New York S 7009: Provides for initiative and referendum and recall

Bill Text

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S07009 Summary:

BILL NOS07009 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORGRIFFO

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Ren Art 20 to be Art 21, add Art 20 §§1 - 12, Constn

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Provides for initiative and referendum and recall; empowers the electors with the ability to propose statutes and amendments to the constitution, approve or reject statutes or parts of statutes, and remove elective officers.

Go to top S07009 Actions:

BILL NOS07009 

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03/28/2025REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

03/28/2025TO ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR OPINION

04/24/2025OPINION REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

01/07/2026REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

01/08/2026TO ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR OPINION

02/05/2026OPINION REFERRED TO JUDICIARY

Go to topS07009 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS07009 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS07009 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 7009

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 March 28, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. GRIFFO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary

 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY

 proposing the addition of a new article 20 to the constitution, in
 relation to providing for initiative and referendum and recall

 1 Section 1. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That article 20 of the
 2 constitution be renumbered article 21 and a new article 20 be added to
 3 read as follows:
 4 ARTICLE XX
 5 INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM AND RECALL
 6 Section 1. 1. The initiative is the power of the electors to propose
 7 statutes and amendments to the constitution and to adopt or reject them.
 8 2. An initiative measure may be proposed by presenting to the secre-
 9 tary of state a petition that sets forth the text of the proposed stat-
 10 ute or amendment to the constitution and is certified to have been
 11 signed by electors equal in number to five percent in the case of a
 12 statute, and eight percent in the case of an amendment to the constitu-
 13 tion, of the votes for all candidates for governor at the last guberna-
 14 torial election.
 15 3. The secretary of state shall then submit the measure at the next
 16 general election held at least one hundred thirty-one days after it
 17 qualifies or at any special statewide election held prior to that gener-
 18 al election. The governor may call a special statewide election for the
 19 measure.
 20 4. An initiative measure shall be approved only when two-thirds of all
 21 electors in two-thirds of all counties in the state vote to approve such
 22 measure.
 23 5. An initiative measure embracing more than one subject may not be
 24 submitted to the electors or have any effect.
 25 6. An initiative measure shall not include or exclude any political
 26 subdivision of the state from the application or effect of its
 27 provisions based upon approval or disapproval of the initiative measure,

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD89075-01-5

 S. 7009 2

 1 or based upon the casting of a specified percentage of votes in favor of
 2 the measure, by the electors of that political subdivision.
 3 7. An initiative measure shall not contain alternative or cumulative
 4 provisions wherein one or more of those provisions would become law
 5 depending upon the casting of a specified percentage of votes for or
 6 against the measure.
 7 § 2. 1. The referendum is the power of the electors to approve or
 8 reject statutes or parts of statutes except urgency statutes, statutes
 9 calling elections, and statutes providing for tax levies or appropri-
 10 ations for usual current expenses of the state.
 11 2. A referendum measure may be proposed by presenting to the secretary
 12 of state, within ninety days after the effective date of the statute, a
 13 petition certified to have been signed by electors equal in number to
 14 five percent of the votes for all candidates for governor at the last
 15 gubernatorial election, asking that the statute or part of it be submit-
 16 ted to the electors. In the case of a statute enacted by a bill passed
 17 by the legislature on or before the date the legislature adjourns in the
 18 second calendar year of the biennium of the