What's happening
This bill proposes four-year terms for New York legislators, limits senators and assembly members to twelve years, and sets a sixteen-year combined legislative service cap.
Why it matters
Longer four-year terms could increase legislative stability and allow lawmakers to focus more on policymaking rather than constant campaigning, potentially leading to more thorough and strategic decision-making.
Twelve-year term limits for each legislative chamber (Senate and Assembly) aim to curb entrenched incumbency, promote fresh perspectives, and reduce the accumulation of political power by a small group of long-serving legislators.
The sixteen-year combined service cap means career politicians will have to leave the legislature after a maximum of sixteen years, encouraging turnover and opening opportunities for new candidates, which could lead to greater diversity and responsiveness to constituents’ needs.
These changes would align New York with a growing national trend toward legislative term limits, potentially influencing the state’s political culture by prioritizing citizen legislators over lifetime politicians.
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History
- Held for consideration in governmental operations
- Opinion referred to judiciary
- To attorney-general for opinion
- Referred to governmental operations
- Opinion referred to judiciary
- To attorney-general for opinion
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6702
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 15, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. GIGLIO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment to section 2 of article 3 of the constitution, in relation to increasing the terms of office of members of the legislature to four years and limiting the terms of office as a member of the legislature any person may serve
Section 1. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 2 of article 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] two thousand eighteen shall hold their offices for [three] two years, and their successors shall be chosen for [two] four years provided, however, no senator shall serve for more than twelve 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] two thousand eighteen, shall [be chosen for] hold their offices for two years, and their successors shall be chosen for four years provided, however, no assembly member shall serve for more than twelve years. No person shall have more than sixteen years of service, in the aggregate, as a state legislator.
§ 2. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That the foregoing amendment 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 for 3 months previous to the time of such election.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD89100-01-7
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.