Requires state approved education or training programs required for certification or recertification of home health aides, personal care aides, and certified nurse aides to include training in working with patients of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities or expressions within twelve months; eliminates the requirement of such training for personal care staff.
Establishes the bilingual teachers of tomorrow teacher recruitment and retention program to attract and retain bilingual, certified teachers in schools with a bilingual teacher shortage; provides for grants and procedures for applying for such grants and eligibility requirements for fund distribution.
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.
Requires a commissioner to meet certain qualifications before his or her appointment which shall include, but not be limited to, the qualifications prescribed by section three of the public officers law, and demonstrated experience in election administration or other management, operations, or administrative experience in the public, non-profit, or private sector as deemed sufficient by the board.
Includes additional definitions for procedures relating to state purchasing of tropical hardwoods; requires state to maximize the use of environmentally preferable building materials; requires use of information provided by forest certifiers; requires the department of environmental conservation to develop a list of eligible forest certifiers and a chain of custody certifiers.
Relates to prohibiting the release of certain balloons; prohibits a person from knowingly or intentionally releasing outdoors any balloons constructed of electrically conductive material filled with helium or a gas lighter than air; provides exceptions.
Establishes no polling place shall be located on the premises of any public or private elementary or secondary school or a school for preschool children.
Lowers the voting age to 16 years; requires that students receive education in civics and be given the opportunity to register to vote in the classroom.
Relates to rechargeable battery recycling; adds a battery used as the principal electric power source for an electric scooter or bicycle with electric assist to the definition of "rechargeable battery"; provides that a battery manufacturer may not sell, offer for sale, or distribute rechargeable batteries in the state unless the battery manufacturer is implementing or participating under an approved plan; allows a city with a population of one million or more to enforce through its own agencies.