Requires the modification of restrictive covenants prior to the sale of real property

Latest action Dec 5, 2025

Requires the modification of restrictive covenants prior to the sale of real property when covenants, conditions and restrictions exist which discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, disability, national origin, source of income or ancestry.

Not chosen yet

Where it stands

Signed into law.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A1820, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Passed as A1820, the matching Assembly bill.

Amends the Real Property Law.

Committee

Judiciary · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Judiciary · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

Section 1: If any covenants, conditions and restrictions exist in a document to be recorded which discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, disability, national origin, source of income, or ancestry, any seller shall: have such unlawful restrictions removed from such document by submitting a restrictive covenant modification document, which shall be available from the county recorder, either with the deed for recording, or separately. Section 2: Effective date.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateJun 11, 2025Result: passedSenate vote on A1820, the matching Assembly bill.
(47) (12) (0) (4)
Vote: Committee vote · Judiciary
Senate JudiciaryMar 11, 2025Result: passed
(19) (0) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Angelo Santabarbara, Cordell Cleare and 9 more on Agora

Democratic11

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why James Sanders Jr. says this is needed

Under current law, there is no requirement for sellers of real property to remove illegal restrictive covenants. While unenforceable, these restrictive covenants are offensive and a residual of inhumane policies of the past. The states of Virginia, Florida, Washington and Maryland have enacted similar legislation. The National Association of Realtors has stated that restrictive coven- ants and other restrictions played a major part in today's lower levels of Black homeownership. Government data from 2017 shows that white homeownership was nearly 73% versus just 42% among Black people. In December 2020, a group in Brighton, New York removed racial covenants from deeds of nearly 300 homes that would prohibit the sale of proper- ties to non-white buyers. This bill would require sellers to remove illegal restrictive covenants prior to the sale of real property.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Full history

Dec 5, 2025
Approval MEMO.9
APPROVAL MEMO.9
NY Assembly
Dec 5, 2025
Signed
SIGNED CHAP.578
NY Assembly
Dec 1, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
NY Assembly
Jun 11, 2025
3RD Reading CAL.538
3RD READING CAL.538
NY Senate
Jun 11, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate

Show full history (13 earlier events)

Jun 11, 2025
Substituted
SUBSTITUTED FOR S3178A
NY Senate
Apr 2, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO SENATE
NY Assembly
Apr 2, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED ASSEMBLY
NY Assembly
Apr 2, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Senate
Mar 24, 2025
Amended
AMENDED ON THIRD READING 1820A
NY Assembly
Mar 24, 2025
Amended
AMENDED ON THIRD READING 3178A
NY Senate
Mar 20, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading CAL.62
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING CAL.62
NY Assembly
Mar 18, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED
NY Assembly
Mar 13, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Mar 12, 2025
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
Mar 11, 2025
1ST Report CAL.538
1ST REPORT CAL.538
NY Senate
Jan 24, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Senate
Jan 14, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Assembly

About this record

Summary: The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.
Cosponsors: The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Party colors: Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 21, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

Your position