Gov. Hochul Vetoes Multiple Bills at Urging of Big I New York and Coalition Partners
A slew of costly litigation-increasing legislation was vetoed by Governor Hochul in her final acts of 2025. Big I New York was part of a mighty coalition of business and industry groups that urged opposition to multiple trial lawyer priorities.
Vetoed bills include:
- Wrongful death expansion—for the fourth time in as many years. The Governor’s veto memo once again noted concerns about increased insurance premiums and “financial stress” to healthcare systems. (A.6063/S.4423)
- A prohibition on discussing settlement with a claimant within 30-days of an act, which, according to the Governor, “would interfere with the ability to quickly settle small claims, negotiate settlements even when all parties are represented by counsel, and create uncertainty regarding status of settled matters.” (A.8706/S.8185)
- A bill requiring a liberal interpretation of New York Labor Law, independent of federal law, to which the Governor objected to the broad nature of the bill. (A.7863/S.7388)
- Legislation subjecting all companies registered to do business in New York to the “general jurisdiction” of the state’s courts, which could increase forum shopping and bring lawsuits to New York courts for acts that did not occur in or have a connection to the state other than a company being authorized to do business here. (A.8303/S.8186)
- An amendment to the Civil Procedure Law and Rules to allow an injured plaintiff to directly recover from a third-party provider in certain circumstances. The Governor cited concerns by the New York State Insurance Fund and the Workers Compensation Board with respect to an anticipated increase in insured losses to the tune of $320 million. (A.3351/S.5170)
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