New York Assembly Bill A00238

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Relates to the meaning of the term "newspaper" for purposes of publishing certain notices required by law.

Summary

This bill amends the General Construction Law to expand the definition of a “newspaper” for purposes of legal notices. Under current law, when a statute requires notice to be published in a newspaper, the bill would allow that requirement to be satisfied not only by the newspaper’s physical print edition, but also by a legal notice section maintained on the newspaper’s website or on the website of one of its corporate subsidiaries. The notice would be considered sufficient if it is published online in the same form and for the same duration required by law. The measure is aimed at modernizing notice publication rules by recognizing digital legal notice sections as equivalent to print publication for statutory notice purposes. It would take effect immediately and would affect any state or local law that relies on publication in a county, city, town, or village newspaper for notice requirements, including notices related to public hearings, legal proceedings, municipal actions, and other legally mandated advertisements.

Impact

The bill would amend section 60 of the General Construction Law, changing how the term “newspaper of a county, city, town or village” is interpreted when a statute requires publication of notice. It would broaden the acceptable methods of publication to include a newspaper’s online legal notice section, thereby potentially reducing reliance on print-only publication and allowing municipalities, agencies, and other entities to meet notice obligations digitally. This could affect newspapers, local governments, courts, and any parties required by law to publish notices, while preserving the underlying legal requirement that notice be published for the required duration and in the required form.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or recorded vote information is available, so there is no documented debate or formal vote history to indicate support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears practical and modernization-oriented, with an emphasis on updating notice rules to reflect current newspaper publishing practices. The absence of recorded discussion makes it difficult to assess the level of consensus, but the bill’s framing suggests a procedural rather than highly ideological measure.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is whether online legal notice sections should be treated as legally equivalent to print newspapers for statutory notice purposes. Supporters would likely view the change as a modernization that improves accessibility and reflects how newspapers now operate, while opponents may worry about reduced public access for people who rely on print editions, unequal internet access, or whether website postings provide the same level of permanence and visibility as printed notices. Another possible issue is whether allowing notices on subsidiary websites could create ambiguity about what qualifies as an official newspaper notice platform.