NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1577
SPONSOR: Steck TITLE OF BILL:
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment
to section 7 of article 4 of the constitution, in relation to requiring
the governor submit to oral questions from the legislature annually
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Annually require the governor to submit to oral questions regarding the
budget from both houses of the legislature in a joint session.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Resolved (if the concur), That section 7 of article 4 of the
constitution be amended by inserting .a new section b.
(b) The governor shall submit in person to oral questions from the
legislature for two hours in joint session once per year at a time set
by agreement of the senate and assembly.
JUSTIFICATION:
"Question time" is a routine part of the democratic process in many
advanced industrial countries. It assures that the executive does not
only speak to the people through controlled media events. The need for
"Question time" is particularly acute in New York State, where the budg-
et process is largely run by the executive branch and includes a variety
of matters which would be unlikely to qualify as budgetary if subjected
to judicial scrutiny. The Governor also introduces a variety of program
bills. Just as individual legislators have to answer questions from
members about their legislation, the Executive branch should as well,
though the scope of "Question time" is not necessarily limited to the
budget or program bills.
The democratic process merits enhancement. It is very difficult for the
citizenry to impact the executive branch in the absence of a more open
and public relationship with the legislature.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021/22: referred to governmental operations; to attorney-general for
opinionopinion referred to judiciary
EFFECTIVE DATE:
The above amendments will be referred to the first regular legislative
session convening after the next succeeding general election of the
members of the Assembly.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1577
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. STECK -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
proposing an amendment to section 7 of article 4 of the constitution, in
relation to requiring the governor submit to oral questions from the
legislature annually
1 Section 1. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 7 of article
2 4 of the constitution be amended to read as follows:
3 § 7. (a) Every bill which shall have passed the senate and assembly
4 shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the governor; if the
5 governor approve, [he or she] the governor shall sign it; but if not,
6 [he or she] the governor shall return it with [his or her] the gover-
7 nor's objections to the house in which it shall have originated, which
8 shall enter the objections at large on the journal, and proceed to
9 reconsider it. If after such reconsideration, two-thirds of the members
10 elected to that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent
11 together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall
12 likewise be reconsidered; and if approved by two-thirds of the members
13 elected to that house, it shall become a law notwithstanding the
14 objections of the governor. In all such cases the votes in both houses
15 shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the members
16 voting shall be entered on the journal of each house respectively. If
17 any bill shall not be returned by the governor within ten days (Sundays
18 excepted) after it shall have been presented to [him or her] the gover-
19 nor, the same shall be a law in like manner as if [he or she] the gover-
20 nor had signed it, unless the legislature shall, by their adjournment,
21 prevent its return, in which case it shall not become a law without the
22 approval of the governor. No bill shall become a law after the final
23 adjournment of the legislature, unless approved by the governor within
24 thirty days after such adjournment. If any bill presented to the gover-
25 nor contain several items of appropriation of money, the governor may
26 object to one or more of such items while approving of the other portion
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD89052-01-5
A. 1577 2
1 of the bill. In such case the governor shall append to the bill, at the
2 time of signing it, a statement of the items to which [he or she] the
3 governor objects; and the appropriation so objected to shall not take
4 effect. If the legislature be in session, [he or she] the governor shall
5 transmit to the house in which the bill originated a copy of such state-
6 ment, and the items objected to shall be separately reconsidered. If on
7 reconsideration one or more of such items be approved by two-thirds of
8 the members elected to each house, the same shall be part of the law,
9 notwithstanding the objections of the governor. All the provisions of
10 this section, in relation to bills not approved by the governor, shall
11 apply in cases in which [he or she] the governor shall withhold approval
12 from any item or items contained in a bill appropriating money.
13 (b) The governor shall submit in person to oral questions from the
14 legislature for two hours in joint session once per year at a time set
15 by agreement of the senate and assembly.
16 § 2. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That the foregoing amendments be
17 referred to the first regular legislative session convening after the
18 next succeeding general election of the members of the assembly, and, in
19 conformity with section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be
20 published for three months previous to the time of such election.
