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Home/Bills/A 2589New York · 2025–2026 Legislative Session
Assembly BillPassed first house

A 2589: Waives the state's sovereign immunity in state and federal courts with regard to liability for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act; waives the immunity of all instrumentalities and political subdivisions of the state.

New York · Assembly · 2025–2026 Legislative Session · last verified May 29, 2026

What A 2589 does, verified May 29, 2026

The state of New York is waiving its sovereign immunity to claims under several federal laws. This means that the state will no longer be immune from lawsuits related to these laws, allowing individuals to bring claims against the state in state and federal courts. The waived laws include the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. These laws will apply to the state and its instrumentalities, and the provisions of these acts will take effect immediately.

Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
✓In CommitteeComplete
✓First Chamber FloorComplete
4Second ChamberCurrent
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: REFERRED TO CODES (2026-04-29)Alert me
Author and sponsors
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Coauthors
Donna LupardoJonathan JacobsonDemond MeeksAngelo SantabarbaraSteven OtisVacant MemberMarianne ButtenschonRebecca SeawrightJo Anne SimonPhil SteckMaritza DavilaKarines Reyes
Recent actions17 total · showing 5
Apr. 29, 2026REFERRED TO CODES
Apr. 29, 2026delivered to senate
Apr. 29, 2026passed assembly
Jan. 07, 2026ordered to third reading cal.94
Jan. 07, 2026RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
Full action history, 12 earlier actionsConnect Plus
Latest bill textIntroduced version, January 21, 2025 · 253 words
  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2589 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 21, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. KELLES, LUPARDO, JACOBSON, MEEKS, SANTABARBARA, OTIS, EPSTEIN, BUTTENSCHON, SEAWRIGHT, SIMON, STECK, DAVILA, REYES, COLTON, ANGELINO, BURDICK, WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to waiving the state's sovereign immunity to claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Family and Medical Leave Act The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 16 2 to read as follows: 3 § 16. Waiver of state immunity. The state hereby waives its sovereign 4 immunity with regard to all claims, actions and proceedings brought 5 pursuant to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (P.L. 6 101-336, as amended), the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the 7 federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the federal 8 Family and Medical Leave Act. The provisions of such acts shall apply 9 to the state, and any instrumentality or political subdivision thereof. 10 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00051-01-5 
Text of A 2589 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions
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