Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official source posted by the New York State Senate, fetched 2026-08-11. Nothing is edited or removed. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official source appears here in brackets. The official bill page.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8185
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
May 19, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to prohib-
iting certain entities from negotiating any contracts or settlements
releasing such entities from liability for a tortious or potentially
tortious act within thirty days of such act
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "unfair
settlement timing act (USTA)".
§ 2. The civil practice law and rules is amended by adding a new
section 5003-c to read as follows:
§ 5003-C. FAIR SETTLEMENT TIMING. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER LAW OR
RULE, NO PERSON, FIRM OR CORPORATION WHOSE INTEREST IS ADVERSE TO THAT
OF A PERSON RECEIVING PERSONAL INJURIES OR DEATH AS A RESULT OF A
TORTIOUS OR POTENTIALLY TORTIOUS ACT MAY NEGOTIATE ANY CONTRACT, WRITTEN
OR ORAL, OR ANY SETTLEMENT TO RELEASE SUCH PERSON, FIRM OR CORPORATION
FROM LIABILITY FOR SUCH ACT WITHIN THIRTY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE
TORTIOUS OR POTENTIALLY TORTIOUS ACT. ANY CONTRACT, SETTLEMENT OR
RELEASE OBTAINED IN VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE VOIDABLE AT THE
OPTION OF THE RELEASOR.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13180-01-5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.