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A48Assembly2025-2026 Session

Block Estates for Sex Offenders

Official title

“Prohibits distribution of a decedent's estate to certain sex offenders”

Sponsor William A. BarclayAD-120+7 co-sponsorsAffects Legal
Status
In Assembly Committee
Judiciary
Impact
4/10
Low
Passage
12%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Judiciary

What's happening

This bill disqualifies anyone convicted of committing or attempting a sex offense against a decedent from inheriting from that person's estate.

Why it matters

  1. Closes a loophole. By specifically disqualifying those convicted of sex offenses against the decedent from inheriting, the bill addresses situations in which a perpetrator could benefit financially from their crime, reinforcing the principle that wrongdoing should not be rewarded.

  2. Expands protections for victims. The bill covers both completed and attempted sex offenses, meaning that even if a conviction is for an attempted crime, the perpetrator is still barred from inheriting, offering broader protection to potential victims.

  3. Impacts estate distribution. The proposed change means that if someone is disqualified under this law, their share is distributed as if they died before the victim, potentially altering how assets are allocated among surviving heirs and affecting family dynamics or expectations.

  4. Aligns inheritance law with criminal convictions. The bill links estate rights directly to criminal court outcomes, making inheritance contingent on legal determinations of guilt, which could both deter crime and ensure that estate law reflects public standards of justice.

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Who cares

Headline styles

Block Estates for Sex Offenders

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
William A. Barclay

Assembly Member · Assembly District 120

History

  1. Referred to judiciary
  2. Held for consideration in judiciary
  3. Referred to judiciary

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

48

2025-2026 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)

January 8, 2025

Introduced by M. of A. BARCLAY, BLANKENBUSH, HAWLEY, TAGUE, MANKTELOW, GALLAHAN, LEMONDES, BRABENEC -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. K. BROWN, DeSTEFANO, DiPIETRO, PALMESANO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary

AN ACT to amend the estates, powers and trusts law, in relation to the distribution of a decedent's estate

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. The estates, powers and trusts law is amended by adding a new section 4-1.7 to read as follows: § 4-1.7 Disqualification of certain persons from taking a distributive

share

(a) No distributive share in the estate of a decedent shall be allowed to a person convicted of committing or attempting to commit a sex offense defined in article one hundred thirty of the penal law where the victim was the decedent.

(b) In the event that a person is disqualified from taking a distributive share in the estate of a decedent, under this section, the estate of such decedent shall be distributed in accordance with 4-1.1 as though such person had predeceased the decedent.

§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD00135-01-5

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.