Senate Bill S9548

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Removes the citizenship requirement for police officers and firefighters

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Local Government 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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Bill Amendments

2023-S9548 - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Local Government
Law Section:
General Municipal Law
Laws Affected:
Add §209-h, Gen Muni L; amd §§3 & 3-b, Pub Off L

2023-S9548 - Summary

Removes the citizenship requirement for police officers and firefighters; extends eligibility to those legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law.

2023-S9548 - Sponsor Memo

2023-S9548 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9548
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 16, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
 
 AN ACT to amend the general municipal law and the public  officers  law,
   in  relation  to removing the citizenship requirement for police offi-
   cers and firefighters
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  general  municipal  law  is  amended by adding a new
 section 209-h to read as follows:
   § 209-H. CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS OF POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS.
 NOTWITHSTANDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL OR LOCAL LAW OR ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
 TO THE CONTRARY, THE LOCAL  GOVERNING  BODIES  OF  THE  SEVERAL  CITIES,
 TOWNS,  VILLAGES,  POLICE  AND  FIRE  DISTRICTS  OF THE STATE ARE HEREBY
 AUTHORIZED TO REMOVE, BY LOCAL LAW, RULE OR ORDINANCE,  ANY  CITIZENSHIP
 REQUIREMENTS  FROM  THE QUALIFICATIONS OF POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHT-
 ERS.
   § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 3 of the public officers law, as amended
 by chapter 251 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
   1. No person shall be capable of holding a civil office who shall not,
 at the time [he or she]  SUCH  PERSON  shall  be  chosen  thereto,  have
 attained  the  age  of  eighteen years, except that in the case of youth
 boards, youth commissions, recreation commissions, or  community  boards
 in  the city of New York only, members of such boards or commissions may
 be under the age of eighteen years, but must have attained  the  age  of
 sixteen  years  on  or  before  appointment  to  such youth board, youth
 commission, recreation commission, or community board in the city of New
 York, be a citizen of the United States OR LEGALLY AUTHORIZED TO WORK IN
 THE UNITED STATES UNDER FEDERAL LAW, a resident of the state, and if  it
 be  a local office, a resident of the political subdivision or municipal
 corporation of the state for which [he or  she]  SUCH  PERSON  shall  be
 chosen,  or  within which the electors electing [him or her] SUCH PERSON
 reside, or within which [his or her] SUCH  PERSON'S  official  functions
 are  required  to  be  exercised[,  or  who  shall have been or shall be
 convicted of a violation of  the  selective  draft  act  of  the  United

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

2023-S9548A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Local Government
Law Section:
General Municipal Law
Laws Affected:
Add §209-h, Gen Muni L; amd §§3 & 3-b, Pub Off L

2023-S9548A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Removes the citizenship requirement for police officers and firefighters; extends eligibility to those legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law.

2023-S9548A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S9548A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  9548--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 16, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed  to  the  Committee  on  Local  Government  --
   committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
   recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the general municipal law and the public  officers  law,
   in  relation  to removing the citizenship requirement for police offi-
   cers and firefighters
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  This  act  shall be known and may be cited as the "we too
 serve NY act".
   § 2.  The general municipal law is amended by  adding  a  new  section
 209-h to read as follows:
   § 209-H. CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS OF POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS.
 NOTWITHSTANDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL OR LOCAL LAW OR ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
 TO  THE  CONTRARY,  THE  LOCAL  GOVERNING  BODIES OF THE SEVERAL CITIES,
 TOWNS, VILLAGES, POLICE AND FIRE  DISTRICTS  OF  THE  STATE  ARE  HEREBY
 AUTHORIZED  TO  REMOVE, BY LOCAL LAW, RULE OR ORDINANCE, ANY CITIZENSHIP
 REQUIREMENTS FROM THE QUALIFICATIONS OF POLICE OFFICERS  AND  FIREFIGHT-
 ERS.
   § 3. Subdivision 1 of section 3 of the public officers law, as amended
 by chapter 251 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
   1. No person shall be capable of holding a civil office who shall not,
 at  the  time  [he  or  she]  SUCH  PERSON shall be chosen thereto, have
 attained the age of eighteen years, except that in  the  case  of  youth
 boards,  youth  commissions, recreation commissions, or community boards
 in the city of New York only, members of such boards or commissions  may
 be  under  the  age of eighteen years, but must have attained the age of
 sixteen years on or  before  appointment  to  such  youth  board,  youth
 commission, recreation commission, or community board in the city of New
 York, be a citizen of the United States OR LEGALLY AUTHORIZED TO WORK IN
 THE  UNITED STATES UNDER FEDERAL LAW, a resident of the state, and if it
 be a local office, a resident of the political subdivision or  municipal
 corporation  of  the  state  for  which [he or she] SUCH PERSON shall be
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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