New York State Bar Association’s 2025 Government Relations Legislative Update

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New York State Bar Association’s 2025 Government Relations Legislative Update

The New York State Bar Association’s Government Relations 2025

Legislative Session Update

The New York State Bar Association is pleased to provide this Government Relations 2025 New York State legislative session update highlighting how action, or inaction, by the New York State legislature affected major NYSBA policy. The NYS 2025 legislative session came to an end for the Senate in the early hours of June 13^th and for the Assembly on June 17^th, with some key legislation that NYSBA supported passing through both houses. Over the summer and into the fall, NYSBA’s Government Relations team will continue to advocate for policies important to our members and the legal profession, and work with the Executive to ensure key bills are enacted.

Action on NYSBA State Legislative Priorities

Among NYSBA’s legislative successes during 2025 was the passage of S138(Hoylman-Sigal)/ A136(Paulin), the Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) A priority for the Association, this bill would allow terminally ill, mentally capable adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live to request from their doctor a prescription for medication that would enable the individual to die peacefully. NYSBA’s governing body, the House of Delegates, adopted a 2024 report by the Task Force on Medical Aid in Dying. The report outlined many of the safeguards included in the legislation, offered a thorough study of the effects in other jurisdictions, and included testimony from numerous experts with varying perspectives. Representatives from both houses of the legislature acknowledged that the NYSBA report was instrumental in deciding how to proceed. Now that MAID has passed the legislature, NYSBA leadership is continuing advocacy efforts to urge the Governor to sign this important bill into law. Bar President Kathleen Sweet issued a letter to the Governor urging her approval of the legislation which can be found on our website.
Support for the Assigned Counsel rate increase, another of NYSBA’s priorities, was again included in the enacted budget, ensuring that the State will continue to share the burden of cost with municipalities while still aiding those individuals who provide NYSBA continues to call on the State to fully fund the increased rate, and to enact a permanent escalator mechanism.

NYSBA State Legislative Policy

Bills supported by Association policy that passed in both houses this session include:

S5083(Sepulveda)/A5898(Tapia), a bill to ensure state-paid judges and justices receive death benefits even if they were not retired by the time of their A resolution was adopted by the Association in 2015 to support this policy. This legislation was vetoed by the Governor last session. The Government Relations department and leadership will continue to encourage the Governor to sign this bill into law before the end of the year.
A3425A(Raga)/S2520B(Skoufis), a bill to amend the public officers law, establishing a five day timeframe for responding to requests for records under the freedom of information act reflects NYSBA policy laid out in the 2021 Report and Recommendations of the Task Force on Free Expression in the Digital Age.
A66(Hevesi)/S550(Brisport), a bill to amend the social services law in relation to the administration of the statewide central register of child abuse and This legislation is supported by NYSBA’s 2022 Report and Recommendations of the Committee on Families and the Law, Racial Justice and Child Welfare, which calls for the prohibition of anonymous reports of child neglect to the NYS central registry by requiring callers to leave their names and contact information when making a report, while maintaining confidentiality.

These bills will go to the Governor for signature or veto before the end of the year. NYSBA Government Relations and leadership will continue advocacy efforts to encourage the Governor to sign these important pieces of legislation.

As a general matter, legislation that was introduced in 2025 but not passed in both houses this year, will remain active for the remainder of the two-year legislative cycle. Even though the Legislature did not get to some of our priorities this year, Government Relations is actively working with our Legislative partners to advance our bills. Some policies that NYSBA will continue to advocate for next year:

S2422 (Hoylman-Sigal)/ A 3849 (Weprin), would repeal section 470 of the judiciary law which requires out-of-state attorneys to have a physical office in NYS. This bill which passed both houses in 2023 but was then vetoed by the Governor. This year, it passed in the Senate and had activity in the Assembly up until the final hours of session but was not acted on by the full body before that house gaveled out for the summer.
S6910 (Hoylman-Sigal)/ A7683(Lavine) relates to limiting recordkeeping requirements for notaries. This bill passed both houses last year but was vetoed by Governor Hochul at the end of 2024. NYSBA worked with the sponsors to reintroduce the bill, which passed the Assembly, however it did not move out of the Senate Finance Committee.

S141 (Hoylman-Sigal)/ A270 (Cruz) would establish the right to legal counsel in immigration court proceedings. Neither house advanced this legislation during the 2025
S6772 (Jackson)/ A4669 (Solages) would establish the civil right to counsel in eviction proceedings in NYS. The Senate advanced the concept of enacting this legislation as part of the 2025-2026 budget, but ultimately it did not gain any traction.
S551 (Brisport)/ A1234 (Walker) would require child protective services to orally and in writing disclose certain information to parents and caretakers who are the subject of a child protective services investigation. Neither house advanced this bill during the 2025
S878-B (Bailey)/ A2620A (Hevesi) relates to procedures required for the custodial interrogation of This bill has repeatedly passed the Assembly but has not gained traction in the Senate.
S161 (Ramos)/ A1602 (Simon) amends the education law, in relation to the NYS district attorney and indigent legal services attorney loan forgiveness program. This bill passed the Senate but did not move in the Assembly before the end of session.

A full list of the bills NYSBA advocated for this session can be found here: 2025 and 2026 Legislative Memoranda – New York State Bar Association

Committee and Section Legislative Action

The New York State Bar Association has 28 sections and over 60 committees and task forces in which members participate. Many of these bodies were legislatively active in the 2025 session, with over 40 memos in support or opposition of legislation submitted to the Legislature. Government Relations will continue to work with members throughout the rest of the year on their advocacy for bills that will go before the Governor. Legislative updates for specific committees and sections are available on our website.

If your Committee or Section is interested in submitting a memo in support or opposition of pending legislation, or commenting on a regulatory change, please contact our Director of Government Relations Matthew Pennello at mpennello@nysba.org, or Lena Faustel, Government Relations Policy Manager, at lfaustel@nysba.org.

NYSBA in Washington DC

See here for an update on NYSBA’s lobbying efforts in Washington DC this April.

Thank you to our members who participated in NYSBA advocacy campaigns! Check back later in the year for more updates.