
The legislative process in New York State involves the Senate, Assembly, and Governor working together to enact, amend, or repeal statutes. The legislative term consists of two sessions, and the legislative power of the state is vested in the Senate and Assembly, according to the New York State Constitution. The Council, comprising committees that examine specific topic areas, writes and passes local laws that affect the day-to-day lives of New Yorkers. The Mayor also plays a role in the legislative process, as bills must be submitted to the Bill Drafting Commission for translation into formal language. After a bill passes both houses, the presiding officer of each house certifies its passage, and it is engrossed by the house of origin. The governor then has a limited time to act on the bill, with ten-day and thirty-day bills becoming law automatically if the governor does not veto them within the specified timeframe.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time for the governor to act on a "ten-day" bill | 10 days before the last 10 days of the legislative session |
| Time for the governor to act on a "thirty-day" bill | 30 days during the last 10 days of the legislative session |
| Time for the mayor to act on a bill | 30 days |
| Minimum number of votes required to override the governor's veto | 2/3 of each house |
| Minimum number of votes required to override the mayor's veto | 2/3 of the council |
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What You'll Learn

The legislative process
Committee Assignment and Review
The bill is assigned to the appropriate committee for discussion and review. All bills are referred to at least one committee, and they can be referred to additional committees if necessary. The committee evaluates the bill and decides whether to report it out of the committee for further consideration. Bills requiring state funding must first be sent to the Ways and Means Committee for approval.
Floor Vote
If a majority of the committee supports the bill, it is reported to the floor of the Senate or Assembly. Bills must age for three consecutive legislative session days before they can be voted on by the full house. If a bill passes both houses, the presiding officer of each house will certify its passage.
Governor's Review and Action
The passed bill is then transmitted to the governor's office. The governor has the power to sign the bill into law or veto it. The governor has ten days, excluding Sundays, to act on a bill passed during the legislative session. This timeframe may be longer for bills passed during the last ten days of the session. The governor may consult with interested parties before making a decision.
Override of Veto
If the governor vetoes a bill, it can still become law if two-thirds of the members of each house vote to override the veto. This process is known as an "override."
Signing into Law
Once a bill is signed by the governor or passes by a veto override, it becomes law in New York State. These enacted laws are known as ""chapter laws"" and are assigned a unique chapter number for reference.
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The role of the Senate
The legislative power of the state of New York is vested in the Senate and Assembly, according to Article III, § 1 of the New York State Constitution. The legislative process begins with a new policy idea, which can come from senators, their constituents, an organisation calling for a new law, or a state official. Once an idea for a new law has been settled on, it must be drafted as a bill before it can be considered by the Senate.
The Senate works with the Assembly and the Governor to enact, amend, or repeal statutes that make up the body of laws by which New Yorkers are governed. This involves drafting, discussing, and approving bills and resolutions. The committee system acts as a funnel through which bills are introduced and considered. The system also acts as a sieve to sift out undesirable or unworkable ideas. After consideration, the committee may report the bill to the full Senate for consideration, it may amend the bill, or it may reject it. After explanation, discussion, or debate, a vote is taken. If a majority of the Senators approves, the bill is sent to the Assembly.
The Senate Majority Leader and Assembly Speaker each appoint five members to serve on a conference committee to negotiate and iron out differences. A majority of the elected membership of each house is required to pass a bill. Bills that would appropriate funds for local or private purposes and some special bills require a two-thirds vote. Once a bill passes both houses, the presiding officer of each house will certify the passage. The house of origin will engross the bill by affixing certifications of passage from each house and enclosing the bill in a folder known as a "bill jacket." This includes opinions from interested parties collected by the Governor's Counsel's office and the governor's approval memoranda (or a veto memorandum).
The governor has ten days to act on a bill passed by the legislature before the last ten days of its session. These are called "ten-day" bills. The governor has thirty days to act on bills passed by the legislature during the last ten days of its session. These are called "thirty-day" bills. The governor may consult opinions from interested parties before deciding whether to sign the bill, veto it, or take no action. A vetoed bill can still become law if two-thirds of the members of each house vote to override the Governor's veto. "Ten-day" bills automatically become law if the governor does not take any action during the ten-day period.
The Senate also has the function of advising and consenting to treaties and to certain nominations by the President. Under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, a vote in each House is required to confirm the President's nomination for Vice-President when there is a vacancy. In the matter of impeachments, the Senate sits as a court to try the impeachment. No impeached person may be removed without a two-thirds vote of those Senators voting, with a quorum being present.
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The role of the Assembly
In New York, the legislative power of the state is vested in the Senate and the Assembly, as per Article III, § 1 of the New York State Constitution. The Assembly plays a crucial role in enacting, amending, or repealing statutes that make up the body of laws by which New Yorkers are governed. This involves drafting, discussing, and approving bills and resolutions.
The legislative process typically begins with a new policy idea, which can come from senators, their constituents, organisations, or state officials. Once an idea for a new law is agreed upon, it is drafted as a bill. Bills are generally introduced by legislators or standing committees of the Senate and Assembly, except for the Executive Budget, which is submitted directly by the Governor.
After introduction, a bill is sent to the appropriate standing committee, where members evaluate it and decide whether to send it to the Senate floor for a full membership vote. Committees often hold public hearings on bills to gather a wide range of opinions, and citizens can share their views with their Senate representative for relay to committee members.
If a majority of senators approve a bill, it is sent to the Assembly. It is referred to an Assembly committee for discussion, and if approved without amendment, it goes to the Governor. If the Assembly makes changes to the bill, it is returned to the Senate for concurrence in the amendments. This back-and-forth process continues until both houses agree on a version of the bill.
Once a bill passes both houses, it is certified by the presiding officer of each house and engrossed, along with opinions from interested parties and the governor's approval or veto memorandum. The governor has ten days to act on a bill passed during the legislative session, and thirty days for a bill passed in the last ten days of the session. If the governor takes no action during this time, the bill automatically becomes law. However, if the governor vetoes the bill, it can still become law if two-thirds of the members of each house vote to override the veto.
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The Governor's power
The legislative process in New York begins with a new policy idea. Senators often come up with these ideas, but they can also come from constituents, organisations, or state officials. Once an idea for a new law has been agreed upon, it must be drafted as a bill before it can be considered by the Senate. The bill is then submitted to the Bill Drafting Commission, where it is translated into formal language. If the Mayor wishes to put forth legislation, they must find an Assembly or Senate member willing to propose the legislation before their respective legislative bodies.
The bill is then introduced, assigned a number, and printed. It is then assigned to an appropriate committee for discussion and review. If a majority of members on the committee support it, the bill is reported to the floor. After explanation, discussion, or debate, a vote is taken. If a majority of Senators approve, the bill is sent to the Assembly. If approved by the Assembly, it goes to the Governor.
The Governor has the power to veto a bill. However, a vetoed bill can still become law if two-thirds of the members of each house vote to override the Governor's veto. The Governor has ten days to act on a bill passed by the legislature before the last ten days of its session. These are called "ten-day" bills. The Governor has thirty days to act on bills passed by the legislature during the last ten days of its session. These are called "thirty-day" bills. If the Governor does not take any action during the ten-day period, the bill automatically becomes law. If the Governor does not sign thirty-day bills within the thirty-day limit, they do not become law.
The legislative power of the state is vested in the Senate and Assembly, according to the New York State Constitution. Every bill that passes both the Senate and the Assembly must be approved and signed by the Governor before it becomes a law.
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Vetoes and how to override them
In the state of New York, the legislative process begins with a new policy idea, which can come from senators, constituents, organisations, or state officials. Once an idea for a new law has been agreed on, it must be drafted as a bill before it can be considered by the Senate. Bills are generally introduced by legislators or by standing committees of the Senate and Assembly. The only exception is the Executive Budget, which is submitted directly by the Governor.
The committee system acts as a funnel through which bills must pass before they can be considered by the full Senate. After consideration, the committee may report the bill to the full Senate, amend it, or reject it. If a majority of senators approve, the bill is sent to the Assembly, where it is referred to a committee for discussion. If approved, it goes to the full membership for a vote. If the bill is approved in the Assembly without amendment, it goes to the Governor.
The Governor has ten days to act on a bill passed by the legislature before the session's final ten days. These are called "ten-day" bills. The Governor has thirty days to act on bills passed during the session's last ten days. These are "thirty-day" bills. The Governor may consult opinions from interested parties before deciding whether to sign the bill, veto it, or take no action.
If the Governor vetoes a bill, they must explain their rationale in a veto memorandum. A vetoed bill can still become law if two-thirds of the members of each house vote to override the Governor's veto. This ability to override vetoes was included in the original New York Constitution, with delegates debating the required threshold for a successful override.
In January 2024, the New York City Council voted to override Mayor Adams' vetoes on two bills, Introduction 586-A and Introduction 549-A, with a vote of 42-9. The bills in question concerned police transparency and banning solitary confinement.
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Frequently asked questions
The governor has 10 days to veto a bill passed by the legislature before the final 10 days of its session. If it is passed in the last 10 days of the session, the governor has 30 days to veto.
A "pocket veto" occurs when the governor does not sign a bill within the 30-day limit.
Yes, a vetoed bill can become law if two-thirds of the members of each house vote to override the governor's veto.
The legislative process begins with a policy idea, which is then drafted as a bill. The bill is then considered by the Senate and, if approved, sent to the Assembly. If approved by the Assembly, it goes to the governor. If signed by the governor, it becomes a law.











































