Provides that certain communications between a claimant's attorney or representative and an injured employee's treating provider or a claimant's medical…

Official titleShow

Provides that certain communications between a claimant's attorney or representative and an injured employee's treating provider or a claimant's medical consultant are not improper influence

The heading above is this same sentence with its legal opening removed. No words were added, changed or reordered.

Latest action Feb 24, 2026

Provides that certain communications between a claimant's attorney or representative and an injured employee's treating provider or a claimant's medical consultant are not improper influence or an attempt to improperly influence.

Not chosen yet

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

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

New York State Senate

Same as A5315, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Amends the Workers' Compensation Law.

Committee

Codes · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Codes · New York State Senate, Labor · New York State Assembly, Labor · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that claimants' counsel and repre- sentatives can communicate with their clients' providers/consultants, without fear of having their provider's/consultant's opinion precluded. This will also ensure that medical providers can prepare for, and testi- fy, in a more informed and expeditious fashion, to better focus their time on providing injured workers with medical care.

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

Recorded votes

Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateFeb 3, 2026Result: passed
(56) (4) (0) (1)
Vote: Committee vote · Labor
Senate LaborJan 21, 2026Result: passed
(12) (0) (0) (0)
Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateJun 10, 2025Result: passed
(54) (4) (0) (5)
Vote: Committee vote · Rules
Senate RulesJun 10, 2025Result: passed
(17) (2) (0) (2)

Cosponsors

Andrew Hevesi, Angelo Santabarbara and 11 more on Agora

Democratic13

Show all 13 on Agora

Yudelka Tapia

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why Jessica Ramos says this is needed

This bill aims to remove the undue limitations that the Workers' Compen- sation Board has placed on claimants' counsel/representative's ability to communicate with their client's treating medical providers or medical consultants. The Board's policy regarding claimant communication with providers extends well beyond the concern of improper influence set forth in WCL. The Board's policy prohibits claimants' counsel/representatives from having any verbal communication with the treating provider (or claim- ants' medical consultant),outside of the presence of the carrier/carrier's representative. It calls for the diminishment or complete preclusion of a claimant's medical opinion for any verbal communication by claimant's counsel/representative outside the presence of the carrier, no matter the nature of the communication. It requires every written communication by claimants' counsel/representative to a treating provider (or claimant's medical consultant) to be copied to the carrier, no matter the nature of the communication. It presumes that contact by a claimant's attorney or representative, that does not include the carrier or carrier's representative, was done with the purpose of improperly influencing the treating provider or claimant's medical consultant. The Board's policy significantly hinders a claim- ant's ability to investigate the opinion of the treating physician or claimant's consultant, to properly determine the viability of a claim, and to prepare for litigation. The Board's policy interferes with an attorney's ethical obligations to zealously represent their client and to only pursue claims that have merit.

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

Feb 24, 2026
Ordered to Third Reading CAL.139
ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.139
NY Assembly
Feb 24, 2026
Substituted
SUBSTITUTED FOR A5315
NY Assembly
Feb 3, 2026
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
Feb 3, 2026
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Feb 3, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO CODES
NY Assembly

Show full history (16 earlier events)

Jan 28, 2026
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Jan 27, 2026
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
Jan 21, 2026
1ST Report CAL.132
1ST REPORT CAL.132
NY Senate
Jan 7, 2026
Died in Assembly
DIED IN ASSEMBLY
NY Assembly
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO LABOR
NY Senate
Jun 10, 2025
In committee
COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
NY Senate
Jun 10, 2025
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
Jun 10, 2025
Ordered to Third Reading CAL.1740
ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1740
NY Senate
Jun 10, 2025
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Jun 10, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO CODES
NY Assembly
Jun 10, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED
NY Assembly
Jun 10, 2025
Rules Report CAL.564
RULES REPORT CAL.564
NY Assembly
Jun 9, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED REFERRED TO RULES
NY Assembly
May 28, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED REFERRED TO CODES
NY Assembly
Feb 13, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO LABOR
NY Assembly
Feb 6, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO LABOR
NY Senate

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