New York A 9120: Establishes a statewide legal services program for income-eligible domestic violence survivors

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A09120 Summary:

BILL NOA09120 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORRajkumar

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COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

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Add §577, Exec L

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Establishes a statewide legal services program for income-eligible domestic violence survivors; requires reporting on the results of such program.

Go to top A09120 Actions:

BILL NOA09120 

&nbsp

09/26/2025referred to governmental operations

01/07/2026referred to governmental operations

Go to topA09120 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA09120 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topA09120 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 9120

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 September 26, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. RAJKUMAR -- read once and referred to the Commit-
 tee on Governmental Operations

 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to providing free legal
 counsel to domestic violence survivors

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

 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 577 to
 2 read as follows:
 3 § 577. Civil legal services program for income-eligible domestic
 4 violence survivors. 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section,
 5 the following terms shall have the following meanings:
 6 (a) "Brief legal assistance" means individualized legal assistance
 7 provided in one or more single consultations by a designated organiza-
 8 tion to an income-eligible domestic violence survivor in connection with
 9 a divorce proceeding.
 10 (b) "Designated organization" means a not-for-profit organization or
 11 association contracted to provide full legal representation or brief
 12 legal assistance pursuant to the program established by this section.
 13 (c) "Director" means the executive director of the office for the
 14 prevention of domestic violence.
 15 (d) "Divorce proceeding" means any action for divorce or special
 16 action as described in section one hundred seventy and one hundred
 17 seventy-a of the domestic relations law.
 18 (e) "Full legal representation" means ongoing legal representation
 19 provided by a designated organization to an income-eligible domestic
 20 violence survivor. Such term includes all legal advice, advocacy, and
 21 assistance associated with such representation.
 22 (f) "Income-eligible domestic violence survivor" means any individual
 23 who is covered by the term "victim of domestic violence" as such term is
 24 defined in section four hundred fifty-nine-a of the social services law,
 25 who is a resident of the state of New York aged 18 or older, and whose

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD13758-01-5

 A. 9120 2

 1 annual gross household income is not in excess of two hundred fifty
 2 percent of the federal poverty guidelines as updated periodically in the
 3 Federal Register by the United States Department of Health and Human
 4 Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. § 9902(2).
 5 (g) "Program" means the civil legal services program for income-eligi-
 6 ble domestic violence survivors established by this section.
 7 2. Program. (a) Subject to appropriation, the coordinator shall imple-
 8 ment a program to provide full legal representation and brief legal
 9 assistance for income-eligible domestic violence survivors in divorce
 10 proceedings in the state.
 11 (b) Any full legal representation commenced pursuant to the program
 12 shall continue until the final disposition of the divorce proceeding.
 13 (c) Full legal representation or brief legal assistance performed by a
 14 designated organization pursuant to the program shall not supplant,
 15 replace, or satisfy any obligations or responsibilities of such desig-
 16 nated organization pursuant to any other program, contract, or agree-
 17 ment.
 18 3. Training. The director shall work with relevant agencies to provide
 19 training and resources to designated organizations on topics related to
 20 domestic and gender-based violence, including training on economic abuse
 21 and trauma-informed engagement practices.
 22 4. Outreach. The director shall create written materials that contain
 23 information about th