What's happening
This bill requires the state to publish unclaimed funds lists twice yearly with accessibility standards for the visually impaired.
Why it matters
Increases public awareness and chances of recovering unclaimed funds. by requiring the state to publish detailed lists twice a year, ensuring people have more frequent opportunities to discover money owed to them.
Mandates accessibility for the visually impaired. , not just by offering large-print versions on request, but also by setting official standards for typeface and font size, making critical information more available to those with vision challenges.
Requires state agencies to actively consult with the commission on the blind and visually handicapped. , promoting ongoing collaboration to update and enforce accessibility standards, which could benefit a wider range of public documents and services over time.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Publish Unclaimed Funds List
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 14
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
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.
Publish Unclaimed Funds Notices
In Assembly Committee · Ways And Means · Sponsor Dan Quart
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5364
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 29, 2019
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the abandoned property law and the state technology law, in relation to unclaimed funds
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 1402 of the abandoned property law is relettered paragraph (c) and a new paragraph (b) is added to read as follows:
(b) In addition to the list required by paragraph (a) of this subdivision, each September and March, the state comptroller shall publish in a newspaper, as provided by section one thousand four hundred ten of this article, a statement of abandoned property paid to and held by the state, for the respective annual periods June first, through November thirtieth and December first, through May thirty-first. Each and every time the comptroller publishes such a statement, he or she shall include a notice that readers may obtain a large print copy of the unclaimed funds list by writing the comptroller's office or have a search conducted for them by calling a designated number. This notice must appear in typeface and font-size established by the New York state office for technology to assist the visually impaired and include the phone number and mailing address to the New York state office of the state comptroller, office of unclaimed funds.
§ 2. Section 103 of the state technology law is amended by adding a new subdivision 22 to read as follows:
22. To consult with the commission on the blind and visually handicapped to develop and maintain accessibility standards for typeface and font size to assist the visually impaired.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06370-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the abandoned property law and the state technology law, in relation to unclaimed funds
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to erase an access barrier for visually impaired New Yorkers to obtain unclaimed funds currently being held by the State; and ensure that New Yorkers are aware that they can obtain unclaimed funds directly from the State free of charge.
Summary of specific provisions
Section (a) and (b) of the New York State Abandoned Property Law § 1402-01 are amended to require the State Comptroller to include contact information for citizens to obtain a large-print copy in all publica- tions of the unclaimed funds owners list.
Read the full memo (634 words)
Section (d) of the New York State Abandoned Property Law § 1416-01 is amended to require contracts to obtain unclaimed funds for owners including a notice that unclaimed funds can be obtained directly from the State for no fee. Section 18 of New York State Technology Law § 103 is added to require the Office for Technology to establish accessibility standards for typeface and font-size to assist the visually impaired.
Section (a) of the New York State Abandoned Property Law § 1402-01 is removed because it is an historical statute.
Section (b) of the New York State Abandoned Property Law § 1402-01 is amended to become Section (a) and requires the September and March publications appear in newspapers designated by the Comptroller.
Section (b) of the New York State Abandoned Property Law § 1402-01 is amended to become Section (a) and requires the September and March publications appear in newspapers designated by the Comptroller.
Section (b) of the New York State Abandoned Property Law § 1402-01 is amended to require notice that readers may obtain a large-font print copy of the unclaimed funds list by writing to the Comptroller's office or have a search conducted for them by calling a designated number in a typeface and font-size established by the Office for Technology.
Section (d) of the New York State Abandoned Property Law § 1416-01 is amended to require agreements to locate property held by the comptroller include language stating that the funds can be obtained directly from the Comptroller without paying a fee and that the funds will be held indefinitely.
Section 18 of the New York State Technology Law § 103 is amended to require the Office for Technology to establish accessibility standards for typeface and font-size to assist the visually impaired in conjunc- tion with the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped.
Justification
New Yorkers with visual impairments have difficulty ascertaining whether they have funds being held by the New York State Office of the State Comptroller as unclaimed. Notification of these unclaimed funds appears in newspaper publications that typically use a small font. As a result, many New Yorkers learn about these funds through solicitations from private investigators. These investigators charge a fee, typically the statutory maximum of fifteen percent, to collect these funds without informing the owner that the state will release these funds for free.
This legislation addresses these issues by requiring all "statements of abandoned property paid to and held by the state" published by the Office of the State Comptroller to include contact information in a typeface and font-size established by the Office for Technology as accessible for the visually impaired. In addition, it requires all agreements to collect unclaimed funds include a notice that these funds can be obtained directly from the state without charge.
Prior legislative history
2017-2018: A3609 referred to Ways and Means 2015-2016: A2054 referred to Ways and Means 2013-2014: A2258 referred to Ways and Means 2012: A10185 referred to Ways and Means
Fiscal implications
Minimal
Effective date
60th day after it shall have become a law
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.