Provides for the award of reasonable attorneys' fees in FOIL proceedings if the person is successful and in open meeting proceedings to the successful petitioner and against the public body.
Enacts the "crash victims bill of rights"; requires accident reports to be delivered to victims of accidents or their next of kin; requires victim impact statements to be delivered at traffic infraction hearings by injured parties or their next of kin; requires employers to grant leave of absence to employees delivering a victim impact statement at a traffic infraction hearing; directs the superintendent of financial services to conduct a study and complete a report on certain automobile crash information.
Provides for the protection of the air quality at licensed day care centers and head start day care centers funded pursuant to federal law; requires the office of children and family services to consult with the commissioners of environmental conservation and health regarding the air quality and environmental hazards that may be involved with any new day care center or head start day care center; requires such office to consult with the department of health if any new environmental or environmental health hazard arises.
Provides presumptive eligibility for medical assistance benefits for persons released from correctional facilities for at least sixty days following release; provides for enrollment of such individuals upon release upon application, if eligible.
Provides notice of the death of an incarcerated individual occurring in the custody of the department of corrections and community supervision; requires the department to promptly notify the next kin and any other person designated as the representative of any incarcerated individual whose death takes place during custody.
Requires electric corporations, gas corporations, steam corporations and water-works corporations to adopt the common equity ratio and rate of return on equity authorized by the public service commission unless such utility can successfully demonstrate that such authorized rates do not meet their capital and/or operating needs.
Requires school districts to have diversity, equity and inclusion officers to develop methods to diversify the personnel of the school district and to recommend changes to district policies and practices to reduce racial disparities in hiring school district employees, particularly teachers; requires boards of education to annually report information regarding such policies and practices to the department of education; requires the department of education to annually report such information to the legislature.
Relates to prohibiting the exclusion of coverage for losses or damages caused by exposure to lead-based paint; provides that no insurer licensed or permitted by the superintendent to provide liability coverage to rental property owners shall exclude coverage for losses or damages caused by exposure to lead-based paint.
Allows schools to provide water safety instruction to students in grades kindergarten through twelve; allows for the commissioner of education to provide technical assistance to develop curricula for water safety instruction.
Provides immunity from prosecution for certain individuals engaged in prostitution who are victims of or witnesses to a crime and who report such crime or assist in the investigation or prosecution.