S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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3636
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 29, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. BAILEY, BROUK, COMRIE, COONEY, HARCKHAM, HOYLMAN-SI-
GAL, JACKSON, KAVANAGH, KRUEGER, LANZA, MAY, MYRIE, PALUMBO, SALAZAR,
SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be
committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the county law and the judiciary law, in relation to
entitled compensation for client representation
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 722-b of the county law, as amended by section 1 of
part GG of chapter 56 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read as
follows:
§ 722-b. Compensation and reimbursement for representation. 1. All
counsel assigned in accordance with a plan of a bar association conform-
ing to the requirements of section seven hundred twenty-two of this
article whereby the services of private counsel are rotated and coordi-
nated by an administrator shall at the conclusion of the representation
receive for representation of a person in all cases governed by this
article, including all representation in an appellate court, compen-
sation at a rate of one hundred fifty-eight dollars per hour for time
expended in court before a magistrate, judge or justice and one hundred
fifty-eight dollars per hour for time reasonably expended out of court,
and shall receive reimbursement for expenses reasonably incurred.
2. [Except as provided in subdivision three of this section, compen-
sation for time expended in providing representation pursuant to subdi-
vision one of this section shall not exceed ten thousand dollars.] HOUR-
LY COMPENSATION TO BE RECEIVED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO AN ANNUAL COST OF LIVING INCREASE. SUCH COST
OF LIVING INCREASE SHALL BE CALCULATED AS THE CURRENT RATE OF INFLATION
AS DETERMINED BY THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, AS COMPUTED BY THE FEDERAL
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07762-01-5
S. 3636 2
3. [For representation on an appeal, compensation and reimbursement
shall be fixed by the appellate court. For all other representation,
compensation and reimbursement shall be fixed by the trial court judge.
In extraordinary circumstances a trial or appellate court may provide
for compensation in excess of the foregoing limits and for payment of
compensation and reimbursement for expenses before the completion of the
representation.
4.] Each claim for compensation and reimbursement shall be supported
by a sworn statement specifying the time expended, services rendered,
expenses incurred and reimbursement or compensation applied for or
received in the same case from any other source. No counsel assigned
hereunder shall seek or accept any fee for representing the party for
whom [he or she] SUCH COUNSEL is assigned without approval of the court
as herein provided.
§ 2. Section 722-e of the county law, as amended by section 11 of part
VVV of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
§ 722-e. Expenses. 1. All expenses for providing counsel and services
other than counsel hereunder shall be a county charge or in the case of
a county wholly located within a city a city charge to be paid out of an
appropriation for such purposes. Provided, however, that any such addi-
tional expenses incurred for the provision of counsel and services as a
result of the implementation of a plan established pursuant to subdivi-
sion four of section eight hundred thirty-two of the executive law,
including any interim steps taken to implement such plan, shall be reim-
bursed by the state to the county or city providing such services. Such
plans shall be submitted by the office of indigent legal services to the
director of the division of budget for review and approval. However,
the director's approval shall be limited solely to the plan's projected
fiscal impact of the required appropriation for the implementation of
such plan, and [his or her] SUCH DIRECTOR'S approval shall not be unrea-
sonably withheld. The state shall appropriate funds sufficient to
provide for the reimbursement required by this section.
2. ALL EXPENSES FOR PROVIDING COUNSEL AND SERVICES PURSUANT TO PARA-
GRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO-B OF
THIS ARTICLE IN EXCESS OF SIXTY DOLLARS PER HOUR AND PARAGRAPH (B) OF
SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO-B OF THIS ARTICLE IN
EXCESS OF SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS PER HOUR SHALL BE FUNDED BY THE STATE.
§ 3. Subdivision 3 of section 35 of the judiciary law, as amended by
section 3 of part GG of chapter 56 of the laws of 2023, is amended to
read as follows:
3. [a.] No counsel assigned pursuant to this section shall seek or
accept any fee for representing the person for whom [he or she] SUCH
COUNSEL is assigned without approval of the court as herein provided.
Whenever it appears that such person is financially able to obtain coun-
sel or make partial payment for the representation, counsel may report
this fact to the court and the court may terminate the assignment or
authorize payment, as the interests of justice may dictate, to such
counsel. Counsel assigned hereunder shall at the conclusion of the
representation receive compensation at a rate of one hundred fifty-eight
dollars per hour for time expended in court, and one hundred fifty-eight
dollars per hour for time reasonably expended out of court, and shall
receive reimbursement for expenses reasonably incurred. FOR REPRESEN-
TATION UPON A HEARING, COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT SHALL BE FIXED BY
THE COURT WHEREIN THE HEARING WAS HELD.
[b. For representation upon a hearing, compensation and reimbursement
shall be fixed by the court wherein the hearing was held and such
S. 3636 3
compensation shall not exceed ten thousand dollars. For representation
in an appellate court, compensation and reimbursement shall be fixed by
such court and such compensation shall not exceed ten thousand dollars.
In extraordinary circumstances the court may provide for compensation in
excess of the foregoing limits.]
§ 4. Section 35 of the judiciary law is amended by adding two new
subdivisions 9 and 10 to read as follows:
9. HOURLY COMPENSATION TO BE RECEIVED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF
THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO AN ANNUAL COST OF LIVING INCREASE. SUCH
COST OF LIVING INCREASE SHALL BE CALCULATED AS THE CURRENT RATE OF
INFLATION AS DETERMINED BY THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, AS COMPUTED BY THE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
10. ALL EXPENSES FOR PROVIDING COUNSEL AND SERVICES PURSUANT TO SUBDI-
VISION THREE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE FUNDED BY THE STATE.
§ 5. This act shall take effect April 1, 2027. Effective immediately,
the addition, amendment, and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.