New York Senate Bill S10399

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

Caption

Provides that the department of taxation and finance shall be permitted to share with the office of the state comptroller a person's address, based on such person's most recently filed tax return, for the purpose of returning unclaimed funds to such person.

Summary

This bill amends the Tax Law to allow the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance to share a taxpayer’s address, taken from the person’s most recently filed tax return, with the Office of the State Comptroller. The sole stated purpose is to help the Comptroller return unclaimed funds to the rightful owner more efficiently. The measure is narrowly focused and does not create a new tax, change tax rates, or alter eligibility for unclaimed property. Instead, it authorizes a limited data-sharing exception that overrides any conflicting provision of law, but only for the purpose of locating individuals and delivering unclaimed funds. The bill would take effect immediately upon enactment.

Impact

The bill would amend section 697 of the Tax Law to create a specific exception permitting the Department of Taxation and Finance to disclose a person’s address to the State Comptroller. This would affect state agencies’ handling of taxpayer information and unclaimed property administration, while leaving the underlying unclaimed funds program intact. The practical impact is to improve the Comptroller’s ability to locate owners and return abandoned or unclaimed money more quickly, using the most recent address on file from tax returns.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be a straightforward administrative measure with an efficiency and consumer-recovery rationale. The framing suggests generally favorable intent, since it is designed to help residents recover money owed to them. No opposition or formal controversy is reflected in the available record.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is privacy and interagency data sharing, because the bill authorizes the Department of Taxation and Finance to share a taxpayer’s address with another state office notwithstanding other laws. Any concerns would likely center on the handling of confidential tax-return information and whether the disclosure is sufficiently limited to the unclaimed-funds purpose. No specific opponents, amendments, or objections are identified in the provided history.