Bill Text: NY A09735 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes term limits for the offices of governor, attorney-general and comptroller; limits the amount of time any person can act as governor; limits terms of office of members of the legislature.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-14 - opinion referred to judiciary [A09735 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-A09735-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9735 IN ASSEMBLY February 5, 2018 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee 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 Senate concur), That section 1 of article 2 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 twice, 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 more than once. The limitation on the terms of office that any person 17 can be elected to the office of governor shall not apply to any person 18 holding the office of governor on the effective date of this sentence. 19 Provided, further, that a person who has been twice elected to the 20 office of governor and who is in the line of succession to such office, 21 pursuant to section six of this article, shall be passed over in the 22 line of succession and the next person in the line of succession shall 23 act as governor. 24 § 2. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 1 of article 5 of 25 the constitution be amended to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD89056-01-7A. 9735 2 1 Section 1. The comptroller and attorney-general shall be chosen at the 2 same general election as the governor and hold office for the same term, 3 and shall possess the qualifications provided in section 2 of article 4 IV. The legislature shall provide for filling vacancies in the office of 5 comptroller and of attorney-general. No election of a comptroller or an 6 attorney-general shall be had except at the time of electing a governor. 7 No person shall be elected to the office of comptroller or attorney-gen- 8 eral who has previously been elected to such office more than once. The 9 limitation the terms of office that any person can be elected to the 10 office of comptroller or attorney-general shall not apply to any person 11 holding the office of comptroller or attorney-general on the effective 12 date of this sentence. The comptroller shall be required: (1) to audit 13 all vouchers before payment and all official accounts; (2) to audit the 14 accrual and collection of all revenues and receipts; and (3) to 15 prescribe such methods of accounting as are necessary for the perform- 16 ance of the foregoing duties. The payment of any money of the state, or 17 of any money under its control, or the refund of any money paid to the 18 state, except upon audit by the comptroller, shall be void, and may be 19 restrained upon the suit of any taxpayer with the consent of the supreme 20 court in appellate division on notice to the attorney-general. In such 21 respect the legislature shall define the powers and duties and may also 22 assign to him or her: (1) supervision of the accounts of any political 23 subdivision of the state; and (2) powers and duties pertaining to or 24 connected with the assessment and taxation of real estate, including 25 determination of ratios which the assessed valuation of taxable real 26 property bears to the full valuation thereof, but not including any of 27 those powers and duties reserved to officers of a county, city, town or 28 village by virtue of [sections seven and eight] section one of article 29 nine and section thirteen of article thirteen of this constitution. The 30 legislature shall assign to him or her no administrative duties, except- 31 ing such as may be incidental to the performance of these functions, any 32 other provision of this constitution to the contrary notwithstanding. 33 § 3. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 2 of article 3 of 34 the constitution be amended to read as follows: 35 § 2. The senate shall consist of fifty members, except as hereinafter 36 provided. The senators elected in the year one thousand eight hundred 37 and ninety-five shall hold their offices for three years, and their 38 successors shall be chosen for two years. The assembly shall consist of 39 one hundred and fifty members. The assembly members elected in the year 40 one thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight, and their successors, shall 41 be chosen for two years. 42 No person shall serve as a member of the legislature for more than six 43 two year terms, whether such service is as a senator, assembly member, 44 or terms as a senator and an assembly member; provided that any partial 45 term of office held as a member of the legislature prior to the election 46 to a two year term shall not be used to calculate any term limitation 47 imposed pursuant to this paragraph. 48 § 4. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That the foregoing be referred 49 to the first regular legislative session convening after the next 50 succeeding general election of members of the assembly, and, in conform- 51 ity with section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be published for 3 52 months previous to the time of such election.
