Waives the biennial attorney registration fee for New York attorneys who are employed in a public service job

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Sam Sutton

The bill waives the $375 biennial NY attorney registration fee for lawyers in public service, while others pay the full amount.

REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE

Summary of Bill S. 10053 (2025-2026, New York)

Purpose and intent

The bill aims to waive the biennial attorney registration fee for New York attorneys who are employed in a public service job.

The policy goal is to reduce financial burdens on attorneys serving in public service roles while maintaining the existing framework of attorney registration requirements.

Key provisions and changes

Current fee framework (unchanged in structure, but with an exemption): The biennial attorney registration fee is $375. Of this amount:

$60 goes to a fund under section 97-a of the State Finance Law
$50 to a fund under section 98-b
$25 to a fund under section 98-c
The remainder to the attorney licensing fund

Modification proposed by the bill: The requirement to pay the biennial registration fee is waived for attorneys who certify to the chief administrator of the courts that they:

Have retired from the practice of law, or
Are employed in a public service job as defined by 20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)(3)(B)

Scope of exemption: Applies to those admitted and licensed to practice law in New York, regardless of whether they practice in New York or elsewhere, as long as they meet the public service employment criterion.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiaries: New York attorneys who are employed in a public service job (per the statutory definition in 20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)(3)(B)).

Secondary consideration: All other currently licensed New York attorneys would continue to pay the biennial $375 fee as under existing law.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Effective date: The act takes effect on the ninetieth day after becoming law.

Implementation flexibility: The bill allows for immediate action on necessary rule or regulation changes to implement the exemption, if needed, prior to the statutory effective date.

Legislative action: Introduced April 24, 2026; referred to Judiciary; subsequently reported and committed to Finance (as of May 12, 2026).

Financial and administrative impact

The exemption reduces revenue to the attorney licensing fund for the portion of licensed attorneys who qualify for the public service exemption.

No explicit mechanism changes are described for offsetting the revenue loss; the text emphasizes the exemption’s tax-funding allocations remain as previously described for the non-exempt portions.

Practical considerations

Attorneys seeking the exemption must certify to the chief administrator of the courts that they are in public service or are retired from practice.

The definition of “public service job” aligns with the federal standard in 20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)(3)(B), providing clarity for qualification.

Administrative processes will need to verify eligibility and process exemptions within the biennial renewal cycle.

Overall, the bill implements a targeted relief for NY attorneys serving in public service roles by waiving the biennial registration fee for those individuals, while preserving the existing fee structure for all other licensed attorneys.