S1353A

The New York State Senate voted 57-0 to reconsider its passage of Senate Print 1353A, an act to amend the General Business Law, sponsored by Sen. Cleare. The reconsideration motion, offered by Sen. Gianaris, resulted in the bill being restored to the Third Reading Calendar. Sen. Gianaris subsequently offered amendments to the legislation, though the specific nature of those amendments was not detailed in the floor record. The procedural action suggests the Senate may be reconsidering aspects of the bill before final passage.

The New York State Senate passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Cleare to protect survivors of domestic violence, elder abuse, and exploitation from debt incurred under coercion. The bill, S1353A, establishes a formalized process allowing survivors to suspend collection activities on coerced debt pending review of documentation. If a negative finding of coercion is rendered following review, survivors would no longer be responsible for the debt, with appeal and private right of action available as additional remedies. Sen. Cleare argued the measure addresses the economic component present in nearly every abuse case, noting survivors often face thousands of dollars in debt imposed by abusers. The legislation passed 46-11, with 11 senators voting in opposition: Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Lanza, Mattera, Oberacker, O'Mara, Stec, Walczyk, and Weik. The bill takes effect 90 days after becoming law.