NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4391

Senate Bill S4391

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires mobile applications on cell phones, smart phones, and tablets that offer a subscription service provide an option to cancel the subscription on its application

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 12, 2025	2nd report cal.
Feb 11, 2025	1st report cal.321
Feb 04, 2025	referred to consumer protection

Votes

- Feb 11, 2025 - Consumer Protection Committee Vote
  S4391
  
  7
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Consumer Protection Committee Vote: Feb 11, 2025
      
      aye (7)
      
      Bynoe
      
      Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick
      
      Gonzalez
      
      May
      
      Myrie
      
      Ryan
      
      Weber

co-Sponsors

2025-S4391 (ACTIVE) - Details

Law Section:: General Business Law
Laws Affected:: Add §527-b, Gen Bus L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S9579

2025-S4391 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires mobile applications on cell phones, smart phones and tablets that offer a subscription service provide an option to cancel the subscription on its application and have the option posted in a clear and conspicuous format.

2025-S4391 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4391

SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring
mobile applications on electronic devices which provide a subscription
service shall allow the cancellation of such service through its appli-
cation


 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Requires mobile applications on cell phones, smart phones, and tablets
that offer a subscription service to provide an option to cancel the
subscription on its application.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the General Business Law by adding new section 527-b,
which requires mobile application providers that offer subscription
services with automatic renewals to provide an in-app option for custom-

ers to cancel their subscriptions and include a clear, visible link to
terminate the renewal. This requirement does not apply to apps primarily
used to complement subscriptions for access to physical business
locations.

Section 2 stipulates the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Many users take advantage of easy and accessible subscription plan sign
up options on mobile applications - only to discover that they are
unable to modify or cancel their subscription within the app, and
instead must follow another process to cancel their subscription.  This
bill would require all mobile apps designed to deliver digital services,
where the service itself is being rendered through the app, to provide
users an option to cancel the subscription through the app.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: Referred to Consumer Protection

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2025-S4391 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4391
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  general  business law, in relation to requiring
   mobile applications on electronic devices which provide a subscription
   service shall allow the  cancellation  of  such  service  through  its
   application
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
 527-b to read as follows:
   § 527-B. ELECTRONIC DEVICE APPLICATIONS. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES  OF  THIS
 SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "ELECTRONIC  DEVICE"  SHALL  MEAN ANY CELL PHONE, SMART PHONE, OR
 TABLET USED BY CONSUMERS CONNECTED TO A WIRELESS TELEPHONE SERVICE.
   (B) "MOBILE APPLICATION" SHALL  MEAN  THIRD-PARTY  SOFTWARE  DEVELOPED
 SPECIFICALLY FOR USE ON ELECTRONIC DEVICES.
   (C)  "DIGITAL  SERVICES" SHALL MEAN SERVICES PROVIDED VIA THE INTERNET
 OR AN ELECTRONIC NETWORK, WHICH ARE DELIVERED TO  THE  CONSUMER  THROUGH
 THE USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES.
   2.  ANY  MOBILE APPLICATION PROVIDER ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE CONNECTED
 TO A WIRELESS TELEPHONE SERVICE THAT  USES  A  SUBSCRIPTION  MODEL  THAT
 RELIES  ON AUTOMATIC RENEWAL ON ITS MOBILE APPLICATION SHALL PROVIDE ITS
 CUSTOMERS AN OPTION TO CANCEL  SUCH  SUBSCRIPTION  SERVICE  THROUGH  ITS
 MOBILE APPLICATION.
   3.  ANY  MOBILE  APPLICATION  THAT  PROVIDES A SUBSCRIPTION MODEL THAT
 RELIES ON AUTOMATIC RENEWAL SHALL POST IN A CLEAR AND CONSPICUOUS FORMAT
 A DIRECT LINK OR BUTTON WHERE A CONSUMER  CAN  TERMINATE  THE  AUTOMATIC
 RENEWAL SUBSCRIPTION MODEL.
   4. THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO MOBILE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE PRIMA-
 RILY  USED  TO COMPLEMENT A SUBSCRIPTION MODEL THAT PROVIDES ACCESS TO A
 PHYSICAL BUSINESS LOCATION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08378-01-5

 S. 4391                             2
 
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have  become  a  law.    Effective  immediately, the addition, amendment
 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
 of this act on  its  effective  date  are  authorized  to  be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S4391

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Sponsored By

Andrew Gounardes