Relates to filing in surrogate's court

Latest action Mar 17, 2026

Provides that a surrogate court clerk or chief clerk shall refuse to accept for filing papers filed in a proceeding only under certain circumstances or as designated in statute, administrative rule or order of the court; provides such reasons; requires the payment of any applicable statutory fees, or an order of the court waiving payment of such fees, before accepting a paper for filing; makes related provisions.

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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 A577, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Committee

Judiciary · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Judiciary · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

The bill specifies grounds for a clerk to refuse to accept a filing.

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

Recorded votes

Vote: Floor vote
NY SenateMar 17, 2026Result: passed
(62) (0) (0) (1)
Vote: Committee vote · Judiciary
Senate JudiciaryMar 5, 2026Result: passed
(19) (0) (0) (0)

The sponsor's argument

Why Luis R. Sepúlveda says this is needed

There is currently a great deal of disparity in Surrogate Courts around the state on grounds for rejecting a filing. A filing in one court may be rejected by another court's clerk without explanation as to the basis of the rejection. The proposed change to the statute Is now a court rule in the Supreme and County Courts found in 22 NYCRR 202.5, but is not followed in the Surrogate's courts. This bill would prevent wrongful rejections of proper filings in the Surrogate's Courts and would remove court clerks from decision-making and instead laying the responsibility with the Surrogate judges, so as to create a uniform standard for rejecting filings throughout the state.

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

Mar 17, 2026
Sent to the executive
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
NY Senate
Mar 17, 2026
Passed a chamber
PASSED SENATE
NY Senate
Mar 17, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Assembly
Mar 10, 2026
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
Mar 9, 2026
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate

Show full history (7 earlier events)

Mar 5, 2026
1ST Report CAL.476
1ST REPORT CAL.476
NY Senate
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Senate
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Assembly
May 20, 2025
Amend and Recommit to Judiciary
AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO JUDICIARY
NY Senate
May 20, 2025
Amend and Recommit to Judiciary
AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO JUDICIARY
NY Assembly
Jan 8, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Assembly
Jan 8, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
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.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 30, 2026. About our data

Read the record

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

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