What's happening
This bill increases New York State legislators' annual salaries starting in 2019, adjusting for inflation since 1999.
Why it matters
Links legislative pay to inflation. By tying legislators' salaries to the Consumer Price Index from 1999 to 2018, this bill ensures their compensation reflects changes in living costs over time, rather than remaining static for decades.
Potentially significant salary increase. Since inflation has risen notably since 1999, the adjustment could result in a substantial boost to legislators’ pay, which may influence who is able or willing to serve in office.
Budget accountability mechanism remains. The provision continues to withhold legislators' pay if the state budget isn’t passed on time, maintaining an incentive for lawmakers to avoid budget delays.
Could impact public perception and recruitment. Adjusting salaries to keep pace with inflation might address concerns about fair compensation, possibly attracting a broader range of candidates and affecting debates about government pay and public trust.
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Raise Lawmakers' Salaries
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government 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.
Raise Lawmakers’ Salaries
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Operations · Sponsor David Weprin
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1608
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2017
Introduced by Sen. PERALTA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to compensation payable to members of the state legislature
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 5 of the legislative law, as amended by chapter 635 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows:
1. Effective January first, [nineteen hundred ninety-nine] two thousand nineteen, each member of the legislature shall receive [a] an annual salary in an amount equal to the increase in the value of seventynine thousand five hundred dollars [per annum] between January first, nineteen hundred ninety-nine and December thirty-first, two thousand eighteen, based on the rate of inflation established by the consumer price index as calculated by the federal Department of Labor. Such salary of a member of the legislature shall be payable in twenty-six bi-weekly installments provided, however, that if legislative passage of the budget as defined in subdivision three of this section has not occurred prior to the first day of any fiscal year, the net amount of any such bi-weekly salary installment payments to be paid on or after such day shall be withheld and not paid until such legislative passage of the budget has occurred whereupon bi-weekly salary installment payments shall resume and an amount equal to the accrued, withheld and unpaid installments shall be promptly paid to each member.
For purposes of this section, net amount shall mean gross salary minus any or all of the following deductions: federal taxes, state taxes, social security taxes, city taxes, payments on retirement loans, retirement contributions, contributions to health insurance or other group insurance programs, child support and court ordered payments.
§ 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2019.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07436-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to compensation payable to members of the state legislature
Purpose
Provides for the increase in the annual salary of members of the legislature commencing on January 1, 2019
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends Subdivision 1 of section 5 of the legislative law to provide for an increase in the annual salary of members of the New York State Legislature, based solely on the rise in inflation as calculated by the national Consumer Price index.
Section 2 sets forth the effective date of this legislation.
Justification
Members of the New York State Legislature have not received a raise in their annual salary since 1999. when their annual pay was set at $79,500. Since this time, the national economy has experienced a massive rise in inflation, experiencing both an economic boom, but also a serious recession and an ongoing recovery from it. This legislation seeks not to provide legislators with a raise, but only to peg the current rate of pay with the current value of $79,500 in 1999, using only the rate of inflation set forth by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index.
Contrary to common belief, the majority of New York State legislators typically engage work on an annual, full-time basis that far exceeds scheduled session days that occur between January and June of every year. Countless hours, days and months are spent by legislators and their staff members to address serious concerns raised by constituents, as well as to coordinate and engage in important events that serve to benefit the communities they serve. As the discussion over whether to designate the New York State Legislature to be a 'full-time' legislature continues, it is true that most legislators already view their offices as being exactly that.
Finally, failing to recognize the rise in inflation in the salaries of legislators has the negative effect of discouraging those who do not earn income from outside sources from remaining in office. Until important issues such as the potential implementation of term limits and a ban on the accrual of outside income are resolved, the sensible approach to maintaining fairness and promoting the execution of good governance is to recognize the impact of inflation upon legislators and the families that they support.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal impact
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect January 1, 2019.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.