Bill > S00960

This bill proposes amendments to the New York State Constitution's Article 7, which governs the state budgeting process, with the goal of enhancing budget transparency and clarifying the governor's budgetary responsibilities. Specifically, the bill requires the governor to submit appropriation bills that are consistent with existing state law or proposed legislation, and mandates that appropriation bills be separate from other legislative proposals. The amendments also impose stricter requirements on the content of appropriation bills, stipulating that each bill must focus on a single object or purpose, include clear descriptions of appropriations, identify the statutory basis for expenditures, and avoid including programmatic conditions or modifying existing laws within the appropriation bill itself. Moreover, the bill requires that any program conditions, rules, or legal modifications be submitted in separate non-appropriation bills, thereby creating a clearer distinction between funding mechanisms and policy changes. The proposed constitutional amendment would need to be referred to the first regular legislative session after the next general election of assembly members and be published for three months prior to that election, following the standard process for constitutional amendments in New York State.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S960