Bill > S03384

This bill proposes a significant change to the New York State Senate's structure by mandating that each county, regardless of population, will be represented by exactly one senator. Currently, senate districts are apportioned based on population, but this bill would eliminate that approach and create a system where each of New York's counties receives one senate seat, effectively changing how legislative representation is determined. The bill modifies the state constitution to remove previous language about population-based senate district allocation and introduces a new principle of "one county, one senator" regardless of county size or population. This change would dramatically alter the current senate representation, potentially giving smaller, less populous counties the same legislative power as more densely populated counties. The bill also updates language around redistricting processes, including provisions for how the independent redistricting commission will draw districts, conduct public hearings, and submit plans to the legislature. Additionally, the bill replaces the term "aliens" with "noncitizens" when describing population counts, reflecting more contemporary terminology. The proposed changes would require referral to the next legislative session after the upcoming general election and would need to be published for three months prior to that election, as required by the state constitution.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3384