Enacts the "freelance isn't free act"; provides for the payment of freelance workers as independent contractors, including requiring written contracts; timely payment of compensation and handling controversies relating to payment, complaint procedures, and penalties; excludes construction contracts.
Establishes the office of equity for energy and climate to support local and communally developed climate projects to support disadvantaged communities, including by establishing and administering the community solutions fund and the solutions grants program; provides for funding and standards for climate and community protection projects and programs.
Relates to returnable bottles; adds noncarbonated soft drinks, certain noncarbonated fruit or vegetable juices, coffee and tea beverages, carbonated fruit beverages and cider to the definition of "beverage"; provides that beginning April 1, 2026, the handling fee will be six cents for each beverage container accepted by a deposit initiator from a dealer or operator of a redemption center.
Relates to the purchase of zero-emission buses and the procurement of electric-powered buses, vehicles or other related equipment and infrastructure; requires public utilities to have infrastructure, capacity, facilities, and transmission and distribution systems needed to supply power for the charging of zero-emission buses and provides a tariff for charging of electric buses.
Creates parity for incarcerated individual telephone services for international calls to family members outside continental United States, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam or Central Northern Mariana Islands by requiring identical restrictions on the duration or number of phone calls and use of unit or facility phones made available to incarcerated individuals who are calling family members who are not outside continental United States, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam or Central Northern Mariana Islands.
Prohibits the operation of NYC transit authority subways or trains without at least one conductor on board; requires a conductor on any subway or train operated by such authority whenever the subway or train has more than two cars attached to the engine.
Establishes visiting policies for incarcerated people, to provide incarcerated people opportunities for personal contact with relatives, friends, clergy, volunteers and other persons to promote better institutional adjustment and better community adjustment upon release.
Establishes a task force to conduct a comprehensive study on the presence of educator diversity in the state, state actions taken to promote educator diversity, and how the state can encourage new initiatives to enhance and promote educator diversity in New York; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.
Establishes a local authorities searchable subsidy and economic development benefits database; relates to the obligations of certain industrial development agencies and local development corporations.
Requires state agencies to publish certain information in local, community and ethnic media; defines local, community and ethnic media; requires the office of general services to develop and maintain a list of local, community and ethnic media outlets.