Bill > S02146

This bill establishes a ten-year statute of limitations for legal actions against professional engineers, architects, landscape architects, land surveyors, geologists, and construction contractors for injuries, wrongful death, or property damage arising from defects in improvements to real property. The bill defines "completion" of an improvement as occurring when a permanent certificate of occupancy is issued, when a public improvement is accepted by its owner, or based on specific payment or lien filing timelines. If an injury occurs during the tenth year after completion, the bill allows an additional one-year window to file a lawsuit, but not more than eleven years after the improvement's completion. The legislation aims to address what lawmakers perceive as an unfair and burdensome liability system for design and construction professionals, which has reportedly increased project costs and made insurance prohibitively expensive. The bill does not apply to actions by parties in direct contractual relationship with the professionals and does not affect rights or actions that arose before the law's effective date. The law will take effect on the first day of January following its passage and will apply to all actions commenced on or after that date.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2146