S 5546 New York Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Relates to actions arising out of consumer debt

S 5546 defines "consumer debt" as any obligation for personal, family, or household expenses (including medical debt), replacing the older term "consumer credit transaction" in New York law. It clarifies that consumer debt excludes real property-secured debts or cases seeking property possession. Key provisions require Spanish/English notices in court documents for these cases, set a strict 3-year deadline to file lawsuits, and update venue rules for consumer debt cases. The bill directly affects consumers, debt collectors, and courts handling personal financial disputes in New York. It makes no new financial obligations but standardizes terminology and procedures for these legal actions.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 24, 2025 Last action Oct 1, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

S5546A → S5546B · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill amends New York State laws related to consumer debt, primarily clarifying what types of debt are excluded from consumer debt protections. The key change is expanding the definition of excluded debts to include obligations secured by real property and rent arrears in eviction proceedings, making the language more precise and comprehensive.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on consumer debt jurisdiction and procedures, but the definition of what constitutes consumer debt has been broadened to explicitly exclude real property-related obligations.

DEFINITION

Expanded exclusions for consumer debt to explicitly include obligations secured by real property and rent arrears in eviction proceedings, replacing the previous narrower language.

Updated bill numbering from version A to version B and adjusted committee recommitment language to reflect proper legislative procedure.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and markup changes throughout the document to align with standard legislative document formatting conventions.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Oct 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

PRINT NUMBER 5546B

upper

Oct 1, 2025

Upper · Passed

AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO JUDICIARY

upper

May 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

PRINT NUMBER 5546A

upper

May 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO JUDICIARY

upper

Feb 24, 2025

Committee

REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

upper

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors