N.Y.
Elder Law Section 226
Guide to actions when someone close dies
1.
The office shall publish a “Guide to Actions When Someone Close Dies”. This guide shall be made publicly available on the official website of the office and the office may produce a paper format within one year of the effective date of this section.2.
The guide shall provide information in at least the following domains:(a)
Economic security, including but not limited to, pensions, social security, life insurance, health insurance, death benefits as well as tax implications of a death.(b)
Legal, including how to access death certificates, wills, trust documents and other legal information needed to plan for the future.(c)
Mental health assistance, including information on the grieving process, triggers and symptoms associated with grief, effective coping strategies, the impact on family dynamics in relation to the loss of someone close, and other mental health concerns correlated with grief.(d)
Disposition of remains including funeral and service arrangements and burials. This information shall include average costs by region and refer to the resources provided by the department of health’s bureau of funeral directing.(e)
Other information as determined by the office in consultation with the special advisory committee established pursuant to this section.3.
The director shall establish a special advisory committee to help fulfill the requirements of this section. The committee shall be temporary and dissolve thirty days after the guide is posted and distributed. The members of the special advisory committee shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, to the extent funds are appropriated for such purpose. The committee shall contain representatives from the following professions as well as any state agency representatives that are needed at the discretion of the director:(a)
Funeral directors;(b)
Cemeteries;(c)
Mental health professionals with specific knowledge of grief counseling;(d)
Attorneys specialized in estate planning, including the New York state bar association; and(e)
Clergy.
Source:
Section 226 — Guide to actions when someone close dies, https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ELD/226 (updated Dec. 12, 2025; accessed Dec. 13, 2025).
