New York A 8791: Relates to the right of defendants in misdemeanor or felony cases to have such matter appear before a judge or justice admitted to practice law in New York

Bill Text

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A08791 Summary:

BILL NOA08791 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORLevenberg

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COSPNSRSimon

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §391-x, Gen Bus L

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Requires self-help practitioners to disclose information to clients regarding risks and to produce a risk management plan.

Go to top A08791 Actions:

BILL NOA08791 

&nbsp

06/05/2025referred to consumer affairs and protection

01/07/2026referred to consumer affairs and protection

Go to topA08791 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA08791 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA08791 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 8791

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 June 5, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. LEVENBERG, SIMON -- read once and referred to the
 Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection

 AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring
 certain non-licensed professionals to disclose information regarding
 risks

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

 1 Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
 2 391-x to read as follows:
 3 § 391-x. Self-help practitioner disclosure requirements. 1. Defi-
 4 nitions:
 5 (a) "Self-help practitioner" means any individual, their agent or
 6 employee, or company that is publicly holding themself out as a practi-
 7 tioner or mentor of self-improvement methods in advertising or marketing
 8 or utilizing similar terminologies to reach equivalent implications, and
 9 is offering financial, spiritual or educational guidance for the purpose
 10 of improving personal awareness, identifying and developing personal
 11 talent and potential, enhancing the quality of life of a person and/or
 12 contributing to the realization of personal aspirations in exchange for
 13 payment. A "self-help practitioner" shall not include any individual
 14 licensed pursuant to the provisions of title eight of the education law
 15 and such licensed individuals shall be exempt from any requirements of
 16 this article.
 17 (b) "Large print format" shall mean a printed font size of sixteen
 18 points or larger.
 19 (c) "Sweat lodge ceremonies" shall mean any ceremony that uses heated
 20 rocks in which the individual is subjected to long periods of exposure
 21 to intense heat, including but not limited to rites of preparation,
 22 prayer, purification, or any other ritual or therapeutic sweating.
 23 (d) "Trust exercise" shall mean any activity developed for the purpose
 24 of group therapy or team building that involves putting an individual in

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD00027-02-5

 A. 8791 2

 1 a vulnerable position requiring such individual to depend on other group
 2 members for physical support.
 3 (e) "Strength exercise" shall mean physical acts using any part of an
 4 individual's body to break, bend, or otherwise destroy another object,
 5 including but not limited to breaking bricks, blocks, boards, or bending
 6 steel.
 7 (f) "Coercive control techniques" shall mean activities that seek to
 8 change behaviors either on a group or individual level, including but
 9 not limited to neuro-linguistic programming, public shaming, and sharing
 10 of personal trauma in a public setting or large group.
 11 (g) "Qualifying emergency" shall mean:
 12 (i) a federal, state or local state of emergency has been declared.
 13 (ii) severe weather or any other similar circumstance exists that may
 14 result in an individual being placed in imminent danger of death or
 15 injury, or may result in a building structure and/or its fixtures being
 16 at risk of significant damage.
 17 2. Every self-help practitioner that offers services to clients shall:
 18 (a) at the time of each initial contract for services, provide the
 19 client with a copy of the contract in which a disclosure of risk is
 20 displayed in large print format. Such disclosure of risk shall clearly
 21 explain, in plain language, what the risks are in contracting with such
 22 self-help practitioner. Such disclosure shall include the following:
 23 (i) Disclosure of risk of serious injury, bodily harm, psychologi