S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  964--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. LUNSFORD, GLICK, DAVILA -- read once and referred
   to  the  Committee on Judiciary -- committee discharged, bill amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 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:
 
   Section  1.  The  uniform justice court act is amended by adding a new
 section 106-c to read as follows:
 § 106-C. RESIDENCY OF JUSTICES.
   NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER  PROVISION  OF  LAW  TO  THE  CONTRARY,  ANY
 JUSTICE  SERVING  A  TERM OF OFFICE IN A TOWN, VILLAGE OR CITY COURT MAY
 RESIDE IN ANY TOWN, VILLAGE OR CITY CONTAINED IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHIN
 THE SAME ASSEMBLY DISTRICT AS THE COURT SUCH JUSTICE SERVES.
   § 2.  The uniform justice court act is amended by adding a new section
 105-a to read as follows:
 § 105-A. MINIMUM EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF CERTAIN  TOWN  AND  VILLAGE
           JUSTICES.
   NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, ANY TOWN
 OR VILLAGE, MAY BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF SUCH TOWN OR
 VILLAGE, REQUIRE THAT ANY PERSON WHO SERVES AS A TOWN OR VILLAGE JUSTICE
 BE ADMITTED TO PRACTICE LAW IN THE STATE. ANY CHANGE IN THE REQUIREMENTS
 FOR ELIGIBILITY TO SERVE AS TOWN OR VILLAGE JUSTICE  SHALL  TAKE  EFFECT
 UPON  COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  NEXT  JUDICIAL TERM OF OFFICE FOLLOWING THE
 ELECTION AFTER ENACTMENT OF THE LOCAL LAW.
   § 3. Section 3 of the public officers law is amended by adding  a  new
 subdivision 10-a to read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01318-02-5
 A. 964--A                           2
 
    10-A.  NEITHER  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS SECTION NOR OF ANY GENERAL,
 SPECIAL OR LOCAL LAW, CHARTER,  CODE,  ORDINANCE,  RESOLUTION,  RULE  OR
 REGULATION,  REQUIRING A PERSON TO BE A RESIDENT OF THE POLITICAL SUBDI-
 VISION OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF THE STATE FOR  WHICH  THEY  SHALL  BE
 CHOSEN OR WITHIN WHICH THEIR OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS ARE REQUIRED TO BE EXER-
 CISED,  SHALL  APPLY TO THE APPOINTMENT OF JUSTICES OF A TOWN OR VILLAGE
 COURT WHO RESIDES IN AN ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  CONTIGUOUS  TO  SUCH  MUNICI-
 PALITY.
   § 4. Section 2104 of the uniform city court act is amended by adding a
 new subdivision (g) to read as follows:
   (G) NEITHER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION NOR OF ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL
 OR  LOCAL LAW, CHARTER, CODE, ORDINANCE, RESOLUTION, RULE OR REGULATION,
 REQUIRING A PERSON TO BE A RESIDENT  OF  THE  POLITICAL  SUBDIVISION  OR
 MUNICIPAL  CORPORATION  OF  THE  STATE FOR WHICH THEY SHALL BE CHOSEN OR
 WITHIN WHICH THEIR OFFICIAL FUNCTIONS  ARE  REQUIRED  TO  BE  EXERCISED,
 SHALL  APPLY  TO  THE APPOINTMENT OF JUSTICES OF A CITY COURT OUTSIDE OF
 THE CITY OF NEW YORK WHO RESIDES IN AN ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  CONTIGUOUS  TO
 SUCH MUNICIPALITY.
   §  5. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.