Home/Bills/S 6991New York · 2025–2026 Legislative Session
Senate BillIntroducedRCO

S 6991: Relates to the court approval process for the sale, mortgage and lease of real property of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

New York · Senate · 2025–2026 Legislative Session · last verified September 28, 2025

What S 6991 does, verified September 28, 2025

The bill amends the Religious Corporations Law to provide exemptions from certain requirements for certain religious organizations. The exemptions include: The bill allows certain religious organizations, such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, to mortgage, lease, or sell real property without the consent of their governing body or higher authority, as long as the organization complies with other applicable laws. The bill also clarifies the process for certain religious organizations, such as African Methodist Episcopal Zion Churches and Presbyterian Churches, to obtain approval for certain transactions. These organizations must include a statement in their petition that they have complied with the requirements of the Religious Corporations Law. The bill takes effect immediately.

Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: SUBSTITUTED BY A7892 (2025-06-05)Alert me
Quick answers about S 6991
What is the current status of S 6991?
As of September 28, 2025, S 6991 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on June 5, 2025, was "SUBSTITUTED BY A7892".
Did S 6991 pass?
Not yet. S 6991 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
Who wrote S 6991, and where is it now?
S 6991 was authored by Sen. Michael Gianaris. It is filed under RCO, alongside 1 other New York RCO bill this session.
Recent actions5 total · showing 5
Jun. 05, 2025SUBSTITUTED BY A7892
May. 22, 2025ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
May. 21, 20252ND REPORT CAL.
May. 20, 20251ST REPORT CAL.1187
Mar. 27, 2025REFERRED TO CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS
Latest bill textIntroduced version, March 27, 2025 · 585 words
  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6991 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 27, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. GIANARIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions AN ACT to amend the religious corporations law, in relation to the court approval process for the sale, mortgage and lease of real property of a religious corporation The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (d-1) of subdivision 1 of section 2-b of the 2 religious corporations law, as amended by chapter 193 of the laws of 3 1985, is amended to read as follows: 4 (d-1) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter or the not-for- 5 profit corporation law, any church referred to in subdivision two, 6 three, four, five, five-a, five-b, five-c, five-d or six of section 7 twelve of this chapter shall not be required to give notice to the 8 attorney general of any application required by subdivision one of 9 section twelve of this chapter or any application or petition required 10 under section five hundred ten or section five hundred eleven of the 11 not-for-profit corporation law. 12 § 2. Section 12 of the religious corporations law is amended by adding 13 a new subdivision 5-d to read as follows: 14 5-d. The trustees of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America shall 15 not make application to the court for leave to mortgage, lease or sell 16 any of its real property without the consent of its archbishop. 17 § 3. Subdivision 6 of section 12 of the religious corporations law, as 18 amended by chapter 381 of the laws of 1985, is amended to read as 19 follows: 20 6. The petition of the trustees of an incorporated Protestant Episco- 21 pal church or Roman Catholic church shall, in addition to the matters 22 required by article five of the not-for-profit corporation law to be set 23 forth therein, set forth that this section has also been complied with. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11305-01-5 

 S. 6991 2 1 The petition of the trustees of an incorporated African Methodist Epis- 2 copal Zion church shall in addition to the matters required by article 3 five of the not-for-profit corporation law to be set forth therein, set 4 forth that this section has also been complied with. The petition of the 5 trustees of an incorporated Presbyterian church in connection with the 6 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), shall, in addition 7 to the matters required by article five of the not-for-profit corpo- 8 ration law to be set forth therein, set forth that this section has also 9 been complied with. The petition of the trustees of an incorporated 10 United Methodist church shall, in addition to the matters required by 11 article five of the not-for-profit corporation law to be set forth ther- 12 ein, set forth that this section has also been complied with. The peti- 13 tion of the trustees of an incorporated Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of 14 America church shall, in addition to the matters required by article 15 five of the not-for-profit corporation law to be set forth therein, set 16 forth that this section has also been complied with. 17 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately. 

Text of S 6991 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions
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