What's happening
This bill requires unsolicited private companies offering government-related registration services to clearly disclose they are not government entities and that payment is not required.
Why it matters
Protects consumers and small businesses from misleading solicitations. by requiring clear disclosure when private companies offer government-related registration services, reducing the risk of people unintentionally paying unnecessary fees.
Targets deceptive marketing tactics. by making it a violation of consumer protection laws if companies fail to clearly state they are not government entities and that payment is not required, potentially deterring predatory practices.
Covers both physical and electronic communications. sent without prior request or relationship, addressing modern marketing channels and ensuring the law keeps up with digital forms of solicitation.
Applies to a broad range of government-related services. (state and federal), meaning it can help prevent confusion around everything from business filings to license renewals, making it relevant to a wide audience.
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Who cares
Private registration-service companies
Senders of covered unsolicited mail or email would have to disclose that they are not government entities or government-affiliated and that recipients need not pay or enter an agreement.
New York businesses and individuals
Recipients of unsolicited offers involving state or federal government registrations would receive notice that the private service is optional.
Consumer protection enforcers and advocates
Failure to provide the required notice would constitute a deceptive act or practice under General Business Law section 349.
Headline styles
Require Scam Notice on Mail
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
- Referred to consumer affairs and protection
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
377
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. VANEL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to requirements for unsolicited private government-related registration service communications
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 350-f-2 to read as follows:
§ 350-f-2. Unsolicited private government-related registration service communications. 1. Any person or entity, whether located within the state or sending physical or electronic mail to a person within the state, sending an unsolicited private government-related registration service communication that mentions any fees, renewal charges, requests for payment, or requests to enter into a contract, shall include a notice that is reasonably calculated to apprise the recipient of the following message:
"(COMPANY NAME) IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH NOR IS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PAY OR ENTER INTO ANY AGREEMENT WITH US."
For purposes of this section, "unsolicited private government-related registration service communication" shall mean any letter, notice, invoice, bill, or statement of account that is sent to a person or entity without prior request or agreement, where no existing business relationship or contract exists between the sender or recipient, purporting to charge for or offer any service related to any governmental registration made with any state or federal government entity within the United States.
2. Any violation of subdivision one of this section shall constitute a deceptive act or practice within the meaning of section three hundred forty-nine of this article.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01921-01-5
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.