Allows for justices to reside in any town, village or city within the same assembly district as the court such justice serves and establishes educational requirements for certain town and village justices

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          10089

                                    I N  S E N A T E

                                     April 28, 2026
                                       ___________

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

        AN ACT to amend the uniform justice court act, the public  officers  law
          and  the  uniform city court act, in relation to allowing for justices
          to reside in any town,  village  or  city  within  the  same  assembly
          district  as  the  court  such justice serves and establishing minimum
          educational requirements for certain town and village justices

          THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section  1.  The  uniform justice court act is amended by adding a new
     2  section 106-c to read as follows:
     3  § 106-C. RESIDENCY OF JUSTICES.
     4    NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER  PROVISION  OF  LAW  TO  THE  CONTRARY,  ANY
     5  JUSTICE  SERVING  A  TERM OF OFFICE IN A TOWN, VILLAGE OR CITY COURT MAY
     6  RESIDE IN ANY TOWN, VILLAGE OR CITY CONTAINED IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHIN
     7  THE SAME ASSEMBLY DISTRICT AS THE COURT SUCH JUSTICE SERVES.
     8    § 2.  The uniform justice court act is amended by adding a new section
     9  105-a to read as follows:
    10  § 105-A. MINIMUM EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF CERTAIN  TOWN  AND  VILLAGE
    11            JUSTICES.
    12    NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, ANY TOWN
    13  OR VILLAGE, MAY BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF SUCH TOWN OR
    14  VILLAGE, REQUIRE THAT ANY PERSON WHO SERVES AS A TOWN OR VILLAGE JUSTICE
    15  BE ADMITTED TO PRACTICE LAW IN THE STATE. ANY CHANGE IN THE REQUIREMENTS
    16  FOR ELIGIBILITY TO SERVE AS TOWN OR VILLAGE JUSTICE  SHALL  TAKE  EFFECT
    17  UPON  COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  NEXT  JUDICIAL TERM OF OFFICE FOLLOWING THE
    18  ELECTION AFTER ENACTMENT OF THE LOCAL LAW.
    19    § 3. Section 3 of the public officers law is amended by adding  a  new
    20  subdivision 10-a to read as follows:
    21     10-A.  NEITHER  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS SECTION NOR OF ANY GENERAL,
    22  SPECIAL OR LOCAL LAW, CHARTER,  CODE,  ORDINANCE,  RESOLUTION,  RULE  OR
    23  REGULATION,  REQUIRING A PERSON TO BE A RESIDENT OF THE POLITICAL SUBDI-
    24  VISION OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF THE STATE FOR  WHICH  THEY  SHALL  BE
    25  CHOSEN OR WITHIN WHICH THEIR OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS ARE REQUIRED TO BE EXER-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01318-03-5
        S. 10089                            2

     1  CISED,  SHALL  APPLY TO THE APPOINTMENT OF JUSTICES OF A TOWN OR VILLAGE
     2  COURT WHO RESIDES IN AN ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  CONTIGUOUS  TO  SUCH  MUNICI-
     3  PALITY.
     4    § 4. Section 2104 of the uniform city court act is amended by adding a
     5  new subdivision (g) to read as follows:
     6    (G) NEITHER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION NOR OF ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL
     7  OR  LOCAL LAW, CHARTER, CODE, ORDINANCE, RESOLUTION, RULE OR REGULATION,
     8  REQUIRING A PERSON TO BE A RESIDENT  OF  THE  POLITICAL  SUBDIVISION  OR
     9  MUNICIPAL  CORPORATION  OF  THE  STATE FOR WHICH THEY SHALL BE CHOSEN OR
    10  WITHIN WHICH THEIR OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS  ARE  REQUIRED  TO  BE  EXERCISED,
    11  SHALL  APPLY  TO  THE APPOINTMENT OF JUSTICES OF A CITY COURT OUTSIDE OF
    12  THE CITY OF NEW YORK WHO RESIDES IN AN ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  CONTIGUOUS  TO
    13  SUCH MUNICIPALITY.
    14    §  5. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
    15  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.