What's happening
This bill allows any municipality in New York, regardless of population size, to establish administrative hearings for code and ordinance violations.
Why it matters
Expands Local Authority. By removing population limits, this bill empowers any city, town, or village in New York to create their own administrative hearing process for code and ordinance violations, not just larger municipalities. This could lead to more responsive and locally tailored enforcement.
Potentially Faster Resolution. Local administrative hearings may resolve code violations more quickly than traditional court processes, reducing backlogs and providing swifter outcomes for both residents and municipalities.
May Improve Compliance and Public Safety. Municipalities of all sizes could more effectively address violations that threaten public health, safety, or welfare, potentially resulting in better-maintained communities and safer neighborhoods.
Could Shift Local Government Workloads. Smaller municipalities might see increased administrative responsibilities and costs, but could also benefit from greater control and flexibility in enforcing their own codes and ordinances.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Municipal governments
The bill would remove the population restriction, allowing any municipality to establish administrative hearings for code and ordinance violations involving conditions that threaten public health, safety or welfare.
Municipal code enforcement officials
They could have an administrative hearing process available for qualifying violations if their municipality adopts a local law establishing one.
Property owners facing code violations
They could face administrative adjudication in municipalities newly eligible to establish the hearing process.
Municipal administrative hearing bureaus
Bureaus established under this authority would be responsible for impartially administering and conducting adjudicatory proceedings.
Headline styles
Let All Towns Fine Violations
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to local government
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.
Expand Local Code Hearings
In Assembly Committee · Local Governments · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7122
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2020
Introduced by Sen. GAUGHRAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to the application of code and ordinance violation administrative adjudication
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 380 of the general municipal law, as amended by chapter 392 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
1. Any municipality [having a population of more than three hundred thousand but less than three hundred fifty thousand] may adopt a local law establishing an administrative adjudication hearing procedure under the provisions of this article for all code and ordinance violations regarding conditions which constitute a threat or danger to the public health, safety or welfare. Such bureaus shall be responsible for the impartial administration and conduct of adjudicatory proceedings in such municipality.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14490-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to the applica- tion of code and ordinance violation administrative adjudication
Purpose
This bill would allow local governments the option to establish adminis- trative tribunals for the enforcement of code and ordinance violations
Summary of provisions
Section one amends subdivision 1 of section 380 of the General Municipal law, expanding the authority of local governments across the state to establish administrative tribunals for the enforcement of code and ordi- nance violations. This expanded authority would be at local option.
Section two provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
Currently, the cities of Syracuse and Yonkers, along with the Town of Huntington, and those municipalities with populations between 300,000 and 350,000 people, have the authority to establish administrative tribunals for the adjudication of local code and ordinance violations.
In light of recent changes to the discovery process for criminal actions, it is important for all municipalities to have the flexibility to handle these local, non-criminal, matters outside the parameters contained in the criminal justice reform package.
This legislation would merely extend the authority to establish adminis- trative tribunals to all municipalities, regardless of population, across the state. Only code and ordinance violations would be adjudi- cated through these tribunals. This added authority would be at local option.
Legislative history
New Legislation.
Fiscal implications
None to the State and potential cost savings for local governments.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.