S7119-2011 Actions

• Apr 30, 2012: REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

S7119-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S7119

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the legislative law, in relation to term limits for members of
the legislature

PURPOSE:
The legislation limits terms for legislators and legislative
leadership positions.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section One - amends the legislative law by adding two new section 2-a
and 5-b. Section 2-a sets legislative term limits. Members of the
state legislature will not serve more than eight years in either the
senate or the assembly.

Section One - adds section 2-a to the legislative law stating no
member of the state legislature will serve as an officer or in a
special capacity position, as defined under section five-a of this
article, for more than 5 years.

Section Two - this act shall take effect on the first January next
succeeding the date on which it shall become law and shall apply to
offices in the legislature which commence on or after such effective
date.

JUSTIFICATION:
By passing term limits in New York State, the people can keep the
political climate fresh with new ideas. Term limiting legislators to
eight years/four terms, will promote better ethics and help eliminate
the "good old boys" and "three men in a room" atmosphere. In the
eight years they are elected to office, legislators will be given
enough time to accomplish the goals they have to provide better lives
for their constituents.

By placing limits on special positions within the legislature, a
greater sense of transparency is created. This time limit of five
years, will allow legislators to work together as one collective
unit, instead of working under one sole authority for countless years.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first January next succeeding the
date on which it shall become law and shall apply to offices in the
legislature which commence on or after such effective date.

S7119-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    7119

                              I N  SENATE

                               April 30, 2012
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  BALL  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
    ment Operations

  AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in  relation  to  term  limits  for
    members of the legislature

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. The legislative law is amended by adding two  new  sections
  2-a and 5-b to read as follows:

    S 2-A. LEGISLATIVE TERM LIMITS. MEMBERS OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE SHALL
  NOT SERVE MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS IN EITHER THE SENATE OR THE ASSEMBLY.
    S  5-B.  LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP POSITION TERM LIMITS. NO MEMBER OF THE
  STATE LEGISLATURE SHALL SERVE AS AN OFFICER OR  IN  A  SPECIAL  CAPACITY
  POSITION, AS DEFINED UNDER SECTION FIVE-A OF THIS ARTICLE, FOR MORE THAN
  FOUR YEARS.
    S  2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
  ing the date on which it shall become law and shall apply to offices  in
  the legislature which commence on or after such effective date.






   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD08964-01-1