The Center makes New York City and State government more transparent, understandable and effective through news and explainer articles; research and analysis; a broad range of public events featuring expert guests; in-depth podcast conversations; and other tools and resources. NYLS professor Ross Sandler is the Center’s founding director and inaugural Samuel Seabury Professor of Law.
The Supreme Court heard arguments on two cases Thursday that could have a profound impact on how the federal courts interpret and apply immigration laws, as well as whether the president can declare an emergency to limit asylum applications. In the first case, the justices will decide whether to let a district court judge use evidence of past immigration violations in a deportation case. The second involves a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the administration’s policy on asylum seekers.
A bill is a proposal for a new or amended law. Often, a bill begins with a person or group that asks a member of Congress to introduce a bill, and then the proposed law is referred to a committee whose members research it and make changes before it comes to the full House or Senate for debate. The process is very different in the House of Representatives and Senate, and each chamber has its own rules about how a bill becomes a law.
A bill that has been passed by both houses of the Legislature and signed by the governor is then known as a law. Once a law is made, it’s enforced by the executive branch. In the state of New York, the executive branch includes agencies such as the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and the Department of Environmental Conservation. A variety of other agencies have enforcement powers as well, including the police departments and other city agencies. The City also has its own independent courts and regulatory bodies. These include the courts of general jurisdiction, the civil court system, the supreme court, the tax court and the surrogate’s court. An additional source of information about New York law is its statutes and regulations, which are passed by the Legislature and codified periodically into the New York Consolidated Laws. In addition, there are a number of websites that provide legal information, many written by or for lawyers. The Library of Congress’s Law and Government Reference Desk provides links to many of these sources.