We pass many laws in the state Legislature during session; however, some enacted laws have delayed effective dates. Please see below for the new laws that take effect this month.
| NEW LAWS TAKING EFFECT – FEBRUARY 2026 | ||
| Effective Date | Chapter | Summary |
| 2/3/2026 | Ch. 55 of 2025
Part H |
Expands protections and services to survivors of sexual assault for itemized charges related to exams.
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| 2/3/2026 | Ch. 55 of 2025
Part I
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Improves access to public assistance for survivors of gender-based violence.
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| 2/3/2026 | Ch. 595 of 2025 | Requires public-facing websites operated by political committees to contain “paid for by” language and adds websites to the list of political communications that qualify as independent expenditures.
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| 2/10/2026 | Ch. 492 of 2025 | Requires the commissioner of economic development, the commissioner of agriculture and markets and the State Liquor Authority to establish procedures for proposing to the governor nominations for annual awards for New York state liquor, beer, cider and mead retailers. |
| 2/10/2026 | Ch. 633 of 2025 | Requires pharmacies that are closing to notify customers 30 days in advance and provide locations of other nearby pharmacies and instructions on how to transfer prescriptions.
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| 2/13/2026 | Ch. 459 of 2025 | Authorizes the commissioner of agriculture and markets to investigate and inspect grocery stores or warehouses and gives them the power to grant, suspend or revoke licenses.
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| 2/13/2026 | Ch. 468 of 2025 | Provides for certain victim statements to be taken at their workplace instead of the police department where such workplace was the scene of the crime and is a hospital, emergency medical facility, nursing home or residential health care facility.
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| 2/17/2026 | Ch. 673 of 2025 | Allows for no fault separation where the relationship between the spouses has broken down irretrievably for a period of at least six months and requires that issues of support, custody and visitation have been resolved.
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| 2/17/2026 | Ch. 686 of 2025 | Provides immunity from prosecution for certain individuals engaged in prostitution who are victims of or witnesses to a crime and report the crime or assist in the investigation or prosecution.
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| 2/17/2026 | Ch. 707 of 2025
Part F |
Provides that if the Office of the Attorney General has a conflict representing state employees in civil litigation, the attorney general may designate a deputy attorney general or assistant attorney general to act in their place. |
| 2/17/2026 | Ch. 708 of 2025 | Enacts the Fostering Affordability and Integrity through Reasonable (FAIR) Business Practices Act, to protect New Yorkers from unfair, deceptive and abusive business practices by broadening the Attorney General’s power to enforce consumer protection laws.
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| 2/18/2026 | Ch. 342 of 2025 | Authorizes private membership establishments to have licenses for sale of alcohol for consumption on premises.
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| 2/19/2026 | Ch. 544 of 2025
§§1-6, 8-9
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Updates the law regarding the medical use of cannabis to allow a designated caregiver to be certified and given a QR code in place of a Registry Identification Card as a patient’s certification for obtaining medical cannabis and extends the validity of certification to two years.
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| 2/19/2026 | Ch. 546 of 2025 | Authorizes practitioners in hospitals to dispense controlled substances as emergency treatment for use off the premises for use in maintenance or detoxification treatment to an addict or habitual user.
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| 2/19/2026 | Ch. 572 of 2025 | Allows the court to issue an order of protection against a person who is a member of a child’s household.
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