Bill Text: NY A06217 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to office staffing requirements during assembly member vacancies; requires the speaker of the assembly to appoint at least two staff members to continue the office services of a vacant assembly member's district office.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to governmental operations [A06217 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A06217-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6217
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    March 17, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BENEDETTO  --  read once and referred to the
         Committee on Governmental Operations
       AN ACT to amend the legislative law,  in  relation  to  district  office
         staffing requirements during assembly member vacancies
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Section 7 of the legislative law, as amended by chapter 506
    2  of the laws of 1960, the closing paragraph as added by  chapter  141  of
    3  the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
    4    S 7. Officers  and  employees  of  the  assembly.  1. The assembly may
    5  choose a clerk, a sergeant-at-arms and a stenographer. When an appropri-
    6  ation has been made for the services, temporary or otherwise,  of  offi-
    7  cers  and  employees of the assembly and their appointment is not other-
    8  wise authorized by law, the speaker of the  assembly  may  appoint  such
    9  officers  and employees and fix their compensation, respectively, within
   10  the amount provided by appropriation. The majority leader of the  assem-
   11  bly  may  appoint  a counsel to majority leader, an assistant counsel to
   12  majority leader, a secretary to majority leader, and a clerk to majority
   13  leader. The minority leader of the assembly may  appoint  a  counsel  to
   14  minority  leader, a clerk to minority, an assistant clerk to minority, a
   15  secretary to minority leader, a clerk to minority leader,  an  assistant
   16  clerk to minority leader, a ways and means minority clerk, two stenogra-
   17  phers,  a  clerk-chauffeur  and  a messenger to minority. In case of the
   18  death or resignation of the clerk of the assembly, or his OR HER inabil-
   19  ity to exercise the powers and/or discharge the duties of  said  office,
   20  notwithstanding  any other provisions of law the speaker of the assembly
   21  shall appoint an acting clerk or designate the assistant clerk as acting
   22  clerk to serve until a clerk is chosen  by  the  assembly  to  fill  the
   23  vacancy  or  until  the  disability  shall  cease.  The  acting clerk so
   24  appointed or designated as such shall  have  and  exercise  all  of  the
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD09422-03-5
       A. 6217                             2
    1  powers  of  the  clerk of the assembly until a clerk has been chosen and
    2  has qualified or until the disability shall cease.
    3    2.  Whenever  the  speaker  of the assembly is authorized or required,
    4  singly or jointly, to certify or approve warrants or  vouchers  for  the
    5  compensation  of any person, it shall be sufficient if he OR SHE execute
    6  the first such warrant or voucher, and thereafter the same may be certi-
    7  fied or approved by his OR HER designee or designees,  so  long  as  the
    8  rate  of such compensation is not increased, and upon proof by affidavit
    9  or otherwise that the same is due. Such designation shall be in  writing
   10  and  filed  in  the office of the speaker and in the office of the comp-
   11  troller, and shall remain in effect during the term  of  office  of  the
   12  speaker unless sooner revoked by him OR HER.
   13    3.  Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the speaker of the assem-
   14  bly or his or her designee may authorize expenditures to  be  made  from
   15  appropriations  or  reappropriations made to the assembly ways and means
   16  committee, or the allocable portion of an appropriation  or  reappropri-
   17  ation  so  made  to  a legislative council, commission or task force the
   18  expenditures from which are for assembly purposes in whole or in alloca-
   19  ble part. The speaker of the assembly may effect such  authorization  by
   20  filing  his  or  her approval of such authorization with the state comp-
   21  troller.
   22    4. IN THE EVENT OF A VACANCY  OF  AN  ASSEMBLY  MEMBER,  IN  ORDER  TO
   23  PROTECT  THE  INTERESTS OF THE CONSTITUENTS OF A DISTRICT WHERE THERE IS
   24  SUCH A VACANCY, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY OR HIS OR HER DESIGNEE SHALL
   25  APPOINT AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE TO CONTINUE  THE  OFFICE  SERVICES  OF  SUCH
   26  VACANT ASSEMBLY MEMBER'S DISTRICT OFFICE UNTIL SUCH VACANCY IS FILLED.
   27    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.