Assembly Bill A6523

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6523
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 5, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. K. BROWN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Local Governments
 
 AN ACT to amend the town law and the village law, in relation to requir-
   ing certain municipal positions take continuing legal education cours-
   es
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The town law is amended by adding a  new  section  51-a  to
 read as follows:
   §  51-A. CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERS OF A TOWN
 BOARD. 1. EACH MEMBER OF A TOWN BOARD SHALL COMPLETE SIX CREDIT HOURS OF
 ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS WITHIN ONE  YEAR
 OF  SUCH  MEMBER'S ELECTION TO SUCH TOWN BOARD. THE SIX HOURS OF ACCRED-
 ITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED  IN
 ONE HOUR INCREMENTS.
   2.  MEMBERS  OF  SUCH  TOWN  BOARD  SHALL COMPLETE SIX CREDIT HOURS OF
 ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS ANNUALLY  THERE-
 AFTER.  THE  SIX  CREDIT  HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
 COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE HOUR INCREMENTS.
   § 2. The town law is amended by adding a new section 60-b to  read  as
 follows:
   §  60-B. CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERS OF A TOWN
 BOARD. 1. EACH MEMBER OF A TOWN BOARD SHALL COMPLETE SIX CREDIT HOURS OF
 ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS WITHIN ONE  YEAR
 OF  SUCH  MEMBER'S ELECTION TO SUCH TOWN BOARD. THE SIX HOURS OF ACCRED-
 ITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED  IN
 ONE HOUR INCREMENTS.
   2.  MEMBERS  OF  SUCH  TOWN  BOARD  SHALL COMPLETE SIX CREDIT HOURS OF
 ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS ANNUALLY  THERE-
 AFTER.  THE  SIX  CREDIT  HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
 COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE HOUR INCREMENTS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10234-01-5
              

 A. 6523                             2
 
   § 3. Subdivision 7-a of section 267 of the  town  law  is  amended  by
 adding a new paragraph (a-1) to read as follows:
   (A-1)  (I)  IN ADDITION TO THE TRAINING REQUIRED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH
 (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, EACH MEMBER OF  THE  ZONING  BOARD  OF  APPEALS
 SHALL  COMPLETE, AT A MINIMUM, SIX CREDIT HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING
 LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS  WITHIN  ONE  YEAR  OF  SUCH  MEMBER'S
 APPOINTMENT  TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. THE SIX HOURS OF ACCREDITED
 CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED  IN  ONE
 HOUR  INCREMENTS.  SUCH TRAINING SHALL BE APPROVED BY THE TOWN BOARD AND
 MAY INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, TRAINING PROVIDED BY A MUNICIPALITY,
 REGIONAL OR COUNTY PLANNING OFFICE OR COMMISSION, COUNTY PLANNING FEDER-
 ATION, STATE AGENCY, STATEWIDE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, COLLEGE  OR  OTHER
 SIMILAR  ENTITY.  TRAINING  MAY  BE  PROVIDED  IN  A VARIETY OF FORMATS,
 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ELECTRONIC MEDIA, VIDEO, DISTANCE LEARNING
 AND TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM TRAINING.
   (II) MEMBERS OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS SHALL COMPLETE SIX  CREDIT
 HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS ANNUAL-
 LY  THEREAFTER.  THE  SIX  CREDIT  HOURS  OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL
 EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE  HOUR  INCREMENTS,
 IN THE SAME FORMAT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
   §  4.  Subdivision  7-a  of  section 271 of the town law is amended by
 adding a new paragraph a-1 to read as follows:
   A-1. (I) IN ADDITION TO THE TRAINING REQUIRED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH  A
 OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION, EACH MEMBER OF THE PLANNING BOARD SHALL COMPLETE,
 AT A MINIMUM, SIX CREDIT HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL  EDUCATION
 COURSES  IN  ETHICS  WITHIN ONE YEAR OF SUCH MEMBER'S APPOINTMENT TO THE
 PLANNING BOARD. THE SIX HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING  LEGAL  EDUCATION
 COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE HOUR INCREMENTS. SUCH TRAIN-
 ING  SHALL  BE  APPROVED  BY  THE TOWN BOARD AND MAY INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE
 LIMITED TO, TRAINING PROVIDED BY  A  MUNICIPALITY,  REGIONAL  OR  COUNTY
 PLANNING OFFICE OR COMMISSION, COUNTY PLANNING FEDERATION, STATE AGENCY,
 STATEWIDE  MUNICIPAL  ASSOCIATION,  COLLEGE  OR  OTHER  SIMILAR  ENTITY.
 TRAINING MAY BE PROVIDED IN A VARIETY  OF  FORMATS,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO,  ELECTRONIC MEDIA, VIDEO, DISTANCE LEARNING AND TRADITIONAL
 CLASSROOM TRAINING.
   (II) MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING BOARD SHALL COMPLETE SIX CREDIT HOURS  OF
 ACCREDITED  CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS ANNUALLY THERE-
 AFTER. THE SIX CREDIT HOURS OF  ACCREDITED  CONTINUING  LEGAL  EDUCATION
 COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE HOUR INCREMENTS, IN THE SAME
 FORMAT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
   §  5.  Section  4-412  of  the  village law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 4 to read as follows:
   4. CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERS  OF  A  VILLAGE
 BOARD  OF TRUSTEES. A. EACH MEMBER OF A BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL COMPLETE
 SIX CREDIT HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING  LEGAL  EDUCATION  COURSES  IN
 ETHICS WITHIN ONE YEAR OF SUCH MEMBER'S ELECTION TO THE VILLAGE BOARD OF
 TRUSTEES. THE SIX HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES
 IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE HOUR INCREMENTS.
   B.  MEMBERS  OF SUCH BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL COMPLETE SIX CREDIT HOURS
 OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL  EDUCATION  COURSES  IN  ETHICS  ANNUALLY
 THEREAFTER.  THE  SIX CREDIT HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCA-
 TION COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE HOUR INCREMENTS.
   § 6. Subdivision 7-a of section 7-712 of the village law is amended by
 adding a new paragraph (a-1) to read as follows:
   (A-1) (I) IN ADDITION TO THE TRAINING REQUIRED PURSUANT  TO  PARAGRAPH
 (A)  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  EACH  MEMBER OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
 A. 6523                             3
 
 SHALL COMPLETE, AT A MINIMUM, SIX CREDIT HOURS OF ACCREDITED  CONTINUING
 LEGAL  EDUCATION  COURSES  IN  ETHICS  WITHIN  ONE YEAR OF SUCH MEMBER'S
 APPOINTMENT TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. THE SIX HOURS OF  ACCREDITED
 CONTINUING  LEGAL  EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE
 HOUR INCREMENTS. SUCH TRAINING SHALL BE APPROVED BY THE TOWN  BOARD  AND
 MAY INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, TRAINING PROVIDED BY A MUNICIPALITY,
 REGIONAL OR COUNTY PLANNING OFFICE OR COMMISSION, COUNTY PLANNING FEDER-
 ATION,  STATE  AGENCY, STATEWIDE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, COLLEGE OR OTHER
 SIMILAR ENTITY. TRAINING MAY  BE  PROVIDED  IN  A  VARIETY  OF  FORMATS,
 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ELECTRONIC MEDIA, VIDEO, DISTANCE LEARNING
 AND TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM TRAINING.
   (II)  MEMBERS OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS SHALL COMPLETE SIX CREDIT
 HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS ANNUAL-
 LY THEREAFTER. THE SIX  CREDIT  HOURS  OF  ACCREDITED  CONTINUING  LEGAL
 EDUCATION  COURSES  IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE HOUR INCREMENTS,
 IN THE SAME FORMAT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
   § 7. Subdivision 7-a of section 7-718 of the village law is amended by
 adding a new paragraph a-1 to read as follows:
   A-1. (I) IN ADDITION TO THE TRAINING REQUIRED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH  A
 OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION, EACH MEMBER OF THE PLANNING BOARD SHALL COMPLETE,
 AT A MINIMUM, SIX CREDIT HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING LEGAL  EDUCATION
 COURSES  IN  ETHICS  WITHIN ONE YEAR OF SUCH MEMBER'S APPOINTMENT TO THE
 PLANNING BOARD. THE SIX HOURS OF ACCREDITED CONTINUING  LEGAL  EDUCATION
 COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE HOUR INCREMENTS. SUCH TRAIN-
 ING  SHALL  BE  APPROVED  BY  THE TOWN BOARD AND MAY INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE
 LIMITED TO, TRAINING PROVIDED BY  A  MUNICIPALITY,  REGIONAL  OR  COUNTY
 PLANNING OFFICE OR COMMISSION, COUNTY PLANNING FEDERATION, STATE AGENCY,
 STATEWIDE  MUNICIPAL  ASSOCIATION,  COLLEGE  OR  OTHER  SIMILAR  ENTITY.
 TRAINING MAY BE PROVIDED IN A VARIETY  OF  FORMATS,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO,  ELECTRONIC MEDIA, VIDEO, DISTANCE LEARNING AND TRADITIONAL
 CLASSROOM TRAINING.
   (II) MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING BOARD SHALL COMPLETE SIX CREDIT HOURS  OF
 ACCREDITED  CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES IN ETHICS ANNUALLY THERE-
 AFTER. THE SIX CREDIT HOURS OF  ACCREDITED  CONTINUING  LEGAL  EDUCATION
 COURSES IN ETHICS SHALL BE COMPLETED IN ONE HOUR INCREMENTS, IN THE SAME
 FORMAT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
   § 8. This act shall take effect immediately.