New York Assembly Bill A07906

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/11/25
• Refer: 4/11/25
• Report Pass: 5/13/25
• Engrossed: 5/28/25
• Refer: 5/28/25
• Engrossed: 6/11/25
• Enrolled: 9/22/25
• Chaptered: 9/26/25
• Passed: 9/26/25

Caption

Provides that every insurance policy delivered or issued for delivery in New York which provides major medical or similar comprehensive-type coverage shall provide space on any enrollment, renewal or initial online portal process forms so that the insured or applicant for insurance shall register or decline registration in the donate life registry.

Summary

A07906 amends New York’s insurance law and public health law to require that enrollment, renewal, and initial online setup forms for major medical or similar comprehensive health coverage include a clear opportunity for the insured or applicant to register, or decline to register, in the Donate Life Registry for organ, eye, and tissue donation. The bill applies to policies and contracts delivered or issued for delivery in New York, and it requires the form to display a specific prompt asking whether the person wants to be added to the registry and offering a checkbox to say “yes” or “skip this question.” The bill also updates existing statutory language to make clear that the requirement applies to forms associated with enrollment, renewal, and online portal setup processes, while preserving exceptions for certain forms issued by the NY State of Health marketplace and related provisions referenced in the bill. It amends parallel provisions in the insurance law and public health law so the donor registry prompt is consistently required across commercial health insurance and related coverage types. The act takes effect in the same manner as prior donor-registry legislation enacted in 2022 and amended in 2024.

Impact

The bill changes sections 3221, 3216, and 4306 of the Insurance Law and section 4408 of the Public Health Law to standardize donor registry prompts in health coverage enrollment and renewal materials. Its practical effect is to require insurers and health plans offering major medical or similar comprehensive coverage to present a Donate Life Registry option on paper or online forms, thereby increasing opportunities for New Yorkers to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors. It does not create a new registry, but expands and clarifies how existing donor-registration opportunities must be presented to applicants and insured persons.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the Assembly Insurance Committee unanimously, then passed the Assembly floor 144-0 and the Senate floor 59-0. The vote history suggests the measure was viewed as a straightforward administrative and public-health improvement rather than a controversial policy change.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. The main policy choice reflected in the bill is whether donor-registry registration should be embedded more explicitly in insurance enrollment and renewal processes, including online portals, and the bill resolves that in favor of requiring a clear opt-in/opt-out prompt. Any remaining sensitivity is limited to the scope of the requirement and the exceptions for NY State of Health marketplace forms, but no recorded debate or dissent indicates significant disagreement.