What Is a Chapter Amendment in New York?

In New York, a chapter amendment is a statute enacted after a bill has already been signed by the Governor and become law.

Once the Governor signs a bill, it becomes a chapter of the Laws of New York (for example, L. 2025, ch. 637, which enacted electronic wills in New York). At that point, the statutory text is fixed. Neither the Legislature nor the Governor can revise it informally. Any change—no matter how small—must be accomplished through a new bill that amends the enacted chapter.

That follow-on bill is what practitioners refer to as a chapter amendment.

A chapter amendment is therefore not part of the original enactment process. It is a separate exercise of the Legislature’s lawmaking power, subject to the same constitutional requirements: passage by both houses and approval by the Governor.

Until a chapter amendment is enacted, the original chapter remains fully operative law, even if problems or ambiguities have been identified.