S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7183--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 11, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  DINOWITZ,  WEPRIN,  WALKER  -- read once and
   referred to the Committee on Judiciary -- recommitted to the Committee
   on Judiciary in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee

 AN  ACT  to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to expe-
   diting actions involving insurance claims for damages resulting from a
   state disaster emergency
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The civil practice law and rules is amended by adding three
 new rules 3410, 3411 and 3412 to read as follows:
   RULE  3410.  MANDATORY  PRELIMINARY  CONFERENCE  IN  CERTAIN INSURANCE
 ACTIONS. (A) IN ANY ACTION INVOLVING  AN  INSURANCE  CLAIM  FOR  DAMAGES
 OCCURRING  TO  PROPERTY IN A COUNTY WHERE A STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY HAS
 BEEN DECLARED BY THE GOVERNOR PURSUANT TO SECTION  TWENTY-EIGHT  OF  THE
 EXECUTIVE  LAW  RELATING  TO  ANY  CLAIM  ARISING FROM THE CAUSE OF SUCH
 DECLARATION, THE COURT SHALL HOLD A PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE WITHIN THIRTY
 DAYS AFTER THE REQUEST FOR JUDICIAL INTERVENTION IS FILED.
   (B) AT ANY CONFERENCE HELD PURSUANT TO THIS RULE,  ALL  PARTIES  SHALL
 APPEAR  IN PERSON OR BY COUNSEL, AND IF APPEARING BY COUNSEL, SUCH COUN-
 SEL SHALL BE FULLY AUTHORIZED TO DISPOSE OF THE CASE.   IN  THE  COURT'S
 DISCRETION, THE COURT MAY PERMIT A REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY PARTY TO ATTEND
 THE SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE TELEPHONICALLY OR BY VIDEO-CONFERENCE.
   (C)  UPON  FILING  OF  A  REQUEST FOR JUDICIAL INTERVENTION, THE COURT
 SHALL PROMPTLY SEND A NOTICE TO PARTIES ADVISING THEM OF  THE  TIME  AND
 PLACE  OF THE CONFERENCE, THE PURPOSE OF THE CONFERENCE AND THE REQUIRE-
 MENTS OF THIS RULE. THE NOTICE SHALL BE IN  A  FORM  PRESCRIBED  BY  THE
 OFFICE  OF  COURT ADMINISTRATION, OR, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE OFFICE OF
 COURT ADMINISTRATION, THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE OF THE JUDICIAL  DISTRICT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09429-02-0
              

 A. 7183--A                          2
 
 IN  WHICH  THE  ACTION  IS  PENDING, AND SHALL ADVISE THE PARTIES OF THE
 DOCUMENTS THAT THEY SHOULD BRING TO THE CONFERENCE.
   (D) NO ADJOURNMENT IN EXCESS OF TEN DAYS SHALL BE GRANTED BY THE COURT
 FOR  ANY SUCH PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE, AND SUCH AN ADJOURNMENT SHALL ONLY
 BE GRANTED UPON GOOD CAUSE SHOWN.
   (E) DISCOVERY SHALL BE COMPLETED WITHIN SIXTY DAYS FROM  THE  DATE  OF
 THE  PRELIMINARY  CONFERENCE,  AND PENALTIES MAY BE ASSESSED AGAINST ANY
 PARTY AS PER SECTION THIRTY-ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX OF THIS  CHAPTER  FOR
 REFUSAL  TO COMPLY WITH DISCOVERY WITHIN SAID SIXTY DAY TIME PERIOD. THE
 COURT MAY EXTEND SAID SIXTY DAY TIME PERIOD SUA SPONTE IN  THE  INTEREST
 OF JUSTICE, OR UPON GOOD CAUSE SHOWN BY ANY PARTY.
   RULE  3411.  MANDATORY  SETTLEMENT  CONFERENCE  IN  CERTAIN  INSURANCE
 ACTIONS. IN ANY ACTION INVOLVING AN INSURANCE CLAIM FOR  DAMAGES  OCCUR-
 RING  TO  PROPERTY IN A COUNTY WHERE A STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY HAS BEEN
 DECLARED BY THE GOVERNOR PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT OF THE  EXECU-
 TIVE  LAW  RELATING TO ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THE CAUSE OF SUCH DECLARA-
 TION, THE COURT SHALL HOLD  A  MANDATORY  SETTLEMENT  CONFERENCE  WITHIN
 FOURTEEN  DAYS  AFTER  A NOTE OF ISSUE HAS BEEN FILED FOR THE PURPOSE OF
 HOLDING SETTLEMENT DISCUSSIONS PERTAINING TO SUCH INSURANCE CLAIMS.
   RULE 3412. MOTIONS IN CERTAIN INSURANCE ACTIONS.  (A)  NOTWITHSTANDING
 SUBDIVISION  (A)  OF  RULE THIRTY-TWO HUNDRED TWELVE OF THIS CHAPTER, IN
 ANY ACTION INVOLVING AN INSURANCE CLAIM FOR DAMAGES OCCURRING TO PROPER-
 TY IN A COUNTY WHERE A STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED BY THE
 GOVERNOR PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW  RELATING
 TO  ANY  CLAIM ARISING FROM THE CAUSE OF SUCH DECLARATION, ALL PRE-TRIAL
 MOTIONS SHALL BE MADE WITHIN THIRTY DAYS AFTER  THE  NOTE  OF  ISSUE  IS
 FILED.
   (B) THIS RULE SHALL NOT APPLY TO CLAIMS INVOLVING REINSURANCE.
   §  2. Subdivision (a) of rule 3403 of the civil practice law and rules
 is amended by adding a new paragraph 8 to read as follows:
   8. AN ACTION TO RECOVER DAMAGES RESULTING FROM DAMAGE TO PROPERTY IN A
 COUNTY CAUSED BY A NATURAL DISASTER UPON DECLARATION OF A STATE DISASTER
 EMERGENCY BY THE GOVERNOR PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT OF THE EXECU-
 TIVE LAW RELATING TO ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THE CAUSE OF  SUCH  DECLARA-
 TION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.