New York Governor Hochul Vetoes Grieving Families Act a Third Time

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has recently vetoed Senate Bill S8485B, commonly known as the “Grieving Families Act,” for the third straight year. The Act continues to seek the expansion of compensable damages in wrongful death actions in New York.

In coming to her decision to again veto the Grieving Families Act, Gov. Hochul stated that the proposed amendment “would likely have results in higher costs to patients and consumers, as well as other unintended consequences.” Gov. Hochul further stated, “[f]or the third year in a row the legislature has passed a bill that continues to pose significant risks to consumers, without many of the changes I expressed openness to in previous rounds of negotiations.”

Comment: Gov. Hochul’s veto of the Grieving Families Act for the third consecutive year demonstrates her continued reluctance to overhaul and expand New York’s wrongful death statute. The New York Legislature will likely submit a fourth version of the Grieving Families Act during the 2025 legislative session. However, without a balanced compromise, any proposed changes to the wrongful death statute may be destined to fail for a fourth consecutive year.