S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
2717
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 22, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
ty and Military Affairs
AN ACT to amend the general business law, the insurance law and the real
property law, in relation to licensing of military spouses with out-
of-state licenses in equivalent occupations
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. This act enacts into law components of legislation relating
to the "Military Spouse Act".
§ 2. The general business law is amended by adding a new article 2-A
to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2-A
ADMISSION TO A PROFESSION
SECTION 20. ADMISSION TO A PROFESSION; LICENSING, CERTIFICATION OR
REGISTRATION.
§ 20. ADMISSION TO A PROFESSION; LICENSING, CERTIFICATION OR REGISTRA-
TION. ADMISSION TO PRACTICE OF A PROFESSION GOVERNED BY THIS CHAPTER IN
THIS STATE IS ACCOMPLISHED, WHERE REQUIRED, BY A LICENSE, CERTIFICATION
OR CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION BEING ISSUED TO A QUALIFIED APPLICANT BY
THE SECRETARY OF STATE. TO QUALIFY FOR A LICENSE, CERTIFICATION OR
CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION AN APPLICANT SHALL MEET THE REQUIREMENTS
PRESCRIBED IN THE ARTICLE FOR THE PARTICULAR PROFESSION AND SHALL MEET
THE REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED IN SECTION 3-503 OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATIONS
LAW; PROVIDED THAT, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF THE LAW TO THE
CONTRARY, ANY APPLICANT WHO IS THE SPOUSE OF A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORC-
ES OF THE UNITED STATES, NATIONAL GUARD OR RESERVES MAY SUBMIT SATISFAC-
TORY EVIDENCE OF LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION OR REGISTRATION TO PRACTICE AN
EQUIVALENT OCCUPATION ISSUED BY ANY OTHER STATE, TERRITORY, PROTECTORATE
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06884-01-5
S. 2717 2
OR DEPENDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES IN LIEU OF THE SUBMISSIONS REQUIRED
BY THE ARTICLE OF THIS CHAPTER FOR THE PARTICULAR PROFESSION, PROVIDED
THAT SUCH LICENSE, CERTIFICATION OR CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION WAS
GRANTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS WHICH WERE, IN THE JUDGMENT OF THE
SECRETARY, NOT LOWER THAN THOSE OF THIS STATE.
§ 3. Subsection (d) of section 2136 of the insurance law, as added by
chapter 687 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
(d) (1) the applicant's home state awards nonresident insurance
producer licenses to residents of this state on the same basis as
provided in this subsection; OR
(2) THE APPLICANT IS THE SPOUSE OF A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE
UNITED STATES, NATIONAL GUARD OR RESERVES.
§ 4. Section 442-g of the real property law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
1-A. NO NONRESIDENT APPLICANT WHO IS THE SPOUSE OF A MEMBER OF THE
ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, NATIONAL GUARD, OR RESERVES REGULARLY
ENGAGED IN THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS AS A VOCATION, WHO MAINTAINS A DEFI-
NITE PLACE OF BUSINESS AND IS LICENSED BY ANY OTHER STATE, TERRITORY,
PROTECTORATE OR DEPENDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES, SHALL BE REQUIRED TO
MAINTAIN A PLACE OF BUSINESS WITHIN THIS STATE. THE COMMISSION SHALL
RECOGNIZE THE LICENSE ISSUED BY ANOTHER STATE TO AN APPLICANT WHO IS THE
SPOUSE OF A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, NATIONAL
GUARD, OR RESERVES AS QUALIFICATION FOR A LICENSE IN NEW YORK, PROVIDED
THAT SUCH LICENSE WAS GRANTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS WHICH WERE,
IN THE JUDGMENT OF THE SECRETARY, NOT LOWER THAN THOSE OF THIS STATE.
§ 5. Section 444-e of the real property law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 2-a to read as follows:
2-A. ANY APPLICANT FOR A LICENSE WHO IS A SPOUSE OF A MEMBER OF THE
ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, NATIONAL GUARD OR RESERVES MAY SUBMIT
SATISFACTORY EVIDENCE OF LICENSURE TO PRACTICE AN EQUIVALENT OCCUPATION
ISSUED BY ANY OTHER STATE, TERRITORY, PROTECTORATE OR DEPENDENCY OF THE
UNITED STATES IN LIEU OF THE EVIDENCE OF EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND EXAM-
INATION REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, PROVIDED THAT SUCH
LICENSE WAS GRANTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS WHICH WERE, IN THE
JUDGMENT OF THE SECRETARY, NOT LOWER THAN THOSE OF THIS STATE.
§ 6. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
sion, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of
competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect,
impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in
its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section
or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judg-
ment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of
the legislature that this act would have been enacted even if such
invalid provisions had not been included herein.
§ 7. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
on or before such effective date.