Prohibits a beneficiary of a decedent's life insurance policy from collecting payments from such policy if the beneficiary is convicted under the penal law for causing the death of the policy holder.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9601
SPONSOR: Skoufis TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the estates, powers and trusts law, in
relation to prohibiting a beneficiary of a decedent's life insurance
policy from collecting payments from such policy if the beneficiary is
convicted for causing the death of the policy holder
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To prohibit a beneficiary of a decedent's life insurance policy from
collecting payments from such policy if the beneficiary is convicted
under the penal law for causing the death of the policy holder.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the estates, powers and trusts law by adding a new
section 13-3.7, which defines disqualification's of life insurance for
beneficiaries who caused death of decedent.
Section 2 is the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation will codify the "slayer rule" adopted by the courts
following the Riggs v. Palmer Court of Appeals case. The ruling deter-
mined that individuals convicted of a murder charge automatically
forfeit any life insurance payouts from the deceased they are responsi-
ble for killing. This bill will further include negligent homicide
convictions in the prohibition.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9601
IN ASSEMBLY
January 25, 2018
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SKOUFIS -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the estates, powers and trusts law, in relation to
prohibiting a beneficiary of a decedent's life insurance policy from
collecting payments from such policy if the beneficiary is convicted
for causing the death of the policy holder
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The estates, powers and trusts law is amended by adding a
2 new section 13-3.7 to read as follows:
3 § 13-3.7 Disqualification of life insurance beneficiaries causing death
4 of decedent
5 Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any bene-
6 ficiary of a policy of life, group life, industrial life or accident and
7 health insurance who is convicted of an offense under sections 125.10,
8 125.11, 125.12, 125.13, 125.14, 125.15, 125.20, 125.21, 125.22, 125.25,
9 125.26, or 125.27 of the penal law for causing the death of the policy
10 holder shall not be entitled to receive payment under such decedent's
11 policy of life, group life, industrial life or accident and health
12 insurance.
13 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14318-01-8
