What's happening
This bill requires equal distribution of legislative staff and resources to all New York State legislators, with limited exceptions for leadership roles.
Why it matters
Levels the playing field for all legislators. By mandating identical staff and resource allocations, the bill reduces the ability of majority parties or leadership to give favored treatment to their own members, helping ensure all legislators have the same capacity to represent their constituents.
Aims to curb political patronage and inequity. The legislation seeks to address longstanding criticisms about disproportionate staff and resource assignments often used as political rewards or punishments, which can deepen partisanship and limit minority voices.
Limits leadership advantages to official duties. While leadership and certain special positions can still receive extra staff, these resources are explicitly restricted to official leadership functions—not for constituent services—potentially making it harder for leadership to blur lines between personal political work and official duties.
May improve constituent service and accountability. With equal resources, legislators from all districts—regardless of party or seniority—are empowered to provide similar levels of service and responsiveness to their constituents, which could enhance fairness and public trust in legislative operations.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Equal Staff for Lawmakers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4430
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 14, 2017
Introduced by Sen. TEDISCO -- 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 requiring an equal apportionment of resources and staff for members of the legislature
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The legislative law is amended by adding a new section 5-b to read as follows:
§ 5-b. Apportionment of resources and staff to assist individual members. 1. From within the amount generally appropriated to fund staff positions for members of the legislature within such house of the legislature, each member shall receive an identical amount to be utilized for such member's personal staff, both in such member's Albany and district legislative office or offices.
2. Where because of the demands of a member's position as an officer of the house or the duties in a special capacity, additional funds may be made available for staff to service those needs; however such staff shall not be personally involved in duties otherwise related to a member's constituent service.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06355-01-7
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 requiring an equal apportionment of resources and staff for members of the legislature
Purpose or general idea of bill
To eliminate the unequal allotment of staff funding, and allot an equal amount of funds to each legislative member to staff district and Albany offices.
Summary of specific provisions
This bill mandates that there should be equal apportionment of resources and staff to assist individual members. Each member shall receive an identical amount to be utilized for such member's personal staff, both in the members Albany and district offices. In cases where a member serves as an officer of the house or has duties in a special capacity, additional funds may be made available. However, such staff shall not be personally involved in duties related to a member's constituent service.
Effects of the present law which this bill would affect
Adds a new section 5-b to the legislative law.
Justification
Each legislative member represents the same number of people, and have the same job to do. However, they are given a different allotment of funds for staffing their offices. This legislation doesn't imply that the lower staffing allotments to be increased to be in line with the ones, but that all the funds be pooled together and distributed among all members. For members who hold special offices an additional allotment will be available, but the staff hired for the special shall not be personally involved in the members constituent service.
Prior legislative history
New Bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS :
None
Effective date
The first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.