S 7676: Allows for justices to reside in any town, village or city contained in whole or in part within the same assembly district as the court such justice serves or in an assembly district contiguous to such municipality where the court is located; 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.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7676 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE April 29, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary 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: 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. Section 3 of the public officers law is amended by adding a new 20 subdivision 10-a to read as follows: 21 10-a. Neither the provisions of this section nor of any general, 22 special or local law, charter, code, ordinance, resolution, rule or EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01318-03-5 
 S. 7676 2 1 regulation, requiring a person to be a resident of the political subdi- 2 vision or municipal corporation of the state for which they shall be 3 chosen or within which their official functions are required to be exer- 4 cised, shall apply to the appointment of justices of a town or village 5 court who resides in an assembly district contiguous to such munici- 6 pality. 7 § 4. Section 2104 of the uniform city court act is amended by adding a 8 new subdivision (g) to read as follows: 9 (g) Neither the provisions of this section nor of any general, special 10 or local law, charter, code, ordinance, resolution, rule or regulation, 11 requiring a person to be a resident of the political subdivision or 12 municipal corporation of the state for which they shall be chosen or 13 within which their official functions are required to be exercised, 14 shall apply to the appointment of justices of a city court outside of 15 the city of New York who resides in an assembly district contiguous to 16 such municipality. 17 § 5. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 18 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.