senate Bill S6081

Vetoed By Governor
2019-2020 Legislative Session

Provides, in tort cases where one defendant has settled, that remaining defendants must elect prior to trial as to reduction in liability; repealer

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - Vetoed by Governor


  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor Calendar
    • Passed Senate
    • Passed Assembly
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (12)
Assembly Actions - Lowercase
Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Dec 20, 2019 vetoed memo.282
Dec 17, 2019 delivered to governor
Jun 20, 2019 returned to senate
passed assembly
ordered to third reading cal.487
substituted for a2372
Jun 19, 2019 referred to judiciary
delivered to assembly
passed senate
ordered to third reading cal.1785
committee discharged and committed to rules
May 16, 2019 referred to judiciary

S6081 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A2372
Law Section:
General Obligations Law
Laws Affected:
Rpld & add §15-108, Gen Ob L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: A2579
2011-2012: A625
2013-2014: A1085
2015-2016: A244
2017-2018: A1415, A9028
2021-2022: A3024
2023-2024: A1739

S6081 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides, in tort cases where one defendant has settled, that remaining defendants must elect, prior to trial, whether to reduce liability by the amount of the settlement or by the amount of the equitable share of damages delegated to the settler in the verdict.

S6081 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S6081 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  6081

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 16, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary

AN ACT to amend the general obligations law, in relation to  settlements
  in  tort actions; and to repeal section 15-108 of such law relating to
  release or covenant not to sue

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Section 15-108 of the general obligations law is REPEALED
and a new section 15-108 is added to read as follows:
  § 15-108. SETTLEMENTS IN TORT ACTIONS. (A) EFFECT OF SETTLEMENT. (1) A
SETTLEMENT REACHED WITH ONE OF TWO OR MORE PERSONS  WHO  ARE  LIABLE  OR
CLAIMED  TO BE LIABLE IN TORT FOR THE SAME INJURY OR WRONGFUL DEATH DOES
NOT DISCHARGE ANY OTHER  TORTFEASOR  FROM  LIABILITY  UNLESS  ITS  TERMS
EXPRESSLY  SO PROVIDE, EXCEPT THAT EACH OF THE REMAINING TORTFEASORS MAY
CHOOSE TO REDUCE HIS OR HER LIABILITY TO THE PLAINTIFF  OR  CLAIMANT  BY
THE  STATED  SETTLEMENT  AMOUNT, THE CONSIDERATION ACTUALLY PAID, OR THE
SETTLING TORTFEASOR'S EQUITABLE SHARE OF THE DAMAGES AS DETERMINED UNDER
ARTICLE FOURTEEN OF THE CIVIL PRACTICE LAW AND RULES.
  (2) WHEN MORE THAN ONE PERSON SETTLES WITH A  PLAINTIFF  OR  CLAIMANT,
EACH  OF  THE  REMAINING  TORTFEASORS  MAY  CHOOSE  TO REDUCE HIS OR HER
LIABILITY TO THE PLAINTIFF OR  CLAIMANT  BY  THE  TOTAL  OF  ALL  STATED
SETTLEMENT AMOUNTS, THE TOTAL CONSIDERATION ACTUALLY PAID FOR ALL OF THE
SETTLEMENTS,  OR THE TOTAL OF THE SETTLING TORTFEASORS' EQUITABLE SHARES
OF THE DAMAGES AS DETERMINED UNDER ARTICLE FOURTEEN OF THE  CIVIL  PRAC-
TICE LAW AND RULES.
  (3)  THE  CHOICE  AUTHORIZED BY THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE MADE IN OPEN
COURT OR IN A WRITING SUBSCRIBED ON BEHALF OF THE PARTY SEEKING TO LIMIT
LIABILITY, AND SHALL BE MADE PRIOR TO THE FIRST OPENING STATEMENT OF THE
TRIAL UNLESS THE PARTY MAKING THE ELECTION ONLY LATER BECOMES AWARE THAT
A SETTLEMENT HAS OCCURRED. IN THE LATTER EVENT, THE  ELECTION  SHALL  BE
MADE  AS  SOON  AS  REASONABLY  PRACTICABLE  AFTER  THE PARTY MAKING THE

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

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