NY State Senate Bill 2019-S618

Senate Bill S618

2019-2020 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
Mar 13, 2020	opinion referred to judiciary
Feb 14, 2020	to attorney-general for opinion
Jan 08, 2020	referred to judiciary
Feb 07, 2019	opinion referred to judiciary
Jan 11, 2019	to attorney-general for opinion
Jan 09, 2019	referred to judiciary

co-Sponsors

2019-S618 (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
2017-2018: S608
2021-2022: S6117
2023-2024: S5319

2019-S618 (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.

2019-S618 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S618

SPONSOR: BOYLE
 
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 legisla-
tors to focus more intently on serving the needs of constituents rather
than the up- coming election cycle. The second section of this legis-
lation 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 becom-
ing "career politicians" - members who serve in the legislature endless-
ly 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 empha-
sis 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:

01/04/17 REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
01/13/17 TO ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR OPINION 02/10/17 OPINION REFERRED TO
JUDICIARY
01/03/18 REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
01/12/18 TO ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR OPINION 02/15/18 OPINION REFERRED TO
JUDICIARY

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2019-S618 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    618
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 9, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. BOYLE, SERINO -- 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.
                                                            LBD89047-01-9

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Senate Bill S618

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Sponsored By

Phil Boyle