A 964: Allows for justices to reside in any town, village or city contained in whole or in part within the same assembly district, county or adjoining county as the court such justice serves or in an assembly district contiguous to such municipality where the court is located, provided such assembly district is contained entirely within a single county; sets forth residence requirements where an assembly district encompasses two or more counties; authorizes towns and villages to require that any person who serves as a town or village justice be admitted to practice law in the state.
The bill aims to amend the Uniform Justice Court Act, the Public Officers Law, and the Uniform City Court Act to allow justices to reside in any town, village, or city within the same assembly district, county, or adjoining county as the court they serve. Justices serving a term of office in a town or village court may reside in any town, village, or city within the same county as the court they serve, or in any town, village, or city contained in whole or in part within the same assembly district as the court they serve, provided the assembly district is contained entirely within a single county. The bill also establishes minimum educational requirements for certain town and village justices. These justices must be attorneys admitted to practice law in the state for at least five years immediately prior to their term, or retired attorneys who met the minimum educational requirements an…
| Feb. 06, 2026 | print number 964b |
| Feb. 06, 2026 | amend (t) and recommit to judiciary |
| Jan. 07, 2026 | referred to judiciary |
| Apr. 15, 2025 | amend (t) and recommit to judiciary |
| Apr. 15, 2025 | print number 964a |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 964 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LUNSFORD -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Judiciary AN ACT to amend the uniform justice 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: 1 Section 1. The uniform justice court act is amended by adding a new 2 section 106-c to read as follows: 3 § 106-c. Residency of justices. 4 Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any 5 justice serving a term of office in a town, village or city court may 6 reside in any town, village or city contained in whole or in part within 7 the same assembly district as the court such justice serves. 8 § 2. The uniform justice court act is amended by adding a new section 9 105-a to read as follows: 10 § 105-a. Minimum educational requirements of certain town and village 11 justices. 12 Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any town 13 or village, may by a majority vote of the governing body of such town or 14 village, require that any person who serves as a town or village justice 15 be admitted to practice law in the state. Any change in the requirements 16 for eligibility to serve as town or village justice shall take effect 17 upon commencement of the next judicial term of office following the 18 election after enactment of the local law. 19 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 20 ing the date on which it shall have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01318-01-5