NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A11550
SPONSOR: Rules (Rivera) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the judiciary law, in relation to judicial departments
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Creates the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth judicial districts,
alters the composition of the fifth, seventh, and eighth judicial
districts as heretofore constituted, and reapportions the justices ther-
eof. This bill is modeled off of Chapter 690 of the Laws of 2007, which
created the thirteenth judicial district.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Sections one and two amend sections 70 and 140 of the Judiciary Law to
create the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth judicial districts and
to alter the composition of the fifth, seventh, and eighth judicial
districts as heretofore constituted.
Section three amends section 140-a of the Judiciary Law to add new
subdivisions fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen and to amend subdivisions
five, seven, and eight.
Section four relates to justices of the fifth, seventh, and eighth judi-
cial districts as heretofore constituted, and to the justices of the
fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth judicial districts as established
by this act.
Section five relates to the intended object of this act: to erect in the
fourth judicial department the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth
judicial districts, and to alter the composition and reapportion the
justices of the fifth, seventh, and eighth judicial districts as hereto-
fore constituted.
Section six is a severability clause. Section seven is the effective
date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
N/A
JUSTIFICATION:
The State Constitution authorizes the Legislature, once every ten years,
to "increase or decrease the number of judicial districts or alter the
composition of judicial districts and thereupon reapportion the justices
to be thereafter elected in the judicial districts so altered." The
Legislature last exercised this authority in 2007, when it established
the thirteenth judicial district in the county of Richmond, and believes
that due to population changes in Western NY a reorganizing of their
districts is necessary.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately except that the provisions of
sections one, two, three, and four of this act shall take effect January
1, 2027.
