Bill > S06687

This bill modifies two key aspects of New York state law related to health care proxies and legal documentation. First, it changes the witness requirements for creating a health care proxy, reducing the number of required adult witnesses from two to one for most individuals, with a specific exception for people residing in mental health or developmental disability facilities, who must still have two adult witnesses. The bill also amends the penal law to explicitly include health care proxies in the definition of documents that can be subject to forgery in the second degree, which means falsely creating or altering a health care proxy would now be considered a criminal act. The changes aim to simplify the process of creating health care proxies while maintaining additional safeguards for vulnerable populations in specialized care facilities. The new law will take effect 90 days after it is signed, providing time for affected parties and institutions to understand and implement the new requirements.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6687