Legislative timeline of the AVOID Act
From introduction in the New York State Senate through the Governor's signature on the chapter amendments, this timeline traces the full legislative history of the AVOID Act and its road to becoming effective law on April 18, 2026.
Unverified
Specific dates, bill numbers, and vote tallies in this timeline have not been verified against official New York State legislative records. A licensed New York attorney or legislative researcher must review and correct all entries before reliance.
January 2024
Bill introduced in New York Senate
Legislation to amend CPLR § 1007 is introduced in the New York State Senate, sponsored by members concerned about the use of third-party practice as a delay tactic in construction and personal injury litigation.
March 2024
Companion bill introduced in New York Assembly
A companion bill is introduced in the Assembly. Legislative hearings begin, with testimony from plaintiff and defense bar associations, construction industry representatives, and insurance carriers.
May 2024
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on the proposed amendments. Defense attorneys raise concerns about the compressed timelines; plaintiff advocates argue the change is necessary to prevent indefinite case expansion through impleader.
September 2024
Bill passes Senate Judiciary Committee
The Senate Judiciary Committee votes to advance the bill to the Senate floor, with amendments adjusting the proposed deadline structure in response to industry feedback.
November 2024
Bill passes the New York State Senate
The New York State Senate passes the AVOID Act. The Assembly version is amended to align with the Senate bill and is referred back to committee for reconciliation.
January 2025
Assembly Codes Committee advances reconciled bill
Following reconciliation, the Assembly Codes Committee advances the amended bill to the full Assembly floor. The employer exception for grave injury cases under WCL § 11 is added during this stage.
March 2025
New York State Assembly passes the AVOID Act
The full Assembly passes the AVOID Act with the employer exception and the post-note-of-issue restriction intact. The bill is sent to the Governor for signature.
April 2025
Governor signs the AVOID Act
The Governor signs the AVOID Act (S8071A) into law. The legislation includes a one-year delayed effective date to allow practitioners time to prepare, with the law set to take effect April 18, 2026.
June 2025
Chapter amendments introduced
Following feedback from the defense bar and construction industry groups, chapter amendments (S8809) are introduced to simplify and rationalize the deadline structure in the original text.
September 2025
Chapter amendments pass both chambers
The chapter amendments pass the Senate and Assembly. The amendments replace the original bill’s tiered deadline structure with a unified 90-day deadline from the date of serving the answer, applicable to all claims. The amendments also narrow applicability to cases commenced on or after the effective date, add a good-cause exception for post-note-of-issue filings, and set the employer exception at 90 days.
February 2026
Governor signs chapter amendments
The Governor signs the chapter amendments (S8809) on February 13, 2026. The final version of CPLR § 1007 as it will appear on April 18, 2026 is now set, incorporating the unified 90-day deadline.
November 2025 to March 2026
Bar association CLEs and practitioner preparation
New York bar associations host continuing legal education programs on AVOID Act compliance. Courts begin issuing preliminary guidance on how the new rules will interact with existing scheduling orders.
April 18, 2026
AVOID Act takes effect
The AVOID Act and chapter amendments become effective. CPLR § 1007 now requires all third-party complaints to be filed within the unified 90-day deadline from serving the answer (or 90 days from the applicable trigger event under the employer exception). The law applies to cases commenced on or after this date.
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