Establishes the child victims act fund which provides grant awards in reimbursement to public school districts and voluntary foster care agencies located within the state who have been named as defendants in certain child sexual abuse legal cases and in which it can be demonstrated by the public school district or voluntary foster care agency that no insurance policy for the covered period can be located after a good-faith effort to do so has been made, there was a monetary judgment issued or settlement agreement with regard to such action and where it can be demonstrated by the public school district or voluntary foster care agency that payment in full of such judgment or settlement would put a substantial burden on the district's or agency's ability to execute its mission and negatively impact its existing student population.
Enacts the "Lieutenant Joseph Banish mental health act" to provide a testimonial privilege for communications arising out of law enforcement peer support counseling.
Enacts the student journalist free speech act to protect student speech at educational institutions unless such speech is libelous, an invasion of privacy, or incites students to commit an unlawful act, violate school policies, or to materially and substantially disrupt the orderly operation of the school.
Enacts the New York State Iran divestment act; provides for sanctions against the financial and energy sectors of Iran unless a duly executed treaty is approved by two-thirds of the United States Senate.
Provides for insurance coverage of comprehensive annual medical examinations for firefighters due to their increased risk for cancer and cancer-related diseases.
Adds arts and music education as a common school branch that should be incorporated into the public school curriculum to provide a more well-rounded education for children.
Includes offenses involving the possession, display or discharge of a firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine-gun, or disguised gun as qualifying offenses for the purpose of allowing a principal to be eligible to be held on bail.
Allows current, active and retired military service members and reserve units of the state to qualify for distinctive license plates; allows the spouse to also qualify for such distinctive plates.
Eliminates state sales and compensating use taxes on motor fuels and diesel motor fuels; authorizes localities to eliminate such taxes at the local level; establishes various exemptions from New York's sales and use tax; provides for a sales tax exemption for housekeeping supplies and for ready-to-eat foods.
Establishes an Alzheimer's disease outreach and education program for medical and non-medical professionals to promote earlier identification of Alzheimer's and to provide information and other assistance in finding community support for caregivers.
Requires all incarcerated individuals who do not have a high-school diploma or its equivalent to receive a reading proficiency level assessment and dyslexia screening upon intake by the department of corrections; requires for such individuals who perform below a certain proficiency level to be provided with intervention services that are evidence-based, effective and consistent with science-based research specifically tailored to addressing dyslexia.
Increases the penalty for multiple convictions of torturing, killing or failing to provide sustenance to an animal to a felony, if convicted within five years from the date of a prior conviction.