2025 New York State Legislative Agenda

SUMMARY

The City Bar’s 2025 New York State Legislative Agenda is rooted in our mission to equip and mobilize a diverse legal profession to practice with excellence, promote reform of the law, and uphold the rule of law and access to justice in support of a fair society and the public interest. The agenda focuses on positions relevant to the current legislative debate or of particular importance to the City Bar, as well as legislative proposals drafted by our committees. The City Bar’s committees generate dozens of reports over the course of each legislative session and this agenda represents only a portion of those positions.  For a full directory of City Bar reports, including positions on regulatory changes and our local, federal and international work, please visit our website.

OVERVIEW AND OUTCOMES

THE JUDICIARY, THE PROFESSION & THE FAIR, EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

• Repeal the population-based constitutional cap on Supreme Court justices and adopt a modern, flexible, evidence-based method of assessing New York’s judicial needs
• Support enhanced funding for civil legal services in the Judiciary budget
• Strengthen and expand right to counsel, assigned counsel, and similar structures – including via sustainable pay structures
• Reform and modernize the administration of class actions in New York’s courts
• Provide internet access to individuals living in temporary housing throughout New York State to ensure adequate access to services
• Permit nonresident attorneys to practice in New York without maintaining a physical office in the state

GOOD GOVERNMENT

• Raise and reset expectations about State ethics enforcement in New York

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM IN NEW YORK

• Enact the Communities Not Cages bill package
• Support for parole reforms
• Enact the Treatment Not Jail Act

CHILDREN & FAMILIES

• Protect children during custodial police interrogations
• Enact the Anti-Harassment in Reporting Bill
• Adopt a Parental Bill of Rights in child protective services investigations
• Reform and improve Family Court for all litigants

BUSINESS & CONSUMER AFFAIRS

• Preserve New York’s preeminence as a leading commercial jurisdiction by enacting the New York Emerging Technologies Amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code
• Regulate the use of noncompete agreements for lower-salary employees
• Enact the Uniform Special Deposits Act