What's happening
This bill requires employment and consumer contracts in New York to use plain language and disclose all material terms in a single document.
Why it matters
Empowers employees and consumers. by allowing them to challenge and seek court-ordered changes to contracts that are not written in plain English or that hide important terms across multiple documents, giving individuals more leverage against unfair or confusing agreements.
Targets both employment and consumer contracts. , meaning a wide range of everyday agreements—such as job offers, leases, service contracts, and purchase agreements—would need to be clear and consolidated, reducing the risk of hidden fees or obligations.
Promotes transparency and fairness. by requiring all material terms to be in a single, understandable document, making it harder for companies to bury crucial details in fine print or separate documents.
Does not override existing protections. , but works alongside current contract law and does not apply to union-negotiated agreements, meaning it strengthens rights without disrupting collectively bargained terms.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Clear Contracts
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
6 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Ordered to third reading cal.42
- Advanced to third reading cal.378
- Reported
- Referred to judiciary
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Make Contracts Clearer
In Senate Committee · Judiciary · Sponsor Leroy Comrie
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
852
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 11, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. SIMOTAS, STECK, JAFFEE, ZEBROWSKI -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the general obligations law, in relation to the provisions of consumer and employment contracts
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The general obligations law is amended by adding a new section 5-303 to read as follows:
§ 5-303. Consumer and employment contracts. 1. Findings. Obscure and overly complex language in consumer and employment contracts interferes with employees' and consumers' ability to provide meaningful assent to their consumer and employment contracts. To ensure that private parties comprehend the material terms of the consumer and employment contracts into which they enter, this section requires that merchants and employers in designated forms of contracts adequately disclose terms and conditions.
2. Non-conforming coverage. This section shall apply to the contracts designated in subdivision one of this section that meet any of the following criteria:
(a) an employment or consumer contract not written in plain language, pursuant to section 5-702 of this article, that a reasonable consumer or employee would understand; or
(b) if a consumer contract, all of the material terms are not found in a single document.
3. Covered contracts. The provisions of this section shall apply to the following types of contracts:
(a) consumer contracts; and
(b) employment contracts.
4. Rights when a covered contract is non-conforming. A consumer or employee may seek a court order reforming any contract covered by this
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01382-01-9
A. 852 2
section. Such reformed agreement shall reflect the understanding of the parties, and the court may exclude terms not written in plain English or found in a separate document.
5. Pre-existing rules. The provisions of this section shall be applied in conjunction with pre-existing rules regarding contract formation, including rules regarding reasonable notice, and the conduct a consumer or employee must manifest in order to assent to an agreement. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to agreements negotiated with any labor union through collective bargaining.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.