New York Assembly Bill A10642

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/17/26
• Refer: 3/17/26
• Report Pass: 3/24/26
• Refer: 3/24/26
• Report Pass: 4/28/26
• Engrossed: 5/4/26
• Refer: 5/4/26

Caption

Relates to the cancellation of contracts for health club services

Summary

A10642 amends New York’s General Business Law provisions governing health club service contracts, specifically the rules for cancelling renewals of gym memberships. The bill keeps the existing 15-business-day cancellation window for annual renewals, but changes the monthly renewal rule so a consumer or the consumer’s estate may cancel up to the business day before the renewal takes effect, rather than only within three business days after renewal. It also requires health clubs to provide a “simple cancellation mechanism” that is as easy to use as the method the consumer used to give consent, and that uses the same medium the consumer used to enroll. The bill further requires health clubs to accept cancellation through all channels by which they allow affirmative consent, and adds a minimum requirement that if consent was obtained in person, the business must also offer cancellation by telephone, cellular communication, or an online mechanism. The act takes effect immediately and builds on a 2024 amendment to section 624 of the General Business Law, expanding consumer cancellation rights and standardizing how health clubs must process cancellations.

Impact

The bill would amend section 624 of the General Business Law, changing the statutory cancellation framework for health club service contracts and expanding the methods businesses must accept for cancellation. It would affect health clubs, gym operators, and consumers by making monthly renewal cancellations easier, requiring more accessible cancellation options, and limiting businesses’ ability to restrict cancellation to narrow or inconvenient channels. The measure would also apply to cancellations by a buyer’s estate in renewal situations, reinforcing consumer and estate rights under membership contracts.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong, unanimous support in the Assembly committee process and on final passage, with no recorded opposition in the votes provided. The bill advanced 15-0 in the Assembly Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee, 18-0 in the Assembly Codes Committee, and 132-0 on the Assembly floor, indicating broad agreement that the proposal improves consumer protections for health club members. No committee transcript was provided, so the sentiment is inferred primarily from the unanimous votes and the consumer-protection nature of the bill.

Contention

No direct opposition is reflected in the provided votes, but the main policy issue is the burden on health clubs to offer multiple cancellation channels and to make cancellation as easy as enrollment. Supporters are likely to view this as a necessary consumer protection against difficult or opaque cancellation practices, while affected businesses may be concerned about compliance costs, administrative changes, and the requirement to accept cancellations through the same medium used for consent. The monthly renewal change is also notable because it gives consumers more time to cancel before a charge takes effect, which may be viewed by businesses as reducing renewal certainty.