Bill Text: NY A10168 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires certain municipal positions undergo continuing legal education courses in ethics and the format in which such courses may be completed.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-10 - referred to local governments [A10168 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A10168-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 10168 IN ASSEMBLY May 10, 2024 ___________ Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. K. Brown) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments AN ACT to amend the town law and the village law, in relation to requir- ing certain municipal positions take continuing legal education cours- es The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The town law is amended by adding a new section 51-a to 2 read as follows: 3 § 51-a. Continuing legal education requirements for members of a town 4 board. 1. Each member of a town board shall complete six credit hours of 5 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics within one year 6 of such member's election to such town board. The six hours of accred- 7 ited continuing legal education courses in ethics shall be completed in 8 one hour increments. 9 2. Members of such town board shall complete six credit hours of 10 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annually there- 11 after. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 12 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. 13 § 2. The town law is amended by adding a new section 60-b to read as 14 follows: 15 § 60-b. Continuing legal education requirements for members of a town 16 board. 1. Each member of a town board shall complete six credit hours of 17 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics within one year 18 of such member's election to such town board. The six hours of accred- 19 ited continuing legal education courses in ethics shall be completed in 20 one hour increments. 21 2. Members of such town board shall complete six credit hours of 22 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annually there- 23 after. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 24 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. 25 § 3. Subdivision 7-a of section 267 of the town law is amended by 26 adding a new paragraph (a-1) to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD15071-02-4A. 10168 2 1 (a-1) (i) In addition to the training required pursuant to paragraph 2 (a) of this subdivision, each member of the zoning board of appeals 3 shall complete, at a minimum, six credit hours of accredited continuing 4 legal education courses in ethics within one year of such member's 5 appointment to the zoning board of appeals. The six hours of accredited 6 continuing legal education courses in ethics shall be completed in one 7 hour increments. Such training shall be approved by the town board and 8 may include, but not be limited to, training provided by a municipality, 9 regional or county planning office or commission, county planning feder- 10 ation, state agency, statewide municipal association, college or other 11 similar entity. Training may be provided in a variety of formats, 12 including but not limited to, electronic media, video, distance learning 13 and traditional classroom training. 14 (ii) Members of the zoning board of appeals shall complete six credit 15 hours of accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annual- 16 ly thereafter. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal 17 education courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments, 18 in the same format as provided in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. 19 § 4. Subdivision 7-a of section 271 of the town law is amended by 20 adding a new paragraph a-1 to read as follows: 21 a-1. (i) In addition to the training required pursuant to paragraph a 22 of this subdivision, each member of the planning board shall complete, 23 at a minimum, six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 24 courses in ethics within one year of such member's appointment to the 25 planning board. The six hours of accredited continuing legal education 26 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. Such train- 27 ing shall be approved by the town board and may include, but not be 28 limited to, training provided by a municipality, regional or county 29 planning office or commission, county planning federation, state agency, 30 statewide municipal association, college or other similar entity. 31 Training may be provided in a variety of formats, including but not 32 limited to, electronic media, video, distance learning and traditional 33 classroom training. 34 (ii) Members of the planning board shall complete six credit hours of 35 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annually there- 36 after. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 37 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments, in the same 38 format as provided in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. 39 § 5. Section 4-412 of the village law is amended by adding a new 40 subdivision 4 to read as follows: 41 4. Continuing legal education requirements for members of a village 42 board of trustees. a. Each member of a board of trustees shall complete 43 six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education courses in 44 ethics within one year of such member's election to the village board of 45 trustees. The six hours of accredited continuing legal education courses 46 in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. 47 b. Members of such board of trustees shall complete six credit hours 48 of accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annually 49 thereafter. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal educa- 50 tion courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. 51 § 6. Subdivision 7-a of section 7-712 of the village law is amended by 52 adding a new paragraph (a-1) to read as follows: 53 (a-1) (i) In addition to the training required pursuant to paragraph 54 (a) of this subdivision, each member of the zoning board of appeals 55 shall complete, at a minimum, six credit hours of accredited continuing 56 legal education courses in ethics within one year of such member'sA. 10168 3 1 appointment to the zoning board of appeals. The six hours of accredited 2 continuing legal education courses in ethics shall be completed in one 3 hour increments. Such training shall be approved by the town board and 4 may include, but not be limited to, training provided by a municipality, 5 regional or county planning office or commission, county planning feder- 6 ation, state agency, statewide municipal association, college or other 7 similar entity. Training may be provided in a variety of formats, 8 including but not limited to, electronic media, video, distance learning 9 and traditional classroom training. 10 (ii) Members of the zoning board of appeals shall complete six credit 11 hours of accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annual- 12 ly thereafter. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal 13 education courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments, 14 in the same format as provided in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. 15 § 7. Subdivision 7-a of section 7-718 of the village law is amended by 16 adding a new paragraph a-1 to read as follows: 17 a-1. (i) In addition to the training required pursuant to paragraph a 18 of this subdivision, each member of the planning board shall complete, 19 at a minimum, six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 20 courses in ethics within one year of such member's appointment to the 21 planning board. The six hours of accredited continuing legal education 22 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. Such train- 23 ing shall be approved by the town board and may include, but not be 24 limited to, training provided by a municipality, regional or county 25 planning office or commission, county planning federation, state agency, 26 statewide municipal association, college or other similar entity. 27 Training may be provided in a variety of formats, including but not 28 limited to, electronic media, video, distance learning and traditional 29 classroom training. 30 (ii) Members of the planning board shall complete six credit hours of 31 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annually there- 32 after. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 33 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments, in the same 34 format as provided in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. 35 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately.
