Bill > S05285

This bill amends the Surrogate's Court Procedure Act to expand the list of individuals who can become a voluntary administrator of a deceased person's estate. Currently, the law prioritizes close family members like a spouse, children, and siblings to serve in this role. The bill modifies the order of priority and adds two new categories of potential voluntary administrators: first, the fiduciary of a deceased distributee (a person entitled to inherit from the estate), and second, a competent adult who is not a distributee, but can serve if all competent adult distributees file their consent. The bill preserves the existing hierarchy where if no family members or specified representatives will act, the county's chief fiscal officer can become the administrator. This change provides more flexibility in selecting an estate administrator and recognizes that sometimes individuals outside the immediate family may be better suited to manage an estate's settlement. The bill will take effect 30 days after becoming law.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5285