New York Constitution Article XIX - Amendments to Constitution
New York Constitution – Article XIX: Amendments to the Constitution
Article XIX outlines the official procedures for amending the New York State Constitution. It provides two primary methods: legislative referral and constitutional convention.
🔹 Section 1 – Amendment by Legislative Action
If an amendment is proposed in the Senate or Assembly, it must be:
Passed by a majority of both houses of the Legislature.
Repassed by the next elected Legislature (after a general election).
Submitted to the people as a ballot proposition at a general election.
If approved by a majority of voters, it becomes part of the Constitution.
Key points:
Ensures that amendments are not passed hastily.
Requires both legislative and popular approval.
Amendments take effect on the first day of January after voter approval, unless stated otherwise.
🔹 Section 2 – Constitutional Convention
The Legislature may submit to voters every 20 years (or sooner by law) the question:
"Shall there be a convention to revise the constitution and amend the same?"
If a majority votes yes, a convention is held:
Delegates are elected by the people.
The convention may propose constitutional changes.
Those changes must be submitted to voters for approval before becoming effective.
🔹 Section 3 – Procedure and Regulations
This section sets rules about:
How amendments and conventions are published and advertised.
How election procedures for constitutional matters are conducted.
📌 Summary:
Article XIX ensures that constitutional changes in New York are:
Deliberate (via two legislatures).
Democratic (via public vote).
Structured (option for a constitutional convention every 20 years).
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