S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
4905
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 10, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER, COLTON, SIMON, JACOBSON -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the lien law, in relation to requiring a surety bond for
contractors and subcontractors where no public fund has been estab-
lished for the financing of a public improvement
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 5 of the lien law, as amended by chapter 155 of the
laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
§ 5. Liens under contracts for public improvements. A person perform-
ing labor for or furnishing materials to a contractor, [his or her]
THEIR subcontractor or legal representative, for the construction or
demolition of a public improvement pursuant to a contract by such
contractor with the state or a public corporation, and any trust fund to
which benefits and wage supplements are due or payable for the benefit
of such person performing labor, shall have a lien for the principal and
interest of the value or agreed price of such labor, including benefits
and wage supplements due or payable for the benefit of any person
performing labor, or materials upon the moneys of the state or of such
corporation applicable to the construction or demolition of such
improvement, to the extent of the amount due or to become due on such
contract, and under a judgment of the court of claims awarded to the
contractor for damages arising from the breach of such contract by the
state, or awarded for furnishing labor or materials not contemplated by
the provisions of said contract, upon filing a notice of lien as
prescribed in this article, except as hereinafter in this article
provided. Where no public fund has been established for the financing of
a public improvement with estimated cost in excess of two hundred fifty
thousand dollars, the chief financial officer of the public owner shall
require the private entity for whom the public improvement is being made
to post, or cause to be posted, a SURETY bond ISSUED BY A SURETY DULY
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09174-01-5
A. 4905 2
LICENSED IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK or [other form of undertaking] AN
IRREVOCABLE LETTER OF CREDIT, IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE COST OF THE
CONSTRUCTION WORK guaranteeing prompt payment of moneys due to the
contractor, [his or her] THEIR subcontractors and to all persons
furnishing labor or materials to the contractor or [his or her] THEIR
subcontractors in the prosecution of the work on the public improvement.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to
contracts entered into on or after such effective date.