New York Assembly Bill A10411

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/3/26
• Refer: 3/3/26
• Report Pass: 4/21/26
• Refer: 4/21/26
• Report Pass: 5/5/26
• Engrossed: 5/19/26
• Refer: 5/19/26
• Engrossed: 6/4/26

Caption

Prohibits motor vehicle manufacturers and dealers from charging a subscription fee for certain functions of a motor vehicle after the vehicle is sold

Summary

A10411 would add a new section to the General Business Law to restrict post-sale subscription charges for certain motor vehicle features. The bill defines a “motor vehicle feature” as a convenience or safety function already built into the vehicle, such as heated seats, and bars manufacturers, dealers, or their agents from offering a subscription service for that feature when the hardware is already installed at sale and the feature can operate without ongoing support or cost from the seller or a third party. The bill carves out several categories from this prohibition. It would not apply to navigation updates, infotainment features, satellite radio, in-vehicle Wi-Fi, telematics, roadside assistance, software-dependent driver assistance or automation features, or other connected services that rely on cellular or data networks. It also would not prevent free software updates, including safety-related defect remedies that federal law already requires to be provided at no cost. Violations would be subject to a civil penalty of up to $250 per point of sale for each violation, and the Department of State would be authorized to adopt rules to enforce the law.

Impact

The bill would amend the General Business Law by creating a new consumer protection provision aimed at limiting “feature-as-a-subscription” practices in the auto market. It would affect motor vehicle manufacturers, dealers, and their agents by prohibiting recurring fees for certain built-in vehicle functions after sale or lease, while preserving subscription models for connected, software-dependent, or network-based services. It also gives the Department of State regulatory authority and establishes a civil penalty framework for noncompliance.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests strong support for the measure, with unanimous favorable votes in the Assembly Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee and the Assembly Codes Committee. The bill’s progression to passage in the Senate indicates it advanced with little recorded opposition in the materials provided. Overall, the sentiment appears broadly favorable, reflecting consumer-protection concerns about post-purchase fees for features already installed in a vehicle.

Contention

The main point of contention is the line the bill draws between prohibited subscriptions for built-in hardware-based features and permitted subscriptions for software- or network-dependent services. Supporters are likely focused on preventing consumers from being charged repeatedly for features they already paid for at purchase, while manufacturers and dealers may be concerned about the bill’s effect on emerging vehicle monetization models and the scope of what counts as a covered feature. The explicit exemptions for navigation, infotainment, telematics, and driver-assistance systems suggest an effort to limit the bill to non-connected features and reduce conflict over modern software-based services.