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 eligibility of New York city transit authority employees for performance of duty disability retirement.

Increases short-term disability benefits.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Allows for certain disability benefits to continue in the event an individual who is receiving such benefits gets married; provides that the marriage to another individual which would otherwise make an individual ineligible for certain disability benefits shall not be considered if such individual is already receiving disability benefits at the time of becoming married and continues to meet certain criteria.

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.

Establishes a developmental disability, mental health, and behavioral condition community stakeholder committee to examine effective evidence-based developmental, mental, and behavioral health screening methods for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

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.

Expands eligibility for tax abatement for rent-controlled and rent regulated property occupied by persons with disabilities to include individuals who do not meet the non-medical qualifications for SSDI and SSI but, by reason of the individual's disability, the individual is not able to engage in substantial gainful activity as that term is defined by the federal social security administration.

Establishes "SNAP for all", a state-funded supplemental nutrition assistance program to provide for those who are excluded from federal SNAP benefits solely due to immigration status; outlines eligibility requirements of applicants and operational requirements of the office of temporary and disability assistance.

Requires that a claimant alleging that the contents of a website or mobile application that describes goods and services provided at a place of public accommodation constitutes an unlawful discriminatory practice against visually and hearing impaired individuals serve written notice on the owner and provide 60 days to cure the alleged violation prior to commencing an action.

Directs the independent developmental disability ombudsperson program to establish a service delivery structure based in New York state that includes a toll-free telephone hotline, an interactive website, and availability of in-person, telephone and email access to ombudsperson program staff or volunteers; to provide assistance for navigating and completing processes; to assist individuals in filing and preparing appeals; to assist individuals with any problems encountered; and to educate individuals on their rights and responsibilities with respect to access to services provided by the office for people with developmental disabilities and care coordination provided by health homes serving individuals with developmental disabilities or services provided by other providers.