NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2499
SPONSOR: Ra TITLE OF BILL:
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment
to section 6 of article 3 of the constitution, in relation to salary
increases for members of the legislature
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would require any proposed salary increase for members of the
State Legislature to first be put before the people at a general
election for a majority of voter approval.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill amends Section 6 of Article 3 of the New York
State Constitution to read that any salary increase for members of the
legislature shall first be submitted to the people at the next general
election and approved by a majority of votes, and establishes language
for the ballot.
Section two of the bill sets the effective date for when this amendment
be referred to and placed on the ballot.
JUSTIFICATION:
The Legislature should not be the method of approval for their own sala-
ry increases. The people of New York State should decide if legislative
pay raises are warranted. This should be presented to them at a general
election, in which the ballot lists the current salary of members, and
what the proposed increase will be. This measure is needed for public
transparency and honesty from legislative leaders.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.4116 (2023-2024) - opinion referred to Judiciary
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This measure shall take effect for the first legislative session conven-
ing after the next succeeding general election of members of the assem-
bly.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2499
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 17, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RA -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Governmental Operations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
proposing an amendment to section 6 of article 3 of the constitution, in
relation to salary increases for members of the legislature
1 Section 1. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That section 6 of article
2 3 of the constitution be amended to read as follows:
3 § 6. (a) Each member of the legislature shall receive for [his or her]
4 such member's services a like annual salary, to be fixed by law. [He or
5 she] Each member shall also be reimbursed for [his or her] such member's
6 actual traveling expenses in going to and returning from the place in
7 which the legislature meets, not more than once each week while the
8 legislature is in session. Senators, when the senate alone is convened
9 in extraordinary session, or when serving as members of the court for
10 the trial of impeachments, and such members of the assembly, not exceed-
11 ing nine in number, as shall be appointed managers of an impeachment,
12 shall receive an additional per diem allowance, to be fixed by law. Any
13 member, while serving as an officer of [his or her] such member's house
14 or in any other special capacity therein or directly connected therewith
15 not hereinbefore in this section specified, may also be paid and
16 receive, in addition, any allowance which may be fixed by law for the
17 particular and additional services appertaining to or entailed by such
18 office or special capacity. Neither the salary of any member nor any
19 other allowance so fixed may be increased or diminished during, and with
20 respect to, the term for which [he or she] a member shall have been
21 elected, nor shall [he or she] any member be paid or receive any other
22 extra compensation. The provisions of this section and laws enacted in
23 compliance therewith shall govern and be exclusively controlling,
24 according to their terms. Members shall continue to receive such salary
25 and additional allowance as heretofore fixed and provided in this
26 section, until changed by law pursuant to this section.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD89068-01-5
A. 2499 2
1 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any
2 amendment to the legislative law, or any other provision of law that
3 would result in the increase of salary for members of the legislature,
4 shall first have been submitted to the people at the next general
5 election and shall have been approved by a majority of all votes cast
6 for and against it at such general election. Upon approval by the
7 people, the amendment to increase legislative member's salaries shall
8 take effect immediately. The ballots to be furnished for the use of
9 voters upon submission shall be in the form prescribed by the election
10 law, and shall set forth the current salary of the members of the legis-
11 lature, the proposed increased per annum salary and shall explicitly ask
12 "Shall the increase in salary be approved?".
13 § 2. Resolved (if the Senate concur), That the foregoing amendment be
14 referred to the first regular legislative session convening after the
15 next succeeding general election of members of the assembly, and, in
16 conformity with section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be
17 published for 3 months previous to the time of such election.
