Bill Text: NY S00932 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Requires health clubs accept cancellation of a membership within ten business days of receiving notice of the cancellation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-05-20 - SUBSTITUTED BY A4667B [S00932 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S00932-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         932--D
            Cal. No. 111

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     January 9, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  PERSAUD,  JACKSON,  SEPULVEDA  --  read twice and
          ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
          Consumer  Protection  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee --  recommitted
          to the Committee on Consumer Protection in accordance with Senate Rule
          6,  sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
          amended and recommitted to said committee -- reported  favorably  from
          said  committee,  ordered  to  first  report, amended on first report,
          ordered to a second report and ordered reprinted, retaining its  place
          in  the order of second report -- ordered to second report, ordered to
          a third reading, passed by  Senate  and  delivered  to  the  Assembly,
          recalled,  vote  reconsidered,  restored to third reading, amended and
          ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading

        AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to  the  cancella-
          tion of a health club contract

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1.  Section 624 of the general business law, as added by chap-
     2  ter 630 of the laws of 1978, is amended to read as follows:
     3    § 624. Rights of cancellation of contracts for  services.  1.    Every
     4  contract  for  services  at a planned health club or a health club under
     5  construction shall, at the option of the buyer, be voidable in the event
     6  that the health club and the services to be provided  pursuant  to  such
     7  contract are not available within one year from the date the contract is
     8  executed by the buyer.
     9    2. Every contract for services shall provide that such contract may be
    10  cancelled  within  three  business days after the date of receipt by the
    11  buyer of a copy of the written contract. Notice of cancellation shall be
    12  delivered by [certified or registered] United States mail or  electronic
    13  mail  at  the  address or e-mail address specified in the contract. Such
    14  contract shall contain the following written notice in  at  least  [ten]

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01730-19-4

        S. 932--D                           2

     1  twelve  point bold type: CONSUMERS RIGHT TO CANCELLATION. YOU MAY CANCEL
     2  THIS CONTRACT WITHOUT ANY PENALTY OR FURTHER OBLIGATION WITHIN THREE (3)
     3  BUSINESS DAYS FROM THIS DATE . . . . . . Notice of cancellation shall be
     4  in  writing  subscribed by the buyer and mailed by [registered or certi-
     5  fied] United States mail or electronic mail to the seller at the address
     6  or e-mail address specified in such form. Such notice shall be  accompa-
     7  nied  by the contract forms, membership cards and any other documents or
     8  evidence of membership previously delivered to the buyer.    All  moneys
     9  paid  pursuant  to  such contract shall be refunded within [fifteen] ten
    10  business days of receipt of such notice of cancellation.   If the  buyer
    11  has  executed  any  credit  or  loan agreement to pay for all or part of
    12  health club services, any such negotiable  instrument  executed  by  the
    13  buyer shall also be returned within [fifteen] ten business days.
    14    3. (a) Every contract for services shall provide that after such three
    15  business  day  period for cancellation as provided in subdivision two of
    16  this section, the buyer's estate may cancel a contract for  services  if
    17  the  buyer  dies. The buyer may also cancel after three business days if
    18  the buyer becomes significantly physically  disabled  for  a  period  in
    19  excess  of  [six]  three  months,  or  moves  [his] their residence to a
    20  location more than twenty-five miles from a health club operated by  the
    21  seller,  or  after the services are no longer available or substantially
    22  available as provided in the contract because of the seller's  permanent
    23  discontinuance  of operation or substantial change in operation. Nothing
    24  contained herein shall restrict or prohibit the seller from offering  or
    25  providing  in  such contract additional or broader reasons for cancella-
    26  tion. The seller may require  reasonable  evidence  for  a  cancellation
    27  pursuant to this subdivision.
    28    (b)  Such  contract shall contain the following notice captioned in at
    29  least [ten] twelve point bold type:
    30  ADDITIONAL RIGHTS TO CANCELLATION:
    31    You may also cancel this contract for any of the following reasons:
    32    If upon a doctor's order, you cannot physically receive  the  services
    33  because  of  significant  physical  disability for a period in excess of
    34  [six] three months.
    35    If you die, your estate shall be relieved of  any  further  obligation
    36  for payment under the contract not then due and owing.
    37    If you move your residence more than twenty-five miles from any health
    38  club operated by seller.
    39    If the services cease to be offered as stated in the contract.
    40    (c)  All  moneys  paid  pursuant  to  such  contract cancelled for the
    41  reasons contained in this subdivision shall be refunded within [fifteen]
    42  ten business days of receipt of such notice  of  cancellation;  provided
    43  however that the seller may retain the expenses incurred and the portion
    44  of  the  total  price  representing  the services used or completed, and
    45  further provided that the seller may demand the reasonable cost of goods
    46  and services which the buyer has consumed  or  wishes  to  retain  after
    47  cancellation  of  the  contract.  In no instance shall the seller demand
    48  more than the full contract price from  the  buyer.  If  the  buyer  has
    49  executed  any  credit or loan agreement to pay for all or part of health
    50  club services, any such negotiable  instrument  executed  by  the  buyer
    51  shall also be returned within [fifteen] ten business days.
    52    4. (a) Every contract for services shall provide that such health club
    53  shall  accept  cancellation  of a membership by the buyer or the buyer's
    54  estate, as provided in this section, no later than three  business  days
    55  after receiving notice of the cancellation.

        S. 932--D                           3

     1    (b)  Where  a  contract  for  services is due for renewal on an annual
     2  basis, such contract for services following the initial  contract  shall
     3  provide  that such health club shall accept cancellation of renewal of a
     4  membership, by the buyer or the buyer's estate, provided such request is
     5  made within fifteen business days after such renewal takes effect. Where
     6  a  contract  for  service  is  due  for renewal on a monthly basis, such
     7  contract for services following the initial contract shall provide  that
     8  such  health  club  shall  accept  cancellation  of renewal of a monthly
     9  membership, by the buyer or the buyer's estate provided such request  is
    10  made within three business days after such renewal takes effect.
    11    (c)  Such health club shall accept notice of cancellation of a member-
    12  ship through methods including, but not limited to, website,  electronic
    13  mail, telephone, mail, or in person.
    14    (d)  If  a  health  club  allows  a buyer to enter into a contract for
    15  services through a website, such health club shall accept  a  notice  of
    16  cancellation  of  such  contract through such website in addition to the
    17  methods provided pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subdivision.
    18    § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    19  have become a law.
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