Budget & Taxes (Fees & Licensing)

Repeals certain provisions establishing a fee for background checks on certain firearm and ammunition purchases; removes such fees as a source of funds for the background check fund.

Enacts into law major components of legislation necessary to implement the state transportation, economic development and environmental conservation budget for the 2025-2026 state fiscal year; relates to the waterfront commission act; makes amendments to change "applicant" to "licensee or registrant" (Part A); provides for mass transportation payments to the Central New York Regional Transportation District; adds Cortland county to such district (Part B); relates to extending the authorization for a pre-licensing course internet program (Part C); increases the value of a motor vehicle considered abandoned which can become property of the local authority the vehicle is abandoned in (Part D); extends provisions of law relating to certain tax increment financing provisions (Part I); relates to certain provisions regarding labor disputes involving the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Part J); relates to the acquisitions or transfers of property for certain transit projects; extends the effectiveness of certain provisions of law relating thereto (Part K); relates to funding for net paratransit operating expenses for the city of New York and the metropolitan transportation authority and makes permanent certain provisions of law relating thereto (Part L); provides funding for the metropolitan transportation authority 2025-2029 capital program (Part M); establishes a demonstration program on certain covered locations to enforce vehicle weight restriction on such interstate by means of mobile or stationary weigh in motion systems (Part N); authorizes a photo monitoring program for the Triborough bridge and tunnel authority and New York state bridge authority; extends provisions relating to certain notices of liability (Part Q); relates to the effectiveness of the New York state health insurance continuation assistance demonstration project (Part S); authorizes the Olympic regional development authority to enter into agreements for membership of one or more of its ski venues in reciprocal ski pass programs where such members are required to guarantee contractual indemnity up to a capped amount (Part T); regulates artificial intelligence companion models; establishes a suicide prevention fund (Part U); relates to refund policies for online retailers (Part V); enhances disclosure requirements for automatic renewals (Part W); requires disclosure of algorithmically set prices for goods and services (Part X); relates to the regulation of buy-now-pay-later lenders; requires such lenders to be licensed or authorized; establishes prohibited acts, limitations on loans, and consumer protections (Part Y); establishes reporting requirements for pharmacy benefit managers about the rebate contracts between pharmacy benefit managers and drug manufacturers (Part Z); provides for rate increases for hire motor vehicle insurance (Part CC); extends the authority of the New York state urban development to administer the empire state economic development fund (Part EE); extends the power of the New York state urban development corporation to make loans to 07/01/2026 (Part FF); extends the authority of the dormitory authority to enter into certain design and construction management agreements (Part GG); expands certain provisions of the state finance law and the New York state infrastructure trust fund; directs a policy study analyzing ways to improve the effectiveness of the minority and women-owned business enterprise program (Part KK); increases the cap on the amount of money authorized to be on deposit pursuant to the excelsior linked deposit program at any given time (Part LL); relates to purchasing thresholds for minority- or women-owned businesses or service-disabled veteran-owned businesses (Part MM); authorizes the New York convention center operating corporation to establish a subsidiary for the purposes of forming a pure captive insurance company (Part NN); extends the waste tire management fee until December 31, 2027; requires notice of the waste tire management and recycling program to be provided to customers; removes the exclusion for mail order sales (Part PP); extends provisions of the deer hunting program to 2028 (Part QQ); relates to financial responsibility, recovery of response costs and natural resource damages, and abatement actions relating to disposal of inactive hazardous waste (Part RR); relates to the recall of a class B firefighting foam; prohibits the sale or distribution of firefighting personal protective equipment that contains intentionally added PFAS; directs the department of environmental conservation to make a recommendation to the legislature on whether to postpone the effectiveness of such provisions (Part SS); exempts conveyances of real property for open space, parks, or historic preservation purposes to any not-for-profit corporation operated for conservation, environmental, parks or historic preservation purposes (Part TT); authorizes the New York state energy research and development authority to finance a portion of its research, development and demonstration, policy and planning, Fuel NY program, climate change related expenses of the department of environmental conservation from an assessment on gas and electric corporations (Part VV); relates to utility and cable television assessments that provide funds to the department of health from cable television assessment revenues and to the department of agriculture and markets, department of state, the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation, and the department of environmental conservation from utility assessment revenues; requires accountings be submitted of such funds (Part XX); increases and redirects civil penalties for failing to comply with the department of public service's prescribed rules and regulations established for the protection of underground facilities; amends the effectiveness of certain provisions relating to establishing the underground facilities safety training account (Part YY); authorizes the department of taxation and finance to disclose certain information to the department of environmental conservation or the New York state energy research and development authority for the purpose of implementing the New York state climate leadership and community protection act (Part ZZ); establishes a commission to replace the statue of Robert R. Livingston in the National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol with a statue of Harriet Tubman; provides that such commission shall consist of the governor or a designee, the temporary president of the senate or a designee, the speaker of the assembly or a designee, the executive director of the council on the arts or a designee, and the commissioner of the office of general services or a designee (Part BBB); extends certain rebates to municipalities for clean vehicle projects (Part CCC); relates to appointments to the cannabis board, removes provisions of law deeming a person acting as chairperson of the cannabis control board as a state officer; relates to agreements of such board with the New York state Indian nations and tribes (Part DDD); relates to a special license fee for a licensee allowed to engage in the cultivation, processing, distribution and retail of both medical cannabis and adult use cannabis; makes a conforming technical change; and provides for the repeal of certain provisions of the cannabis law (Part EEE).

Provides that state departments, offices, agencies, and authorities are prohibited from imposing any fees, surcharges, or taxes that have not been approved by the state legislature.

This bill extends Ulster County's authority to impose an additional 1% sales and use tax for two more years, from September 2022 through November 2027. It directly affects residents and businesses in Ulster County who pay sales tax, as it maintains the existing 1% surcharge on top of the standard 3% rate. The bill modifies tax law to clarify that collections from this additional tax during the extended period will be handled under Ulster County's existing agreement with the city of Kingston. The change is procedural and does not alter the tax rate or create new revenue mechanisms.

Creates an emergency in education tax surcharge to fund an omnibus education financing plan in New York city; provides for a maintenance of effort requirement.

This bill allows cities with over 1 million residents (like New York City) to add a 4.3% surcharge on personal income tax for residents earning over $500,000, effective January 2026. It applies to married couples filing jointly, single filers, heads of household, and estates/trusts. All revenue from this surcharge must be used exclusively for early childhood education programs in the city, not general funds. The surcharge expires December 2030, and cities must adopt the local law by December 2025.

S 3623 authorizes New York City to impose a new 0.534% income surcharge on residents earning over $750,000 annually (or $1 million for joint filers), directly affecting high-income earners. The revenue must fund specific transit infrastructure projects, including subway, bus, and ADA-compliant system upgrades, as defined in the bill. The surcharge creates a dedicated fund separate from other city revenues, with strict rules requiring all money to finance capital projects only - not operating costs - and allowing bonds secured by this fund for future transit investments. The bill explicitly states it does not create new tax obligations beyond the specified thresholds and applies to taxable years beginning after 2024.

Enacts the "NYS health care tax reform act"; establishes a public goods and medicaid subsidy surcharge on insurance corporations; establishes a public goods and medicaid subsidy surcharge on business corporations; establishes a public goods and medicaid subsidy surcharge on pass-through entities; relates to filing fee surcharges; relates to revenues to be included in the health care reform act resources fund; establishes a public goods and medicaid surcharge on misclassified workers.

This bill creates a tax-advantaged savings program for farmers. It allows qualified farmers to deduct cash contributions to special "farm savings accounts" from their taxable income, with contributions limited to their farming income for the year. The accounts are tax-exempt while active, but funds withdrawn for non-farm purposes incur a 15% surcharge. Accounts automatically end if the farmer stops farming, requiring the balance to be taxed as income. The program directly affects individual farmers and farm businesses seeking tax benefits for farm sustainability investments.

This bill eliminates multiple taxes on health insurance in New York State, directly affecting consumers and health insurance companies. It phases out four specific taxes over time, including the $1.1 billion annual "covered lives assessment" on insured individuals, a 9.63% surcharge on hospital services, a $350 million flat tax on commercial insurance policies, and a $149 million tax on insurance companies. Key provisions gradually reduce these taxes: for instance, the insurance company tax drops from 1.75% to 0.37% by 2030 and is eliminated entirely after 2031. The legislation aims to lower health insurance costs by removing these taxes, which the bill states collectively cost consumers over $5 billion annually in 2018.