NY State Senate Bill 2021-S6117

Senate Bill S6117

2021-2022 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

download bill text pdf

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 01, 2022	opinion referred to judiciary
Jan 28, 2022	to attorney-general for opinion
Jan 05, 2022	referred to judiciary
May 19, 2021	opinion referred to judiciary
Apr 26, 2021	to attorney-general for opinion
Apr 12, 2021	referred to judiciary

2021-S6117 (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
2019-2020: S618
2023-2024: S5319

2021-S6117 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2021-S6117 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6117

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:

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.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends Section 2 Article 3 of the constitution 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. Establishes effective date.

 
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 two years to four 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 office 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:

2020: S. 618- Referred to Judiciary
2019: S. 618- Referred to Judiciary
2018: S. 608- Referred to Judiciary
2017: S. 608- Referred to Judiciary
2016: S57- Referred to Judiciary
2015: S. 57- Referred to Judiciary
2014: S. 5459- Referred to Judiciary
2013: S. 5459- Referred to Judiciary

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2021-S6117 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6117
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 12, 2021
                                ___________
 
 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-TWO AND IN  SUBSE-
 QUENT  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-TWO 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-TWO 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-TWO AND IN SUBSE-
 QUENT 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.
                                                            LBD89117-01-1

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