Bill > S07697

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to expand the civil jurisdiction of county and district courts in New York State. Specifically, the bill increases the monetary threshold for civil actions that can be heard in county courts from $25,000 to $50,000, and raises the limit for district courts from $15,000 to $35,000. These changes would apply to various types of civil cases, including actions for recovering money, recovering chattels (personal property), and foreclosing mechanics liens and personal property liens. The bill requires these amendments to be referred to the first regular legislative session after the next general election of assembly members and to be published for three months prior to that election. This proposed change aims to provide county and district courts with greater authority to handle a wider range of civil cases, potentially reducing the burden on higher-level courts and improving access to justice for residents by allowing more cases to be heard in local courts.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7697