New York · statute · N.Y. Senate Rules Law · 106 active provisions
RULES OF THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 2025-2026 Rules of the Senate for the year 2025-2026, as adopted by Senate Resolution number 2 of 2025. Permanent Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly, as adopted by Concurrent Resolution numbers 459 (Senate) and 544 (Assembly) of 1984 and as amended by Concurrent Resoluti…
RULE I THE PRESIDENT
Section 1. The Lieutenant Governor of the State shall be President of the Senate, but shall have only a casting vote therein.
RULE II SENATE COMPOSITION
Section 1. The Senate shall be composed of three conferences; the Republican Conference, the Democratic Conference and the Independent Democratic Conference. Designation of the leaders and members of each conference shall be filed in the Senate Journal upon the approval of the Majority Coalition Leaders. The leaders of…
RULE III THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT
Section 1. The Senate shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members and the Senate shall choose a Temporary President, by resolution adopted upon the vote of a majority of the members of the Senate elected, and who shall preside, or designate some other member to preside, in case of…
§ 2. He or she shall appoint and designate the Officers of the Senate, the chair, vice-chair and members of all committees and sub-committees, except when the Senate shall otherwise order.
§ 3. The Chair of the Committee on Rules shall be the Majority Coalition Conference Leader with the greater number of Conference members.
§ 4. He or she shall appoint, in conjunction with the Speaker of the Assembly and the Legislative Librarian, an Assistant Legislative Librarian, to have charge and custody of all legislative documents, as defined in this section, who shall be responsible for collecting, numbering, indexing and retaining the same in the…
§ 5. He or she shall represent the Senate, or engage legal representation on behalf of the Senate, in any legal action or proceeding involving the interpretation or effect of any law of the federal, state or local government or the constitutionality thereof or with regard to the enforcement or defense of any right, pri…
RULE IV PRESIDING OFFICER
Section 1. The Presiding Officer of the Senate shall preserve order and decorum in the Senate Chamber; ensure that debate is germane to the question under discussion; in case of disturbance or disorderly conduct in the lobby or galleries, he or she may cause the same to be cleared; he or she shall decide all questions…
§ 2. Immediately upon the final passage by the Senate of any bill, or concurrent resolution proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State, and concurrent resolutions proposing or ratifying amendments to the Constitution of the United States he or she shall certify that the same has been duly passed, with the da…
§ 3. When the Presiding Officer is other than the President of the Senate, such Presiding Officer shall be vested with all of the powers and duties conferred by these rules and by any other rule or law upon the President.
RULE V THE SENATE AND ITS OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
Section 1. The Senate shall not discriminate because of race, creed, color, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability in judging the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members, or in the appointment of any member to committee or other office, or in the appointment of any of its officers…
§ 2. The administration and operations of the Senate shall be conducted in a fair and nonpartisan manner, including access to services necessary to all members and their offices, without regard to the members conference.
§ 3. The Conference leaders shall not serve in such capacity longer than eight years.
§ 4. The Senate may choose a Secretary, a Sergeant at Arms and an Official Stenographer who shall be elected for the term of the Senate. Such employees may be appointed as shall be provided for by appropriation, in the manner provided by law. Each officer and employee of the Senate shall perform such duties as may be p…
§ 5. a. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to have the journals, bills, calendars, messages and other documents printed and distributed in the manner provided by law. He or she shall present to the Governor, and enter upon the journals, such bills as shall have originated in the Senate and shall have been passed by…
§ 6. The Sergeant at Arms, under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, shall be the security officer of the Senate, and, except when absent in the discharge of his or her duties, shall be in constant attendance upon the sessions of the Senate and shall assign Assistant Sergeants at Arms to act as doorkeepers and, under th…
§ 7. The Official Stenographer or designee shall attend every session of the Senate and take stenographic notes of the debates of the Senate. He or she shall make a stenographic record of the proceedings and make copies available to the Secretary of the Senate. In addition, the Official Stenographer shall be responsibl…
RULE VI PROCEEDINGS
Section 1. a. The Journal. The Senate shall keep a journal of its proceedings and publish the same, except such parts as may require secrecy. The legislative and executive proceedings of the Senate shall each be recorded in a separate journal. b. Video of Senate proceedings. The Senate shall video record its proceeding…