NY State Senate Bill 2017-S608

Senate Bill S608

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Concurrent resolution to amend the constitution to increase the length of the term of office and imposing term limits for members of the legislature

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Judiciary Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 15, 2018	opinion referred to judiciary
Jan 12, 2018	to attorney-general for opinion
Jan 03, 2018	referred to judiciary
Feb 10, 2017	opinion referred to judiciary
Jan 13, 2017	to attorney-general for opinion
Jan 04, 2017	referred to judiciary

co-Sponsors

2017-S608 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Judiciary
Law Section:: Constitution, Concurrent Resolutions to Amend
Laws Affected:: Amd Art 3 §2, Constn
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S5459
2015-2016: S57
2019-2020: S618
2021-2022: S6117
2023-2024: S5319

2017-S608 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Increases the length of the term of office of members of the legislature to four years and imposes term limits for members of the legislature.

2017-S608 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S608

 TITLE OF BILL :  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
proposing an amendment to section 2 of article 3 of the constitution,
in relation to increasing the length of the term of office and
imposing term limits for members of the legislature

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: :

This legislation would increase the length of term of office for
members of the legislature from two years to four years and would
limit members of the legislature from serving more than three
consecutive four year terms.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: :

Section 2 Article 3 of the constitution is amended to increase the
length of term of office for members of the legislature from two years
to four years and would limit members of the legislature from serving
more than three consecutive four year terms.

Section 2 states that the foregoing amendment be referred to the first
regular legislative session after the next succeeding general election
of members of the assembly and be published three months previous to
the time of such election.

 JUSTIFICATION: :

In the past few months there have been arrests and inquiries into
several public elected officials. Accordingly New York State needs to
undergo drastic election reform to prevent the repetition of such
events. This legislation would increase the length of the term of
office from four years to two years. Such a term increase would allow
legislators to focus more intently on serving the needs of
constituents rather than the up- coming election cycle. The second
section of this legislation would limit the terms of members of the
legislators to three consecutive four year terms (to twelve years
total). A limit such as this one would benefit the legislature by
preventing members from becoming "career politicians" - members who
serve in the legislature endlessly and who may become out of touch
with their constituents by promoting policies beneficial to their
tenure in off ice rather than constituent needs and desires. An
overall term limit would also decrease the emphasis on elections for
members of the legislature by maintaining a set number of allowed
years, and therefore upcoming elections, to be served.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: :

None.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: :

None.   EFFECTIVE DATE: :

Immediately.

2017-S608 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    608
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 4, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BOYLE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
 
             CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
 
 proposing an amendment to section 2 of article 3 of the constitution, in
   relation to increasing the length of the term of office  and  imposing
   term limits for members of the legislature
 
   Section  1. RESOLVED (if the Assembly concur), That section 2 of arti-
 cle 3 of the constitution be amended to read as follows:
   § 2. The senate shall consist of fifty members, except as  hereinafter
 provided.  The  senators [elected in the year one thousand eight hundred
 and ninety-five shall hold their offices  for  three  years,  and  their
 successors]  shall be [chosen] ELECTED for TERMS OF two years; PROVIDED,
 THAT SENATORS ELECTED IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY AND IN  SUBSEQUENT
 YEARS  SHALL  HOLD  THEIR  OFFICES  FOR  FOUR  YEARS. The assembly shall
 consist of one hundred and fifty members. The assembly members  [elected
 in  the  year  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and thirty-eight, and their
 successors,] shall be [chosen] ELECTED for TERMS OF two years; PROVIDED,
 THAT ASSEMBLY MEMBERS ELECTED IN THE YEAR TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY  AND  IN
 SUBSEQUENT YEARS SHALL HOLD THEIR OFFICES FOR FOUR YEARS.
   NO  PERSON  ELECTED  TO  OFFICE IN THE SENATE IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND
 TWENTY AND IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS SHALL SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE SENATE FOR
 MORE THAN THREE CONSECUTIVE FOUR YEAR TERMS. NO PERSON ELECTED TO OFFICE
 IN THE ASSEMBLY IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND TWENTY AND IN SUBSEQUENT  YEARS
 SHALL  SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY FOR MORE THAN THREE CONSECUTIVE
 FOUR YEAR TERMS. ANY PARTIAL TERM OF OFFICE HELD  AS  A  MEMBER  OF  THE
 LEGISLATURE  PRIOR TO THE ELECTION TO A CONSECUTIVE FOUR YEAR TERM SHALL
 NOT BE USED TO CALCULATE ANY TERM LIMITATION IMPOSED  PURSUANT  TO  THIS
 PARAGRAPH.
   §  2. RESOLVED (if the Assembly concur), That the foregoing amendments
 be referred to the first regular legislative session convening after the
 next succeeding general election of members of  the  assembly,  and,  in
 conformity  with  section  1  of  article  19  of  the  constitution, be
 published three months previous to the time of such election.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD89052-01-7

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Senate Bill S608

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Sponsored By

Phil Boyle