Bill Text: NY S01586 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to term limits for the office of governor; term limits for the offices of comptroller and attorney-general; limits the terms of office as a member of the legislature any person may serve.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-31 - OPINION REFERRED TO JUDICIARY [S01586 Detail]
Download: New_York-2025-S01586-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1586 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 10, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. GRIFFO, GALLIVAN, ORTT, WALCZYK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment to section 1 of article 4 of the constitution, in relation to term limits for the office of governor; proposing an amendment to section 1 of article 5 of the constitution, in relation to term limits for the offices of comptroller and attorney-general; and proposing an amendment to section 2 of article 3 of the constitu- tion, in relation to limiting the terms of office as a member of the legislature any person may serve 1 Section 1. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That section 1 of arti- 2 cle 4 of the constitution be amended to read as follows: 3 Section 1. The executive power shall be vested in the governor, who 4 shall hold office for four years; the lieutenant-governor shall be 5 chosen at the same time, and for the same term. The governor and lieu- 6 tenant-governor shall be chosen at the general election held in the year 7 nineteen hundred thirty-eight, and each fourth year thereafter. They 8 shall be chosen jointly, by the casting by each voter of a single vote 9 applicable to both offices, and the legislature by law shall provide for 10 making such choice in such manner. The respective persons having the 11 highest number of votes cast jointly for them for governor and lieuten- 12 ant-governor respectively shall be elected. No person shall be elected 13 to the office of the governor more than two times, and no person who has 14 held the office of governor or acted as governor for more than two years 15 of a term to which another person was elected governor shall be elected 16 to more than one additional term. The limitation on the terms of office 17 that any person can be elected to the office of governor shall not apply 18 to any person holding the office of governor on the effective date of 19 this provision. Provided, further, that a person who has been elected 20 two times to the office of governor and who is in the line of succession 21 to such office, pursuant to section six of this article, shall be passed EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD89021-01-5S. 1586 2 1 over in the line of succession and the next person in the line of 2 succession shall act as governor. 3 § 2. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That section 1 of article 5 of 4 the constitution be amended to read as follows: 5 Section 1. The comptroller and attorney-general shall be chosen at the 6 same general election as the governor and hold office for the same term, 7 and shall possess the qualifications provided in section 2 of article 8 IV. The legislature shall provide for filling vacancies in the office of 9 comptroller and of attorney-general. No election of a comptroller or an 10 attorney-general shall be had except at the time of electing a governor. 11 No person shall be elected to the office of comptroller or attorney-gen- 12 eral more than two times, and no person who has held the office of comp- 13 troller or attorney-general, or acted as comptroller or attorney-general 14 for more than two years of a term to which another person was elected 15 comptroller or attorney-general shall be elected to more than one addi- 16 tional term. The limitation on the terms of office that any person can 17 be elected to the office of comptroller or attorney-general shall not 18 apply to any person holding the office of comptroller or attorney-gener- 19 al on the effective date of this provision. The comptroller shall be 20 required: (1) to audit all vouchers before payment and all official 21 accounts; (2) to audit the accrual and collection of all revenues and 22 receipts; and (3) to prescribe such methods of accounting as are neces- 23 sary for the performance of the foregoing duties. The payment of any 24 money of the state, or of any money under its control, or the refund of 25 any money paid to the state, except upon audit by the comptroller, shall 26 be void, and may be restrained upon the suit of any taxpayer with the 27 consent of the supreme court in appellate division on notice to the 28 attorney-general. In such respect the legislature shall define the 29 powers and duties and may also assign to [him or her] the comptroller: 30 (1) supervision of the accounts of any political subdivision of the 31 state; and (2) powers and duties pertaining to or connected with the 32 assessment and taxation of real estate, including determination of 33 ratios which the assessed valuation of taxable real property bears to 34 the full valuation thereof, but not including any of those powers and 35 duties reserved to officers of a county, city, town or village by virtue 36 of [sections seven and eight] section one of article nine and section 37 thirteen of article thirteen of this constitution. The legislature shall 38 assign to [him or her] the comptroller no administrative duties, except- 39 ing such as may be incidental to the performance of these functions, any 40 other provision of this constitution to the contrary notwithstanding. 41 § 3. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That section 2 of article 3 of 42 the constitution be amended to read as follows: 43 § 2. The senate shall consist of [fifty] sixty-three members, except 44 as hereinafter provided. The senators [elected in the year one thousand45eight hundred and ninety-five shall hold their offices for three years,46and their successors shall be chosen] shall be elected for two years 47 until the year two thousand twenty-nine; senators elected in the year 48 two thousand twenty-nine and in all subsequent years shall be elected 49 for four years. The assembly shall consist of one hundred and fifty 50 members. The assembly members [elected in the year one thousand nine51hundred and thirty-eight, and their successors, shall be chosen] shall 52 be elected for two years until the year two thousand twenty-nine; assem- 53 bly members elected in the year two thousand twenty-nine and in all 54 subsequent years shall be elected for four years. 55 No person elected as a member of the senate or as a member of the 56 assembly in the year two thousand twenty-nine and in all subsequentS. 1586 3 1 years shall serve as a member of the legislature for more than three 2 four year terms, whether such service is as a senator, as an assembly 3 member, or terms as a senator and an assembly member combined; provided 4 that any partial term of office held as a member of the legislature 5 prior to the election to a four year term shall not be used to calculate 6 any term limitation imposed pursuant to this paragraph. 7 § 4. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That the foregoing be referred 8 to the first regular legislative session convening after the next 9 succeeding general election of members of the assembly, and, in conform- 10 ity with section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be published for 3 11 months previous to the time of such election.
