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A5343Assembly2017-2018 Session

Legislature Confirms Lieutenant Governor

Official title

“Authorizes the governor to appoint a lieutenant-governor subject to confirmation by the legislature”

Sponsor Robin SchimmingerAD-140+2 co-sponsors
Status
In Assembly Committee
Governmental Operations
Impact
4/10
Low
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Governmental Operations

What's happening

This bill allows the governor to appoint a new lieutenant-governor, subject to approval by both houses of the state legislature.

Why it matters

  1. Increases accountability and transparency. By requiring the governor’s appointee for lieutenant-governor to be approved by both houses of the legislature, the process adds a layer of public oversight and bipartisan input into a critical executive branch appointment.

  2. Prevents unilateral executive power. The bill limits the governor’s ability to independently fill a high-ranking office, reducing the risk of political favoritism or cronyism by mandating legislative confirmation.

  3. Ensures continuity of government. Establishing a clear, structured procedure for filling lieutenant-governor vacancies helps avoid uncertainty or power struggles in the event of a sudden vacancy, maintaining stable leadership.

  4. Aligns with federal and other state practices. This process mirrors how vice presidential vacancies are filled at the federal level and in some other states, potentially strengthening New York’s constitutional norms and setting a precedent for transparent succession planning.

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Who cares

Headline styles

Legislature Confirms Lieutenant Governor

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Robin Schimminger

Assembly Member · Assembly District 140

History

  1. Referred to governmental operations
  2. Referred to governmental operations

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

5343

2017-2018 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

February 8, 2017

Introduced by M. of A. SCHIMMINGER, PAULIN, JAFFEE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations

AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to the appointment of a lieutenant-governor

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Section 43 of the public officers law, as renumbered by chapter 649 of the laws of 1922, is amended to read as follows:

§ 43. Filling other vacancies. 1. If a vacancy shall occur, otherwise than by expiration of term, with no provision of law for filling the same, if the office be elective, the governor shall appoint a person to execute the duties thereof until the vacancy shall be filled by an election. But if the term of such officer shall expire with the calendar year in which the appointment shall be made, or if the office be appointive, the appointee shall hold for the residue of the term.

2. In the case of a vacancy in the office of the lieutenant-governor, the governor shall nominate a lieutenant-governor who shall take office upon confirmation by separate majority votes in each house of the state legislature.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD05720-01-7

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.