New York Constitution
| New York Constitution |
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| Preamble |
| Articles |
| I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII • XIX • XX |
The New York Constitution is the state constitution of New York.
- The current New York Constitution was adopted in 1894 and revised in 1938 by a constitutional convention.
- New York has had four state constitutions (1777, 1821, 1846, and 1894) and held eight constitutional conventions (1801, 1821, 1846, 1867, 1894, 1915, 1938, and 1967).[1]
- The current state constitution has 20 articles.
- The current New York Constitution has been amended over 206 times. Since 1996, 19 constitutional amendments have been adopted.[2]
- Voters last approved two new amendments to the New York Constitution on November 7, 2023.
A state constitution is the fundamental document that outlines a state's framework for governance, including the powers, structure, and limitations of the state government, individual and civil rights, and other matters.
Background
New York became the 11th state on July 26, 1788. The first constitution was adopted in 1777.[3]
New York has adopted four constitutions (1777, 1821, 1846, and 1894) and held eight constitutional conventions (1801, 1821, 1846, 1867, 1894, 1915, 1938, and 1967). The constitution amended in 1938 by a constitutional convention remains the central governing document of the state.[3]
Preamble
The preamble of the New York Constitution states:
Article I: Bill of Rights
- See also: Article I, New York Constitution
Article I of the New York Constitution is entitled "Bill of Rights" and consists of 18 sections, three of which have been repealed.
Click here to read this article of the New York Constitution.
Article II: Suffrage
- See also: Article II, New York Constitution
Article II of the New York Constitution is entitled "Suffrage" and consists of nine sections.
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Article III: Legislature
- See also: Article III, New York Constitution
Article III of the New York Constitution is entitled "Legislature" and consists of 25 sections.
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Article IV: Executive
- See also: Article IV, New York Constitution
Article IV of the New York Constitution is entitled "Executive" and consists of eight sections.
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Article V: Officers and Civil Departments
- See also: Article V, New York Constitution
Article V of the New York Constitution is entitled "Officers and Civil Departments" and consists of seven sections, one of which has been repealed.
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Article VI: Judiciary
- See also: Article VI, New York Constitution
Article VI of the New York Constitution is entitled "Judiciary" and consists of 37 sections.
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Article VII: State Finances
- See also: Article VII, New York Constitution
Article VII of the New York Constitution is entitled "State Finances" and consists of 19 sections.
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Article VIII: Local Finances
- See also: Article VIII, New York Constitution
Article VIII of the New York Constitution is entitled "Local Finances" and consists of 12 sections.
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Article IX: Local Governments
- See also: Article IX, New York Constitution
Article IX of the New York Constitution is entitled "Local Governments" and consists of three sections.
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Article X: Corporations
- See also: Article X, New York Constitution
Article X of the New York Constitution is entitled "Corporations" and consists of eight sections.
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Article XI: Education
- See also: Article XI, New York Constitution
Article XI of the New York Constitution is entitled "Education" and consists of three sections.
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Article XII: Defense
- See also: Article XII, New York Constitution
Article XII of the New York Constitution is entitled "Defense" and consists of one section.
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Article XIII: Public Officers
- See also: Article XIII, New York Constitution
Article XIII of the New York Constitution is entitled "Public Officers" and consists of 14 sections, with no sections 9-12.
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Article XIV: Conservation
- See also: Article XIV, New York Constitution
Article XIV of the New York Constitution is entitled "Conservation" and consists of five sections.
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Article XV: Canals
- See also: Article XV, New York Constitution
Article XV of the New York Constitution is entitled "Canals" and consists of four sections.
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Article XVI: Article XVI: Taxation
- See also: Article XVI, New York Constitution
Article XVI of the New York Constitution is entitled "Taxation" and consists of six sections.
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Article XVII: Social Welfare
- See also: Article XVII, New York Constitution
Article XVII of the New York Constitution is entitled "Social Welfare" and consists of seven sections.
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Article XVIII: Housing
- See also: Article XVIII, New York Constitution
Article XVIII of the New York Constitution is entitled "Housing" and consists of ten sections.
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Article XIX: Amendments to Constitution
- See also: Article XIX, New York Constitution
Article XIX of the New York Constitution is entitled "Amendments to Constitution" and consists of three sections.
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Article XX: When to Take Effect
- See also: Article XX, New York Constitution
Article XX of the New York Constitution is entitled "When to Take Effect" and consists of one section.
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Constitutional amendments
| New York Constitution |
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| Preamble |
| Articles |
| I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII • XIX • XX |
The New York Constitution can be amended through legislatively referred constitutional amendments or through constitutional conventions.
Legislature
A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the New York State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 126 votes in the New York State Assembly and 32 votes in the New York State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According to Section 2 of Article XIX of the New York Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 20 years starting in 1957. New York is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question.
The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:
| State | Interval | Last question on the ballot | Next question on the ballot |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 20 years | 2017 | 2037 |
See also
- State constitution
- Constitutional article
- Constitutional amendment
- Constitutional revision
- Constitutional convention
- Amendments
External links
- New York State, "New York Constitution"
- NYSED.gov, "New York State Constitutional Conventions and Constitutional History"
- History.com, " Apr 20, 1777: New York adopts state constitution"
Footnotes
- ↑ Georgetown Law, "New York Constitution," accessed November 1, 2023
- ↑ League of Women Voters of New York, "FACTS REGARDING NEW YORK ‘S CONSTITUTION AND CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS," accessed November 6, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 NYSED.gov, "New York State Constitutional Conventions and Constitutional History," accessed March 30, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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