Law new is a regular feature in which we share changes to laws and rules that have been recently adopted.
A law is a set of instructions for how people and businesses must behave. A law can be federal, state or local. In New York, we have laws called the Constitution, laws passed by our legislature and periodically codified in the New York Consolidated Laws, and decisions made by courts that interpret the state’s laws. We also have local laws, ordinances and regulations. City councils, village boards of trustees, town boards of supervisors, school districts and committees and subcommittees that conduct business on behalf of the cities, towns, villages, and school districts and their constituents are covered by local laws, including the Open Meetings Law.
At the federal level, Congress is the lawmaking branch of our government. When members of Congress have an idea for a new law or change to an existing one, they write it down as a bill. They can propose a law during an election campaign or after being elected. The bill is then assigned to a committee whose members research, discuss and make changes to the law. Once the bill has been reviewed by a committee, it goes back to the full chamber and is considered for passage or rejection.
The Mayor may sign the bill into law, veto the bill or take no action. If the Mayor vetoes a bill, it is returned to the Council, which can then vote to override the Mayor’s veto with a majority vote of the Council. If the Council overrides the veto, the bill becomes law. The process is a little different in the House of Representatives and the Senate.