Bills affecting Person with a disability in New York — 2026 session

Prohibits the use of biometric surveillance system or biometric surveillance information in places of public accommodation; prohibits entering into any agreement that authorizes any third party to use any biometric surveillance system or biometric surveillance information; provides penalties for violations.

Relates to the reporting requirements of the statewide fiscal intermediary; requires the reporting of utilization data and financial data to protect medical assistance recipients in using the program and ensure the effective use of medical assistance funds; requires the statewide fiscal intermediary to provide consumer directed personal assistant data to ensure the availability of a workforce to meet the needs of consumers utilizing the program; requires the statewide fiscal intermediary to provide data regarding customer service requests, complaints, and accessibility.

Permits other qualifying members of a household to qualify the household for the disability rent increase exemption when they are not the head of household.

Relates to preferences under the affordable home ownership development program for veterans with service-related disabilities; defines "veteran with a service-related disability".

Directs the department of motor vehicles to develop a plan to increase the availability of wheelchair accessible vehicles, by county, in New York state outside of the city of New York; defines accessibility; requires a report to identify any existing local guidelines for accessible vehicles; directs development of benchmarks for increasing wheelchair accessible vehicles.

Authorizes the Department of Veterans' Services to consult and collaborate with relevant offices in the federal department of veterans affairs, the department of health, the state office for the aging and other HCBS experts to develop educational materials for veterans and their families about the accessibility to home and community-based services.

Provides for adjustment of the maximum income threshold for eligibility for the senior citizen rent increase exemption (SCRIE), disability rent increase exemption (DRIE), senior citizen homeowners' exemption (SCHE), and disabled homeowners' exemption (DHE) by any increase in the consumer price index (CPI).

Establishes the disability care providers fund; provides for an election to such fund to be made on the personal income tax return of a taxpayer.

Eliminates provisions exempting employees with disabilities from the minimum wage law; provides that laws or minimum wage orders that authorize an employer to pay a wage that is less than the minimum wage are valid provided that under such laws or orders an employee with a disability is paid the same wage as an employee in a comparable position that does not have a disability.

Relates to increasing short-term disability benefits.

Removes labor market attachment requirements for cases of permanent partial disability.

Adds fetal alcohol spectrum disorders to the definition of developmental disability.

Requires residents of the state, who are foreign refugees, to register with the office of temporary and disability assistance; directs such office to provide registration information to the office of children and family services, the department of health, the office for new Americans, the department of law, the division of state police, the NYC police department, county sheriff's offices, municipal police departments, and the division of homeland security and emergency services; directs the office for new Americans to conduct background screenings of all refugees who register; requires refugee resettlement agencies to submit quarterly reports to the bureau of refugee and immigrant assistance on the refugees to whom it provides assistance, and to monitor the activities of such refugees for a certain period of time; directs the division of homeland security and emergency services to develop and implement a plan to ensure compliance by refugee resettlement agencies.

Provides optional disability coverage for county probation officers.

Increases foundation aid for school districts that meet five variables impacting academic success: free or reduced lunch, English language learners, wealth ratio, enrollment, special education, and being located in a high wealth ratio county.

Amends the definition of "developmental disability" to include an inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of the disability.

Provides free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses for residents who participated in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup and who suffered a permanent disability.

Establishes a co-navigation services program for persons who are deaf-blind to provide services to a person who is deaf-blind that assist the person to physically access the person's environment and to make informed decisions, including providing visual and environmental information or sighted guide services and assisting with communication accessibility by communicating in the preferred language and communication mode of the person who is deaf-blind.

Provides that any one-way, round trip or multi-trip tickets purchased for use on the Long Island Rail Road or the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company by a senior citizen or a person with a disability shall be valid at any time during the day or night.

Grants all veterans with a disability seven free days of sporting activity in New York state.