What's happening
This bill limits temporary appointments of department heads without Senate approval to 90 days during session or 30 days after recess.
Why it matters
Limits executive power by constraining the governor’s ability to appoint acting department heads without Senate approval. , ensuring that key leadership roles in state agencies can’t be filled indefinitely without legislative oversight.
Increases legislative oversight and accountability. by requiring Senate confirmation within strict timeframes (90 days during session, 30 days after recess), which could prevent controversial or unqualified appointments from remaining in power for extended periods.
Prevents repeated use of temporary appointments for the same individual. , closing a potential loophole where a governor could cycle the same person through temporary appointments to avoid Senate scrutiny, thereby reinforcing the checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches.
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Limit Acting Department Heads
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
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History
- Referred to governmental operations
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Limit Acting Department Heads
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Operations · Sponsor Joseph A. Griffo
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10553
IN ASSEMBLY
May 4, 2018
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to the temporary appointment of heads of departments without the advice and consent of the senate
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public officers law is amended by adding a new section 33-b to read as follows:
§ 33-b. Appointment of heads of departments without the advice and consent of the senate. 1. No person shall serve as the head of a department for more than ninety days without the advice and consent of the senate when the legislature is in session.
2. When a vacancy occurs when the legislature is not in session, no person shall serve as the head of a department without the advice and consent of the senate for longer than thirty calendar days of the next succeeding legislative session.
3. A person may only serve as the head of a department without the advice and consent of the senate once, regardless of the amount of time such person served as the head of a department.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14833-01-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.