 38)
Allows Student Inspectors Allows certain students enrolled in school, with parental consent, to serve as election inspectors or poll clerks. Under the bill, these student inspectors and clerks will be recorded as attending school. (A.4467-A / S.5172-A; Chapter 76)
Set Voting Space Requirements Requires owners of buildings who obtain tax abatement exemptions or other public benefits to make available rooms for voting and voter registration that are accessible to persons with disabilities. (A.5707-A / S.5029-A; Chapter 323)
Expand Use of Affidavit Ballots Provides that an affidavit ballot that is submitted on Election Day at a polling place may also constitute an application to register to vote for future elections. (A.4015-A / S.5988; Chapter 62)
Simplified Absentee Ballot Application Simplifies the absentee ballot process by removing the requirement that voters provide certain information. (A.5276-B / S.2868-B; Chapter 63)
Expands Application Process for Absentee Ballots Allows voters to request an absentee ballot from the board of elections by letter, fax or other written instrument. (A.7347-B / S.4960-B; Chapter 97)
Streamlined Process for Paper Ballots Enacts certain provisions that are required by federal law to increase the opportunity for military and special federal voters to cast their votes within a timeframe that ensures those votes will be counted. The measure also would streamline the absentee ballot application in order to eliminate extraneous information that is not required by the New York State Constitution. (A.10681-B / S.7466-B; Chapter 104)
Purchase or Lease of Election Equipment in NYC Allows the New York City Board of Elections to use its expertise to procure equipment, supplies and ballots while also requiring it to comply with competitive bidding rules. (A.8540 / S.7610; Chapter 155)
Ballot Scanner Procedures Establishes the procedures for the canvassing and re-canvassing of votes and closing of the polls on Election Day using ballot scanners. This bill also continues many of New York State's voting protocols and brings it into compliance with the federal Help America Vote Act. (A.11352-A / S.8151; Chapter 163)
Codify Procedures for Opening Polls and Duties of Inspectors Specifies in the law the procedures for opening the polling place and the duties of the election inspectors. (A.11353-A / S.8152; Chapter 164)
Clarify Form of Paper ballots and Use of Party Emblems Defines the "Election Day paper ballots" that will be used with the new ballot scanners. The measure also would ensure that absentee ballots conform to the new Election Day paper ballots where possible. (A.11354-A / S.8153; Chapter 165)
Permit Voters to Include and E-mail Address on Voter Registration Forms Provides voters with the option to disclose their email addresses in addition to their telephone number, on voter registration forms. This would allow voters to indicate their preference as to how they want to be contacted by the Board of Elections. (A.8526; Passed Assembly)
Expand Campaign Finance Disclosure and Reporting Prohibits candidates, political parties and committees from falsely identifying the source of political communications. This bill requires the full disclosure of political communication expenditures that are related to the support or opposition of a candidate or a ballot proposal. (A.11350; Passed Assembly / S.8081; Rules)
E-Waste Collection Prevents millions of pounds of electronic waste, including computers and televisions from entering New York's landfills. The legislation aims to protect the environment from the discharge of such chemicals as lead, cadmium and mercury, which are known to be harmful to human health.
Under the law, beginning April 1, 2011, manufacturers of these devices would be required to accept a minimum amount of waste and meet certain performance targets based on a state reuse or recycling target. (A.11308 / S.7988; Chapter 99)
Prohibits Pesticide Applications on School and Daycare Grounds Bans pesticide applications on the playing fields of any school or daycare center unless a determination is made that an emergency application is necessary. Under the bill, such a determination would be made by the Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Health, County Health Department or school board. (A.7937 / S.4983-C; Chapter 85)
Heating Oil Sulfur Emission Reduction Prohibits the use of number two heating oil with a sulfur content greater than 15 parts per million for residential, commercial or industrial purposes after July 1, 2012. The legislation would allow the governor to temporarily suspend this prohibition upon a determination by the New York State Energy Research Development Authority that there is an insufficient supply of alternative fuels. (A.8642-A / S.1145-C; Chapter 203)
Reducing Phosphorus Run Off in New York's Water Supplies Prohibits the sale or distribution of any dishwasher soap product with a phosphorus compound that exceeds 0.5 percent by weight. In addition, this bill would permit the application of fertilizer that has a phosphate compound greater than .067 percent by weight on a lawn or non-agricultural turf only in certain circumstances.
In addition, the bill also would prohibit pesticide applications on lawns and non-agricultural turf between December and April. (A.8914-B / S.3780; Chapter 205)
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Requires a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gasses over the next 10 years to reduce the presence of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and methane gases in the state's environment. Under the bill, greenhouse gas levels in 2050 would be reduced by 80 percent below the 1990 levels. (A.7572-A; Passed Assembly)
Statewide Ban on DecaBDe Prohibits Decabdromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) or Deca, a flame retardant, from being used in common consumer electronic devices, including television sets. In addition, the bill also would ban the manufacture of products that contain DecaBDE by July 1, 2012. (A.7573-A; Passed Assembly / S.8181; Rules)
BPA Bans the manufacture, sale and distribution of children's products that contain bisphenol A (BPA), including unfilled beverage containers, pacifiers, baby bottles and liners, cups, straws and lids beginning December 1, 2010. (A.6919-D / S.3296-H; Chapter 280)
Mercury Collection Plan Requires thermostat manufacturers to establish a collection plan for out-of-service thermostats containing mercury. (A.10160-B; Passed Assembly)
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Requires retailers to provide an in-store receptacle for the return of rechargeable batteries. Under the bill, manufacturers would be required to accept the batteries for recycling. (A.6813-D / S.3593-C; Passed both houses)
Pesticide Ban Phases out pesticide use by state agencies beginning January 1, 2011. (A.5848-B; Passed Assembly / S.4043-A; Environmental Conservation)
Styrofoam Prohibition Bans state agencies, municipalities and firms they contract with from using Styrofoam disposable food ware, unless no other affordable alternative is available. (A.428-A / S.2832; Third Reading)
Healthy and Green Procurement Act Establishes the New York State Healthy and Green Procurement Act to ensure that state agencies purchase environmentally-friendly products. (A.7038-A; Passed Assembly)
Private Well Testing Mandate Enacts the Private Well Testing Act, requiring the testing of private drinking water wells upon the sale of real property. In addition, the bill authorizes the commissioner of the Department of Health to establish standards for the testing of privately owned wells. (A.4557-A; Passed Assembly)
Wetland Designation Provides DEC authority over freshwater wetlands of one acre or more. (A.6363; Passed Assembly)
Crack Down on Wetland Violators Increases civil penalties for freshwater wetland violations from $3,000 to $10,000 and requires that violators restore wetlands and adjacent areas to their original condition. (A.4807; Passed Assembly / S.6145; Codes);
Disclosing Hazardous Environmental Sites Requires the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to list local environmental impact zones every two years, such zones would include areas affected by solid and hazardous waste. (A.8489-A/ S.1330; Veto 6758)
Energy Conservation Added to State Lighting Standards Requires energy conservation measures to be incorporated in the existing state lighting efficiency standards, including the elimination of wasteful artificial night lighting. (A.5655 / S.4920; Chapter 81)
Net Metering Removes the "peak load" restriction to allow non-residential utility customers to save on their energy costs by participating in the Net Metering Program. Under the bill, customers can participate in the program with solar or wind electric generating systems of up to two megawatts. (A.7557A / S.6700; Chapter 7)
Financing Home Energy Conservation Permits natural gas utilities to finance home energy efficiency improvements through loans to customers that can be repaid based on the estimated energy savings through the monthly utility bill. (A.7736 / S.3712; Chapter 204)
Expand Farm Net Metering Program Increases from 500 kw to 100 kw the capacity of farm waste generating systems eligible to participate in net metering programs (A.79870B / S.4303-B; Chapter 336)
Energy Efficiency Standards Establishes energy efficiency standards for portable light fixtures, bottle-type water dispensers, commercial hot food holding cabinets, portable electric spas, and residential pool pumps. (A.10881 / S.8070; Chapter 222)
Continue Power For Jobs Program Extends the Power for Jobs and Energy Cost Savings Benefit Programs to May 15, 2011. (A.11523 / S.8437; Chapter 311)
Replacing the Power for Jobs Program Creates the Power Solutions Program and phases out the Power for Jobs Program. Under the bill, the Power Solutions Program would provide energy cost savings to businesses and not-for-profits in the state. (A.11172; Passed Assembly)
Early Retirement Incentive Establishes a temporary retirement incentive program for certain state employees and other public employees to assist in streamlining the workforce while also achieving cost savings. This applies to eligible members of the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System; New York City Employees Retirement System; New York State Teachers Retirement System; New York City Teachers Retirement System; and New York City Board of Education Retirement System. (A.11144 / S.7909; Chapter 105)
Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Creates the New York State Emerging Manager and MWBE Financial Services Strategy to increase the inclusion of MWBEs in certain investment and financial matters of New York State. This legislation authorizes and encourages New York's Common Retirement Fund, State Insurance Fund, Deferred Compensation and Teachers' Retirement System to adopt the strategy. (A.9976-C / S.6888-C; Chapter 171)
Comparable Worth Makes it a discriminatory practice for public employers to compensate employees of different genders differently for work that is of comparable worth. (A.1119; Passed Assembly / S.5480; Rules)
Wage Equality Implements the state policy of compensating employees in state service equally for work of comparable value by eliminating wage inequality in job titles which have been segregated by sex, race, or national origin. (A.6712; Passed Assembly / S.5271; Finance)
Surviving Spouse Benefits Extends the escalation of a cost of living increase of approximately three percent for all line-of-duty widows or widowers of certain police and fire personnel for fiscal year 2009-10. (A.4905-A / S.2343-A; Chapter 305)
Examination Credits Provides civil service examination credits to children and siblings of uniformed sanitation workers killed in the line of duty. (A.4104; Passed Assembly / S.4638; Civil Service and Pensions)
Employer Contributions to the Common Retirement Fund Establishes a program that would provide the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System and the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System (Common Retirement Fund) with the option to amortize a portion of their bill when employer contribution rates rise above certain levels. The amortization would be over a ten year period and the rate of interest would be determined by the comptroller. (A.9710-D / S.6610-C; Chapter 57)
Campaign Finance Reform and Ethics Oversight Establishes an autonomous, fixed-term investigative body to oversee legislative ethics; requires greater disclosure from lobbyists; restores an independent lobbying commission; and provides greater information regarding legislators' outside sources of income. In addition, the measure creates a body within the New York State Board of Elections to enforce greater adherence to campaign finance laws. (A.9544 / S.6457; Veto 1)
Adequate Space for Open Meetings Requires public bodies to hold open meetings in facilities that can appropriately accommodate the anticipated level of attendance in order to allow citizens to view the work of their elected officials. (A.5873 / S.4284; Chapter 40)
Bans Private Business on State Property Prohibits public officers from using state property to conduct private business. Under the bill, violators could be charged with a Class E felony and face a prison sentence of up to seven years. (A.9559 / S.6439; Chapter 1)
Public Meeting Broadcast Permits any meeting of a public body to be recorded, broadcast, Webcast, and photographed so long as the person recording the meeting complies with reasonable rules to prevent the disruption of such a meeting. (A.10093 / S.3195-B; Chapter 43)
Open Meeting Law Violations Permits courts to invalidate proceedings of a public body, in whole or in part, which were conducted in violation of the Open Meetings Law and authorizes a court to mandate training for a body that violates the law. (A.10196 / S.7054; Chapter 44)
Adds Prosecution of Hate Crimes Under Civil Law Establishes a civil penalty and liability for civil damages for bias-related "hate crimes." (A.529 / S.5923; Chapter 227)
Bans Employment Discrimination Against Domestic Violence Victims Prohibits employers from denying employment to individuals because they are victims of domestic violence. (A.9018-A / S.6000-A; Veto 6759)
Prohibits Housing Discrimination Against Domestic Violence Victims Protects individuals from losing or being denied housing because they are victims of domestic violence. (A.9020-A / S.5999; Veto 6760)
State Agency MWBE Buying Guidelines Expanded Increases discretionary buying thresholds for state agencies for Minority Women Business Enterprises and small business contracts from $100,000 to $200,000. (A.11525 / S.8312; Chapter 173)
MWBE Procurement Goals Established Reforms Executive Law Article 15-A's provisions regarding minority women owned business enterprises in state purchasing. The bill would create meaningful statistical goals for such purchasing. It also would establish greater accountability for state agencies who fail to meet such goals. (A.11527 / S.8314; Chapter 175)
State Agency Vendor Contact Disclosure Reauthorizes and reforms the state's procurement lobbying restrictions with provisions that include clarifying agency responsibilities for open and transparent contacts with vendors during restricted contact periods. (A.9949-A / S.6924-B; Chapter 4)
State Real Property Inventory Mandates Office of General Services (OGS) to maintain and audit an inventory of state-owned real property that has been sold. (A.1203; Passed Assembly / S.3563; Investigations and Government Operations)
Personal Services Contract Cost Review Requires a cost-benefit analysis be conducted before a state agency may enter into a personal services contract worth over $500,000 annually. (A.9934; Passed Assembly / S.7011; Third Reading)
Emergency Evacuation of Disabled Requires counties to maintain a voluntary registry of people with disabilities to assist in evacuating and sheltering such individuals during a disaster. (A.520 / S.5926; Veto 6739)
Bans Discrimination Against the Disabled Prohibits public entities from denying public services or public accommodation based on an individual's disability status. (A.10676 / S.7482; Veto 6720)
Equal Pay Rights Makes unequal pay on the basis of gender an unlawful discriminatory practice under the state Human Rights Law. (A.2351; Passed Assembly / S.2968; Investigations and Government Operations)
Identity Theft Prohibits the filing of unnecessary personal identifying information with a state entity that is not required by state or federal law. (A.1819-A; Passed Assembly)
GENDA Protects transgendered people under the Human Rights Law by prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression. (A.5710; Passed Assembly)
Family Health Care Decisions Act Creates the "Family Health Care Decisions Act" to establish procedures for family members, surrogates and others to act on behalf of patients who are unable to make health-care decisions about their treatment for themselves. (A.7729-D / S.3164-B; Chapter 8)
Information to Parents on Immunization and Influenza Requires the Department of Health (DOH) to administer a program of influenza education for the parents of children ages six months to 18 years of age who are in school. Under the bill, DOH would post educational materials about influenza and the benefits of immunization on the DOH website. It also requires the Office of Children and Family Services, the State Education Department and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to notify schools that information regarding immunizations is available on DOH's website. (A.775-B / S.4645-B; Chapter 36)
Anatomical Gift Consent Permits the use of an electronic signature for enrollment on the anatomical gift registry, which is available on the Department of Health's website. (A.10664 / S.4999-A; Chapter 161)
Unlawful Possession of Human Body Organs Increases the penalty from a misdemeanor to a Class E felony for purchasing or receiving a dead human body or body part except for the purpose of burial. The bill also would require that before any organs or body parts can legally be harvested, written permission must be provided by the donor prior to their passing. (A.432-B / S.2087-B; Chapter 382)
"Do Not Resuscitate" Orders Provides nurse practitioners with the same authorization physicians currently have under the law to execute an order of do not resuscitate. (A.1719-A / S.2947-A; Veto 6715)
Admission to Adult Care Facilities Allows an Assisted Living Residence (ALR) to operate as an Enhanced Assisted Living Residence (EALR). This bill would permit an ALR to operate as an EALR by providing "aging in place" services to newly admitted residents provided that such residents do not require 24-hour continual care, are not chronically bedfast, or are not cognitively, physically or mentally impaired to such a degree that his or her safety would be endangered. (A.9550-A / S.7723; Chapter 346)
Access to School-Based Health Centers for CHP Enrollees Authorizes direct access to primary and preventive health care, dental, and mental health services in School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) for children enrolled in Child Health Plus (CHP). Under the bill, such medical services would be available when the sponsoring organization of the SBHC is part of the provider network of the CHP managed care plan in which the child is enrolled. (A.9717-A / S.6616-A; Veto 6804)
Information and Access to Breast Reconstructive Surgery Requires hospitals providing mastectomy surgery, lymph node dissection or a lumpectomy to provide patients with information concerning the option of reconstructive surgery, including the availability of insurance coverage for reconstructive surgery. (A.10094-B / S.6993-B; Chapter 354)
Hospital Closure Planning Act Mandates the commissioner of the Department of Health to hold community forums when there is a hospital closing. The forums will provide an opportunity to publicly examine the anticipated impact a hospital closing will have on a community. The measure also aims to address the public's concerns about the loss of their hospital and inform them as to where they will be able to receive the health care services they need. (A.10748-A / S.7483-A; Chapter 541)
Newborn Infant Hearing Screening Requires hospitals, clinics, and other practitioners who perform newborn hearing screenings to report the results to the Department of Health (DOH). For facilities that are not capable of conducting these hearing screenings before the infant is discharged, they would be required to inform the DOH that no test was performed, and the infant should be screened upon their discharge. Under the bill, access to the newborn hearing screening results would be available on the statewide immunization registry and statewide registry of lead levels in children. (A.11240 / S.7827; Chapter 220)
Home-Based Primary Care for the Elderly Extends for an additional five years the home-based primary care for the elderly demonstration project. (A.11289 / S.8087; Chapter 373)
Consent for HIV Testing Establishes HIV testing consent procedures with provisions that would authorize HIV related testing to be part of a signed general consent to medical care, allow for documented informed oral consent for rapid HIV testing, and mandate the offering of HIV testing by physicians to individuals aged 13 to 64 receiving health services.
The legislation also would require post-testing counseling and mandate follow-up medical care when test results indicate evidence of HIV infection. The measure would authorize HIV testing in situations involving occupational exposure under specific conditions. To improve the quality of medical care for individuals with HIV/AIDS, the Department of Health (DOH) would be authorized to utilize HIV testing information and share it with public health disease programs, within DOH or local health departments in order to assess co-morbidity or completeness of reporting. (A.11487 / S.8227; Chapter 308)
Nursing Home Patients' Private Right of Actions Extends a nursing home patient's right to recover damages in any action to the patient's legal representative or estate. (A.725-A; Passed Assembly)
Prohibitions in HMO Contracts and Agreements Prohibits health care plans from reimbursing health care providers at the lowest price or rate that the provider has charged another person or entity for rendering the same services. The legislation also would restrict the ability of health care providers from making referrals based upon a provider's participation status with a patients' managed care plan. (A.726-A; Passed Assembly / S.4112-A; Health)
Smoking in Playgrounds Prohibited Prohibits individuals from smoking in any playground between the hours of sunrise and sunset when a person under the age of 12 is present. (A.1137; Passed Assembly / S.5005; Health Committee)
Office of Minority Health Requires the Office of Minority Health to establish a program designed to collect data on participants by race, ethnicity and primary language, and to submit an annual report to the legislature. The legislation mandates that this information be available to assist medical schools in the development of comprehensive programs, including research into the causes of health disparities and proposals for the reduction and/or elimination of such disparities. (A.1475; Passed Assembly / S.2878; Health)
Prescription Drug Discount Program Establishes a Prescription Drug Assistance Program to manage consumer purchasing power by negotiating rebates with suppliers, which would then be applied to reduce prescription drug costs for participants (A.2007-B; Passed Assembly / S.121-A; Health)
Post-Exposure HIV Treatment for Crime Victims Requires the forensic rape examinations used in hospital emergency rooms include a nine-day starter pack for post-exposure HIV prophylaxis treatment for victims of sexual assault. The legislation mandates that hospitals determine where follow-up care should be provided.
Under the bill, all treatment would be provided to victims free of charge and billed directly to the Crime Victims Board. The measure also would allow sexual assault survivors to voluntarily assign private insurance benefits to pay for the prophylactic treatment. (A.2355-A; Passed Assembly / S.2680-B; Rules)
Meeting and Agenda Disclosure Requires the State University of New York, the City University of New York and the Higher Education Services Corporation to publicize agendas and subsequent meeting records on their websites. (A.9844-A / S.5585-C; Chapter 98)
SUNY and CUNY appointments Eliminates conflict of interest when appointing SUNY and CUNY Trustees and prohibits the governor from appointing employees or an individual under his/her supervision as a member of the Board of Trustees of both either SUNY or CUNY. The bill also prohibits the Mayor of New York City from appointing employees under his/her supervision from serving as members of the CUNY Board of Trustees. (A.1249-C / S.1736-B; Veto #6768)
Corning Community College and Jamestown Community College Capital Improvements Allows Corning Community College and Jamestown Community College to finance capital improvements through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. (A.8079-A / S.4075-A; Chapter 492)
Midwifery Eliminates the requirement for a licensed midwife to obtain a written practice agreement. The bill also would require midwives to have and maintain documentation of collaborative relationships with licensed physicians or hospitals in order to provide consultation, joint management and referrals to effectively address the health status and risks of patients. (A.8117-B / S.5007-A; Chapter 238)
Substance Abuse Allows licensed dentists and pharmacists to temporarily surrender their professional licenses while receiving treatment for alcohol or drug abuse. Under the bill, the temporary surrender of these licenses would be permitted so long as no patient or client has been harmed. (A.8301-C / S.8372; Chapter 549)
CUNY Tuition Waiver Extends, for two more years, the tuition waiver program for CUNY police officer students. (A.9789 / S.6706; Chapter 190)
Students with Disabilities Extends for an additional three years the requirements for publishers and manufacturers to provide electronic instructional materials for college students with disabilities at the same cost as printed materials. (A.10118 / S.7748-A; Chapter 194)
Albany Nano Operating Space Expansion Authorizes the University of New York at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering to enter into a lease agreement with the Fuller Road Management Corporation to develop additional instructional and laboratory space. (A.11471-A / S.8221-A; Chapter 530)
Loft Law Expansion Expands coverage of the existing Loft Law so that lofts created after 1984 and occupied within the last year are included in the law. The bill includes buildings in New York City that were occupied by two or more families living in separate loft units for 12 consecutive months between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009. This legislation also makes the Loft Law permanent. (A.5667-C / S.7178-A; Chapter 135)
Loft Protections Establishes that a single tenant can bring a performance action against an owner. The bill corrects an oversight in current law, which only permits a performance action to be filed against a landlord when at least three tenants, occupying separate apartments, initiate the action, even in cases of buildings with fewer than three units. The bill also includes measures that would grant the Loft Board additional authority when issuing fines, and would ban building owners with rent regulated units, which were previously loft dwellings, from recovering the unit for their personal use or their family's occupancy. (A.6368; Passed Assembly / S.7364; Housing, Construction and Community Development)
Rent Regulations Law Continued Extends the rent regulation laws for an additional seven years until June 15, 2018. (A.11410; Third Reading)
Interim Multiple Dwellings Prohibits the interruption of services in "would be" interim multiple dwellings if the units are used for residential purposes with the knowledge and consent of the owner. (A.6940-A; Passed Assembly / S.7176; Housing, Construction and Community Development)
New York City Rent Increase Cap Limits individual apartment rent increases in the City of New York to 1/84th of the cost of improvements made to the rental unit, up from the previous level of 1/40th. The bill also would establish an oversight and review process administered by tenants and the Division of Housing and Community Renewal. (A.5316-A; Passed Assembly / S.5296/ Housing, Construction and Community Development)
Keep Rents Affordable Halts the trend of runaway rents in the City of New York by repealing vacancy decontrol laws that permit landlords to remove apartments from regulation by charging rents at or above $2,000 per month. (A.2005; Passed Assembly / S.2237-A; Housing, Construction and Community Development)
Landlord Personal Use Restrictions Limits a landlord's ability to recover an apartment for personal use to one unit per property, and prevents a landlord from recovering an apartment rented by a long-term tenant or senior (A.1685-A; Passed Assembly / S.2642-A; Housing Construction and Community Development)
Allowable Landlord Rent Increase Reduced by Half Caps the amount a landlord could increase rent on a vacated apartment from 20 percent to 10 percent and limits the number of allowable increases to one per year. (A.1686; Passed Assembly / S.6084; Housing, Construction and Community Development)
Section 8 Housing Requires that former federal Section 8 housing properties in New York City automatically be subject to rent regulation (A.1687; Passed Assembly / S.2494; Housing, Construction and Community Development)
Rent Protections For Lease Renewals Protects tenants with preferential rent agreements from exorbitant rent increases when the lease is renewed. (A.465-A; Passed Assembly / S.2251; Housing, Construction and Community Development)
Deregulation Disclosure Requires the owner of a building in which a unit was deregulated to provide the facts related to that deregulation to a new tenant (A.7598; Passed Assembly / S.5851; Housing, Construction and Community Development)
Eligibility Requirements for Rent Hardship Tightened Extends the length of time a landlord must own the rental property before being eligible for a hardship rent adjustment from three years to six years. (A.8668; Passed Assembly / S.7079; Housing, Construction and Community Development)
Protections for Mitchell-Lama Tenants from Exorbitant Rents Extends Emergency Tenant Protection Act protections to Mitchell-Lama buildings occupied after January 1, 1974, by authorizing localities in Nassau, Rockland and Westchester counties to declare a housing emergency in these buildings after a buy-out. Under current law, tenants in such buildings are not protected from the skyrocketing rents often associated with the buy-out of state-subsidized housing. (A.2498; Passed Assembly / S.8431; Third Reading)
Higher Rent Approval Requires Effective Building Maintenance Ensures that rent increases in Mitchell-Lama buildings are granted only when essential services such as heat and elevator services are maintained. (A.540; Passed Assembly / S.1658; Housing, Construction and Community Development)
Bans Owners of Former Mitchell-Lama Buildings from Seeking Rent Increases Protects tenants in Mitchell-Lama developments which become subject to rent stabilization by prohibiting an owner from applying for a rent increase based on unique and peculiar circumstances when a project withdraws from the program. (A.9854; Passed Assembly)
Mitchell-Lama Building Sale Tenant Notification Requires owners of Mitchell-Lama housing to notify tenants of a buyout no less than 12 months prior to the date of dissolution. (A.2361; Passed Assembly / S.5509; Housing Construction and Community Development)
Participation Incentive for Continuing in Mitchell-Lama Program Encourages housing companies to remain in the Mitchell-Lama program. The bill would allow investors to receive a greater return on their investment than is currently allowed by statute. (A.2933; Passed Assembly / S.3688; Housing Construction and Community Development)
Tenant Membership on NYCHA Governing Board Adds one tenant member to the governing board of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). The legislation also would establish procedures for board member appointments and removals. (A.4687 / S.1104; Chapter 486) (A.11557 / S.8350; Chapter 531)
Resources for NYCHA Maintenance Allows the New York City Housing Authority to refinance the remaining state public housing developments. This bill would bring new operating and capital subsidies from the federal government and will generate hundreds of millions of dollars to finance the repair and maintenance of these housing structures. (A.9487-B / Chapter 3)
Priority for Brownfield Site Projects Directs the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to give preferences for funding to projects that are located on a brownfield site that have received a certificate of completion. (A.2364 / S.7127; Chapter 153)
Bans Housing Discrimination Against Domestic Violence Victims Prohibits a landlord from evicting a domestic violence victim from a rent-regulated apartment because the victim did not live in the unit as his or her primary residence. (A.2365-A / S.3317-A; Chapter 422)
Mitchell-Lama Veterans' Consideration Updates the current Mitchell-Lama housing veterans' preference to include veterans of recent military conflicts. (A.9501-A / S.6279-A; Chapter 399)
Landlord Electronic Billing Prohibits a landlord from mandating that a tenant only pay their rent through an electronic method. This is designed to protect tenants that do not have access to or are uncomfortable with using electronic payment methods. (A.10878-A / S.7811-A; Chapter 367)
SONYMA Loans Continued Extends for two years the power of the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) to insure rehabilitation loans. (A.11322 / S. 7583; Chapter 162)
Over-Leveraged Buildings Authorizes the Mortgage Insurance Fund to provide insurance to certain qualified buildings that became over-leveraged (which means more money was owed for the building than its current value) during the recent turbulence in the housing market. This bill aims to prevent further disruption in the housing market by keeping investors committed to these properties. (A.9547-A / S. 6657-A; Chapter 246)
Housing Agency Bonding Increased Authorizes the bonding authority of the New York State Housing Finance Agency to be increased by an additional $1 billion. (A.11238 / S.7420; Chapter 407)
Mortgage Agency Borrowing Increases the State of New York Mortgage Agency's tax-exempt bonding authority by $500 million. The bill also would extend SONYMA's authority to issue new money taxable and tax-exempt bonds until June 16, 2011, and extend SONYMA's authority to purchase forward commitment mortgages until June 16, 2011. (A.11239 / S.7582; Chapter 218)
NYC Housing Preservation Increase the bonding authority of New York City's Department of Housing Preservation and Development by an additional $1.5 billion. (A.11248 / S.7225; Chapter 296)
Illegal Hotels Requires that permanent residence multiple dwellings be used exclusively for permanent residence purposes, which is the occupancy of a unit for at least 30 days. The bill would provide a two-year compliance window for certain dwellings. (A.10008-B / S.6873-B; Chapter 225)
Mitchell-Lama Income Guidelines Adjusted Increases the maximum income to rental cost ratio that tenants of Mitchell-Lama can have to be eligible for the program. (A.11408; Passed Assembly)
Demolitions of Rent Regulated Buildings Creates a more stringent definition of "demolishing" a rent-regulated building. Under the bill, landlords would be required to secure a new apartment for tenants who were displaced because of the demolition. (A.2558-B; Passed Assembly / S. 3854; Housing, Construction and Community Development)
Prior Approval of Health Insurance Rate Increases Requires individual and small group health insurers to submit all rate change proposals to the superintendent of insurance for approval and requires insurers to use 82 percent of the premiums collected to pay for claims. (A.11369 / S.8088; Chapter 107)
Out-of-Network Dialysis Mandates health plans to cover out-of-network dialysis with proper medical authorization and notice at no increase in cost to the consumer. (A.213-C / S.1803-C; Chapter 457)
Health Insurance for Domestic Partners Requires health plans to offer coverage for domestic partners according to qualification standards adopted by the superintendent of the Insurance Department. (A.2368-B; Passed Assembly)
Health Insurance Reimbursement for Nurse Practitioners Allows for health plan parity for nurse practitioners. Under the bill, health insurance carriers would be required to reimburse for services provided by nurse practitioners when it is performed within their scope of practice. (A.6651-A; Passed Assembly)
Cost-Sharing of Prescription Drugs Prohibits health plans from establishing specialty tiers within their prescription drug payment formulas that discriminate against the sick. (A.8278-B / S.5000-B; Chapter 536)
Ian's Law Prohibits insurance companies from discontinuing a class of health insurance policies as a pretext to discontinuing coverage to an individual with high medical costs. (A.9243-B /S.6263-C; Chapter 398)
Autism Coverage Requires health insurance plans to cover the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders and establishes a multi-agency group to adopt regulations specifying the minimum coverage. (A.10372-A / S. 700-B; Veto 6832)
Accelerated Death Benefit Permits life insurers to provide accelerated death benefits for individuals residing in nursing homes for over three months for the purpose of providing long-term care costs. (A.10876-A / S.7196-A; Passed both houses)
No-Fault Coverage for Emergency Treatment Mandates that no-fault insurers provide necessary emergency medical coverage to policyholders who were injured as a result of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. (A.11116 / S.7845; Chapter 303)
Bankruptcy and Money Judgment Exemptions Updates and expands the exemptions to collections in bankruptcy and money judgments, many of which have not changed since 1962 and have been eroded by inflation. (A.8735 / S.7034; Passed both houses)
Consumer Credit Fairness Act Requires specific pleading requirements to obtain default judgments in consumer credit actions; reduces the statute of limitations on consumer credit actions from six to three years; bars debt collectors from collecting debts on which the statute of limitations has expired; expands notice requirements; and preserves improper service and statute of limitations defenses. (A.7558-A; Passed Assembly / S.4398-A; Rules)
Establish Gang Court Pilot Establishes a pilot gang court in Suffolk and Orange County to deal with the unique problems that may arise out of addressing criminal acts committed by street gangs. (A.11475-A; Passed Assembly / S.8247-A; Rules)
Mortgage Recording Reform Requires owners of mortgage notes to record their ownership interests with the county clerk to enable homeowners to contact their note holder prior to the institution of foreclosure proceedings. (A.8684-B; Passed Assembly / S.7515-A; Rules)
Notice in Foreclosure Cases Mandates that notice to rent controlled and rent stabilized tenants make clear that such interests are not affected by the foreclosure of the building. (A.10226 / S.7139; Chapter 358)
Lapse of Oil and Gas Interests Establishes that oil and gas ownership rights in Allegany State Park that have been unused for 20 years will revert to the state unless a statement of claim is filed. (A.9070-B; Passed Assembly)
Protect Disability Benefits Bars persons and entities that provide disability benefits from imposing onerous or unreasonable conditions for the payment of such benefits. (A.535-A; Passed Assembly / S.8201; Rules)
Apologize for Slavery in New York Acknowledges that slavery was an appalling tragedy in New York State. (A.1300; Passed Assembly / S.5646; Government Operations)
Homicide Trial Transcript for Victim's Family Requires a transcript of a murder trial to be furnished to the victim's family at no cost. (A.3514-A / S.7852; Chapter 6749)
Create Cause of Action for Improper Debt Collection Permits a private right of action for improper debt collection procedures. (A.3532-A; Passed Assembly / S.2458-A; Rules)
Extend Orders of Protection Permits a court to extend an order of protection for a reasonable time for a good cause shown or on consent. (A.6195-A / S.2972-A; Chapter 325)
Reform Tenant Security Deposits Changes the administrative fee for landlords from one percent to 20 percent of the interest earned and up to one percent of the amount on deposit. (A.6824-A; Passed Assembly / S.7965; Judiciary)
Real Estate Agency Disclosure Form Permits real estate brokers to utilize dual agency for cooperative apartments and condominiums and permit buyers and sellers to provide advanced consent to dual agency. (A.10443-B / S.7672-A; Chapter 443)
Family Court Adjournments in Contemplation of Dismissal (ACODs) Clarifies when a family court may order an ACOD before and after the entry of a fact finding order. (A.11506; Passed Assembly / S.8235-A; Rules)
District Court Judges Serving in Family Court Amends the New York State Constitution to permit district court judges to serve in family court. (A.11521; Passed Assembly / S.8300; Rules)
Court Approval of Structured Settlements Enhances procedures for seeking court approval of the sale of structured settlements, a process where the settlement amount is paid out in scheduled periodic payments. The bill requires parties seeking court approval of the sale of a structured settlement to bring the payee to court and inform the court of any prior attempts to gain judicial approval. (A.6786 / S.3681; Chapter 511)
Distressed Property Consultants Advertising Requires advertising for distressed property consulting to disclose that the state offers such services free of charge. (A.9784-C / S.5896-D; Chapter 553)
Credit Line Mortgages Extends the time frame for the operation of a credit line mortgage from 25 to 30 years. (A.11380 / S.7830; Chapter 529)
Jury Pool Fairness Requires the collection and analysis of demographic information from jurors, to ensure that jurors called for service are representative of the demographic make-up of the community. (A.2374-A / S.2613-A; Chapter 112)
Service of Notice of Claim Against the City of New York Permits the use of email to serve the City of New York a notice of claim. (A.2575 / S.5693; Chapter 12)
Interest on Children's Claims Eliminates an inequity in law wherein interest on a child's claims against others does not accrue during the time that an application for judicial approval of a settlement is before the court. (A.2874; Passed Assembly / S.7035; Rules)
Expands Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) of 1989 Expands classes of people who may recover attorney's fees after having suffered injury as a result of the actions of a state agency. (A.7395; Passed Assembly / S. 4534; Codes)
Strengthening Anti-Discrimination Laws Permits the recovery of attorney and expert witness fees in court cases where discrimination is proven. (A.8184; Passed Assembly / S.3884; Governmental Operations)
Easing Transmission of Orders of Protection to Law Enforcement Allows for greater protection for victims, by allowing for a simplified electronic means of sending orders of protection to the police. (A.10410 / S.7289; Chapter 261)
Expands Foreclosure Protections Mandates that banks seeking to foreclose on a mortgage show that they have the authority to foreclose, by producing the original mortgage and note. (A.11465; Passed Assembly/S.8174; Rules)
No-Fault Divorce Permits the granting of a judgment of divorce due to an irrevocable breakdown of a marriage for a period of six months or more thereby making New York a "no fault" divorce state. Divorce would only be allowed if there is a resolution to such ancillary issues as equitable distribution, child support, custody and visitation. (A.9753-A / S. 3890; Chapter 384)
Expansion of Litigation by Electronic Means Permits the electronic filing of certain litigation matters in the courts of Rockland, Tompkins, Monroe, Livingston Counties as well as Westchester County for certain commercial cases. A.10987-B(; Passed Assembly / S.7806-A; Government Operations)
Value of Estate Increased for Surviving Family Members Increases the value of estate assets which are reserved for the benefit of the immediate family of a decedent so that such assets do not otherwise get distributed. (A.8969 / S.720; Chapter 437)
Uniform Application of Temporary Maintenance in Divorce Creates a system where interim maintenance awards are determined in a predictable manner and directs the Law Revision Commission to review the economic effects of divorce along with current maintenance laws and recommend changes to the legislature. (A.10984-B / S.8390; Chapter 371)
Requires Disclosure of Income and Assets by Spouse Before Waiver is Executed Requires fair and reasonable disclosure of assets and income before a spouse executes a waiver of a right of election, which can be exercised to prevent a spouse from being disinherited. The bill also would preserve the surviving spouse's right to assert existing common law defenses such as fraud, involuntariness, and unconscionability. (A.2873 / S.2971; Veto 6)
Payment of Counsel Fees in Matrimonial Actions Mandates the "moneyed spouse" in a matrimonial action to pay all counsel and expert fees and requires the parties to submit financial information to the court. (A.7569-A / S.4532-A; Chapter 329)
Interpretation of Will Clauses to Benefit Spouses Interprets language used in wills to permit the maximum legally allowable tax advantage under the federal estate tax law for spouses taking into account the fact that federal estate tax law is now in flux. (A.9857-C / S.8056; Chapter349)
Newest Voters Allowed to Vote in Primaries Amends the New York Constitution to expand eligibility to vote in presidential primaries by permitting an individual who is 17 years of age to vote in a presidential primary if at the time of the general election they will be 18 years old. (A.5110; Passed Assembly / S.4226; Rules)
Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Provides basic and necessary rights to domestic workers who have historically been excluded from the protections of the Labor Law. Under the bill, such workers would receive one day of rest each week and be paid overtime. The legislation also would provide disability coverage and protections from discrimination and sexual harassment. In addition, the measure would require domestic workers to receive three personal days per year once they have worked with the same employer for one year. (A.1470-B / S.2311-E; Chapter 481)
New York State Construction Industry Fair Play Act Enacts the New York State Construction Industry Fair Play Act to protect construction workers from being misclassified as independent contractors instead of employees. This bill would ensure that employees receive the benefits to which they are entitled while providing consistent standards to employers. (A.8237-D / S.5847-F; Chapter 418)
Wage Theft Prevention Act Establishes the Wage Theft Prevention Act to protect workers from wage and hour abuses. The bill would increase penalties for wage underpayments and for the failure of an employer to notify his or her employees of their wage rates and other rights. In addition, this bill would provide anti-retaliatory protections to workers and increased enforcement tools for the Department of Labor. (A.10163-B; Passed Assembly)
Prevailing Wage for Service Workers Requires the payment of prevailing wages to service workers employed by public utility companies and third parties that provide service work for public agencies. The bill also would increase penalties to employers for violations of the law's wage and record keeping requirements involving employees performing service work and subject to the prevailing wage. (A.10257-D / S.8397-A; Passed both houses)
Child Care Providers Right to Organize Establishes in the law the existing Executive Order which allows child care providers who perform work related to state contracts to select representatives for collective bargaining purposes. (A.10764 / S.7451; Chapter 540)
Posting of Wage Rates Requires the posting of a statement of wage rates and supplements on public work sites and increase the penalties for failure to post. This would allow workers and enforcement agencies to better determine whether they have been paid their statutorily required wages. (A.215-B; Passed Assembly / S.2904-B; Codes)
Notification of Electronic Monitoring Requires employees to be notified when they are hired and once annually thereafter of any electronic monitoring which may occur on the job. (A.3871-B; Passed Assembly)
New York State Fair Pay Act Enacts the New York State Fair Pay Act. This bill would require equivalent pay for jobs which are similar but for which different job titles may be created for women or minorities in order for employers to pay those employees a lower wage relative to other titles with the same responsibilities and educational requirements. (A.3911;Passed Assembly)
Police Officer Ticket Quotas Prohibits employers of police officers from taking adverse employment actions against employees solely because such employee failed to meet tickets, summons or arrest quotas. (A.6729-A / S.2956-A; Chapter 460)
Cooperative Competitive Bidding Allows the Board of Trustees of any two or more public libraries, public library systems, or reference and research library resource systems to cooperatively bid for equipment, supplies, and services. (A.6154-B / S.3093-A; Chapter 385)
Local Governments Annual Bond Allocation Establishes the process for New York State to allocate its share of the Bond Volume Cap, which was established by the federal government in 1987. This legislation allocates one-third of available bonds to local issuing agencies, including local governments and industrial development agencies (IDAs), one-third to state issuing agencies, and one-third to a statewide bond reserve to be available upon application when eligible agencies have exhausted their share of the bond volume cap. The bonds are distributed with the goal of promoting housing, economic development and job creation throughout the state. Under the bill, any unused local and state bond volume caps would be transferred to the statewide bond reserve each year on October 1. (A.10293 / S.7422; Chapter 214)
Local Government Shared Services and Consolidation Measures in SFY Budget 2010-2011 Authorizes local governments to pool bonds associated with the development of public safety communications systems with other local governments through the Municipal Bond Bank Agency (MBBA). The bill also provides municipalities with the flexibility to share services by authorizing multiple counties to share a director of weights and measures and permits counties to collect taxes on behalf of, or concurrently with, any city, town, village or school district within the county. In addition, the legislation increases the threshold above which local governments are required to competitively bid purchase contracts from $10,000 to $20,000 and authorizes local governments to require, at their discretion, bids for technology contracts to be submitted only electronically. (A.9706-C / S. 6606-B; Chapter 56)
Renaming the Office Mental Retardation and Development Disabilities Renames the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities to the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). (A.11197 / S.7889; Chapter 168)
Abuse-Reporting Hotline Requires the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities to establish a toll free hotline to receive allegations of abuse or mistreatment of persons served by programs licensed or operated under the Mental Hygiene Law. (A.9825-A / S.6772-A; Chapter 192)
Kendra's Law Extender Extends the sunset date of the statute authorizing assisted outpatient treatment orders, also known as "Kendra's law." (A.10790 / S.7254; Chapter 139)
Legal Aid for Mentally Ill Authorizes Mental Hygiene Legal Services (MHLS) to provide legal assistance to patients or residents who have a serious mental illness, have been discharged directly from a mental hygiene facility, presently reside in a residential healthcare facilities or nursing home, and currently receive mental health services. (A.10824-B / S.7432-A; Veto 6811)
Jonathan's Law Extender Extends the time period for retroactive patient information requests under Jonathan's Law. (A.10448 / S.7649; Chapter 262)
Equine Drug Testing Program Allows the equine drug testing program at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University to be continued at any state institution of higher education with an equine science program approved by the Regents. (A.9954 / S.6352-A; Chapter 15)
Audit of OTB Corporations Authorizes the Racing and Wagering Board to order an audit of an Off Track Betting corporation (OTB) upon determining that an OTB operation is in violation of the law. It also would require an OTB corporation to submit their annual budget to the Racing and Wagering Board no later than 20 days after adopted by the corporation's board of directors. (A.3322 / S.2717; Chapter 459)
Increased Penalties Increases the fines for violation of the racing, pari-mutuel and breeding law from $5,000 to $25,000. (A.8181 / S.3023; Chapter 240)
OTB Corporation-Authority to Impose Fines Authorizes the Racing and Wagering Board to impose fines on Off Track Betting corporations or other persons or corporations participating in off-track betting. (A.8182 / S. 3021; Chapter 241)
Thoroughbred Breeding Fund Directs the thoroughbred breeding and development fund to collect from racing and betting corporations on a quarterly basis. The bill also would temporarily change the allotment percentages for breeders' awards and administration and management of the fund. (A.11130-A /S.7578-A; Chapter 473)
Small Business Niche Market Assistance Establishes a competitive program within the Urban Development Commission (UDC) to provide grants to not-for-profit corporations that have demonstrated a capacity to conduct market analysis and assist manufacturers with identifying new markets for niche products. (A.4550 / S.3477; Veto 6801)
Assisting Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) Establishes a regional minority and women-owned business enterprise advocate. The measure aims to provide minority and women-owned businesses and enterprises with technical, managerial, financial and other assistance necessary to help MWBEs become successful business competitors. (A.5458; Passed Assembly)
Small Business Environmental Compliance Assistance Establishes the Small Business Clean Environment Fund to assist small businesses in obtaining loans from financial institutions for the acquisition of pollution control equipment in order to comply with federal and state environmental laws. (A.1148; Passed Assembly / S.3019; Finance)
Small Business Energy Assistance and Advocacy Establishes a program to provide small businesses with energy assistance and advocacy to address such small business concerns as energy availability, affordability and sustainability. (A.6766 / S.5942; Veto 6803)
State Contract Bid Documents Fee Waiver Permits state agencies to waive the deposit fee for bid documents on state contracts. Under the bill, the fee could be waived for minority and women-owned businesses when the documents are available electronically. (A.8063; Passed Assembly)
Entrepreneurship Assistance Creates Entrepreneurship Assistance Centers and revitalizes the Entrepreneurial Assistance Program in order to more effectively extend the principles, practices and opportunities of entrepreneurship to minority and women owned businesses, the disabled and dislocated workers. (A.11053; Passed Assembly)
Emergency Needs Assistance Requires local social services districts to notify applicants of public assistance in writing, of monetary grants that are available for emergency needs. (A.377-A / S.1083-A; Chapter 455)
Energy Assistance Authorizes the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance to develop a plan to help eligible low-income households with their cooling needs under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. (A.1459 / S.2276; Veto 6742)
Public Assistance Employment Allows attendance in up to four years of post secondary education to count toward an individual's public assistance work participation requirement when such attendance is consistent with the individual's employment and assessment plan goals. (A.1827-A; Passed Assembly)
Shelter Cost Limit Provides that persons living with medical a condition of clinical or symptomatic HIV/AIDS and who receive shelter assistance would not be required to pay more than 30 percent of the household earned or unearned income towards shelter costs. (A.2565 / S.2664; Veto 6818)
Public Assistance Reimbursement Requires applicants for public assistance to be fully informed, verbally and in writing, that they may be liable to reimburse the state for benefits received. (A.8873-A; Passed Assembly)
Public Assistance Work Activity Requirement Makes permanent provisions that allow certain work-study, internships and other work experiences to satisfy the work participation requirement for public assistance recipients (A.10961 / S.7336; Chapter 145)
Bass Fishing Destination Creates the Empire State Fishing Trail program in order to promote New York's growing reputation as a top bass fishing destination and enhance its economic impact on the state's tourism industry. FLW Outdoors, a leading sport fishing magazine, ranked New York's coastal waters along Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain as one of the nation's finest locations for bass fishing. (A.3270; Passed Assembly / S.283; Finance)
Arts and Artifacts Domestic Indemnity Act Authorizes the state to indemnify domestically held art and artifacts used for exhibition. The bill would ensure the availability of affordable insurance coverage for museums so they can participate in the securing of unique artifacts and participate in exhibition loan programs among artistic, historic and cultural institutions. (A.4358; Passed Assembly / S.3078; Finance)
Amateur Sporting Events Establishes the New York State Amateur Sports Development Advisory Council to promote amateur sports. The bill recognizes the significant, economic opportunities and benefits that such organized sport competitions bring to New York. It directs the formation of an advisory council to develop measures that will maximize the financial impact that these sporting events have on the state's tourism industry. (A.6090; Passed Assembly / S.7019; Finance)
State Parks Recycling Requires the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation establish a recycling program for the collection of discarded recyclable materials at parks, historic sites and recreational facilities. (A.6103; Passed the Assembly/ S.3425; Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation)
"New York State Civil War 150th Anniversary Commemoration Commission" Establishes a commission to promote the 150th anniversary and commemoration of the American Civil War, which will take place between 2011 and 2015. (A.8157-A; Passed Assembly / S.4377-A; Finance)
Executive Mansion Trust Changes the composition of the board of directors who serve on the Executive Mansion Trust. The bill increases the board's members from five to 15 to ensure the trust can more effectively perform its mission of preserving and promoting this historical building, which has been the official residence of the state's governors and their families since 1875. (A.8395; Passed Assembly / S.5811; Finance)
Heights Heritage Park Adds the Heights Heritage area of northern Harlem to the state park system. This legislation would ensure that the land and its renowned beauty would be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations. By designating this area a state park, it also would help promote the area's historical significance, support and attract local businesses and increase tourism. (A.9054; Passed Assembly / Senate; Rules)
New York State French and Indian War Anniversary Commemoration Commission Extends the Temporary Commission on the 250th Anniversary and Commemoration of the French Indian War, which is set to expire this year, until 2014. The measure would provide the state with an opportunity to help its local governments organize, promote and realize the economic and cultural benefits that a major commemoration of the French Indian War could bring to communities throughout New York. (A.10120-A; Passed Assembly / S. 7150-A; Finance)
War of 1812 Anniversary Establishes the temporary New York State War of 1812 200th Anniversary Commemoration Commission to promote the significance of the war's impact on the history of the state and nation. This commission's work would provide cultural and economic benefits to communities throughout the state by helping to organize and implement events commemorating the war's anniversary. (A.10027-B / S. 6990-B; Veto 6778)
State Park Closures Mandates that public hearings be conducted before any properties operated by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation are closed. (A.10452; Passed Assembly / S.7457; Finance)
Arts and Cultural Affairs Law (ACAL) Extends ACAL until May 15, 2011 to ensure that consumers remain protected from unscrupulous ticket sales practices for admission to theatrical and sporting events. The bill includes such consumer safeguards as a ban on the resale of tickets within 1,500 feet of an entertainment venue as well as a prohibition on the use of automated computer software programs designed to make bulk ticket purchases. (A.11536-A / S.8340-A; Chapter 151)
NYC Forestry Fund Creates a New York City Parks, Tree and Urban Forestry Fund that would be funded through a check off on New York City income tax forms. The bill would provide funding for the planting of trees, shrubs, park preservation and expansion and for the support of the city's botanical gardens. The measure aims to help the city's efforts to address global warming, reduce its carbon emissions and improve air quality. (A.2769 / S.7657; Veto 6746)
New York State Tourism Website Mandates that all advertisements or public service announcements funded by state money must display the state's tourism website address and the "I love New York" logo. (A.8413; Passed Assembly / S. 5834; Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation)
Seat Belt Use in Rear Seats Prohibits any person from riding in the rear seat of a motor vehicle unless they are properly restrained by a seat belt. (A.225-A / S.1169-B; Third Reading)
Safe Transport of Pre-School Aged Children Requires persons transporting pre-school aged children, teachers and other persons acting in a supervisory capacity to and from a pre-school or nursery school or school activities, to meet bus driver requirements under the Vehicle and Traffic Law, including mandatory medical examinations and criminal history background checks. (A.762; Passed Assembly)
"School Bus Motorist Education Program" Educates motorists on the dangers of passing stopped school buses. To enhance school bus safety, the legislation also calls for a study of illegal passing and the development of proposals to reduce the number of violations. (A.4054; Passed Assembly / S.1244; Finance)
Children in Front Seats Prohibits the operation of a motor vehicle with a child under the age of eight riding as a passenger in the front seat. (A.4181-A; Passed Assembly / S.2238-A; Codes)
Parking Space Access Aisles Dimensions Requires access aisles of parking spaces accessible to persons with disabilities to be at least eight feet wide. (A.7849; Passed Assembly)
Access Aisle Markings Requires access aisles of parking spaces accessible to persons with disabilities to be marked with a sign and diagonal stripes. (A.7848 / S.6120; Chapter 207)
Texting While Driving Allows for the primary enforcement of the law prohibiting the use of portable electronic devices, including texting, while operating a motor vehicle. Current law allows a summons to be issued for a violation if there is a reasonable cause to believe that the driver has committed a violation of another law as well. (A.10063; Passed Assembly / S.6992; Third Reading)
Pedestrian Safety Near Parking Garages Requires parking garages to install pedestrian warning signs and devices if vehicles cross sidewalks when exiting garages. (A.10968; Passed Assembly/ S.3588; Transportation)
"Ambrose-Searles Move Over Act" Requires drivers to exercise due care when approaching an authorized emergency vehicle displaying its emergency lights while parked, stopped or standing upon a roadway. The bill also would require motorists to change lanes away from the emergency vehicle when it is safe and legal to do so. (A.5292-B / S.4647-B; Chapter 387)
Drivers to Exercise Due Care Increases the penalties on motor vehicle operators who fail to exercise due care and cause a collision with a pedestrian or bicyclist which results in physical injury. (A.7917-D / S.5292-C; Chapter 333)
Safe Passing of Bicycles Requires drivers that are overtaking a bicycle from behind to pass at a safe distance to the left of the bicyclist until their vehicle has safely cleared the bicycle. (A.10993 / S.7897; Chapter 413)
Weight Exemption for Idling Reduction Devices Excludes up to 400 pounds from the calculation of weight for trucks equipped with an approved auxiliary power unit (APU) to reduce idling emissions. (A.8300-A / S.5722-A; Chapter 434)
DWI Evidence Expands the lists of persons who at the request of a police officer are statutorily authorized to take blood samples, and to supervise and direct the taking of blood samples from persons alleged to have been driving while intoxicated or while ability impaired. (A.8601-B / S.46-B; Chapter 169)
Illegal Parking of Commercial Motor Vehicles Increases fines for the parking of tractor-trailers, tractors, truck trailers and semi-trailers overnight on New York City residential streets. (A.8804-B / S.1861-D; Chapter 458)
Young Driver Clarifies that all drivers holding junior permits and junior licenses are restricted to one non-family passenger. The bill also makes clear that the statutory requirement for 50 hours of behind the wheel practice also applies to junior drivers taking driver's education classes. (A.11157 / S.7439; Chapter 215)
New York State High-Speed Rail Provides for the creation of a high-speed rail planning board within the New York State Department of Transportation to assist with the development and implementation of a high-speed rail program for the state. (A.11553 / S.8357; Chapter 557)
Agent Orange Extender Extends the statute of limitations for lawsuits relating to exposure to phenoxy herbicide (Agent Orange) by armed forces personnel who served in Indo-China from December 22, 1961, through May 7, 1975. (A.9737 / S.7021; Chapter 118)
New York State Interagency Coordination Council Establishes a council for service-disabled veterans to provide accessible, coordinated, and specialized services to service-disabled veterans from multiple state and local agencies. (A.8296-A / S.7112; Veto 6757)
Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services Advisory Council Extends the membership of the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services Advisory Council to include a veterans' provider representative and a veterans consumer representative. (A.10889 / S.7566-A; Veto 6721)
Cremated Remains of Veterans Provides funeral directors, undertakers, and funeral firms in possession of cremated remains for more than 120 days a method of determining if such remains are those of a veteran and how they may be disposed of, with the help of veterans' service organizations. (A.10754-A / S.7562-B; Chapter 44)
Redemption of Certain Property Extends at local option the redemption time period for residential property for certain persons deployed by the military to four or five years. The bill would allow a local government entity to waive fees, interest, and penalties of foreclosed residential real estate caused by financial hardship as result of military activation or the owner was killed while serving in the armed forces. (A.8641-C / S.6041-A; Chapter 516)
Veterans Mental Health and Chemical Dependence Act Requires the New York State Veterans' Affairs Commission to develop and update, in consultation with the Office of Mental Health and Department of Labor, a state interagency plan to improve outreach, assessment, and care for veterans and their families for mental health and/or substance abuse problems. (A.11098 / S.7961; Veto 6786)
Veterans-Owned Business Opportunities Requires the Division of Veterans' Affairs to maintain a small business portal on the division's website with links to appropriate government programs, including but not limited to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The division may consult with the New York State Small Business Development Center and any other appropriate state agencies. This information also may be made available in printed form. (A.7093-B/S.4431-B;Chapter 428)
Temporary Suspension on Loan Payments Continues, for a two year period, a benefit to military personnel allowing them to postpone payments for a loan from the state public retirement plan. In order to qualify for this benefit a member of the armed forces must be engaged in active duty. The benefit allows the payments to be deferred until these men and women return from active duty, and it extends the period of their loan repayment by an equal amount of time. (A.10023-A; Passed Assembly)
Informing Veterans of their Benefits Relates to the use of personal confidential information received from veterans or family members of veterans receiving services from the state or political subdivisions. The purpose of the legislation is to inform veterans and their families of the many services and opportunities provided by the Division of Veterans' Affairs. (A.11154; Passed Assembly / S.8075; Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs)
Veteran-Owned Small Business Account Requires the Division of Veterans' Affairs to include an accounting of the number of veteran-owned businesses in New York State in its annual report to the governor and the members of the legislature. (A.7063-A; Passed Assembly/ S.4465; Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs)