STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6523 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 5, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. K. BROWN -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Local Governments AN ACT to amend the town law and the village law, in relation to requir- ing certain municipal positions take continuing legal education cours- es The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The town law is amended by adding a new section 51-a to 2 read as follows: 3 § 51-a. Continuing legal education requirements for members of a town 4 board. 1. Each member of a town board shall complete six credit hours of 5 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics within one year 6 of such member's election to such town board. The six hours of accred- 7 ited continuing legal education courses in ethics shall be completed in 8 one hour increments. 9 2. Members of such town board shall complete six credit hours of 10 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annually there- 11 after. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 12 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. 13 § 2. The town law is amended by adding a new section 60-b to read as 14 follows: 15 § 60-b. Continuing legal education requirements for members of a town 16 board. 1. Each member of a town board shall complete six credit hours of 17 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics within one year 18 of such member's election to such town board. The six hours of accred- 19 ited continuing legal education courses in ethics shall be completed in 20 one hour increments. 21 2. Members of such town board shall complete six credit hours of 22 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annually there- 23 after. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 24 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10234-01-5
A. 6523 2 1 § 3. Subdivision 7-a of section 267 of the town law is amended by 2 adding a new paragraph (a-1) to read as follows: 3 (a-1) (i) In addition to the training required pursuant to paragraph 4 (a) of this subdivision, each member of the zoning board of appeals 5 shall complete, at a minimum, six credit hours of accredited continuing 6 legal education courses in ethics within one year of such member's 7 appointment to the zoning board of appeals. The six hours of accredited 8 continuing legal education courses in ethics shall be completed in one 9 hour increments. Such training shall be approved by the town board and 10 may include, but not be limited to, training provided by a municipality, 11 regional or county planning office or commission, county planning feder- 12 ation, state agency, statewide municipal association, college or other 13 similar entity. Training may be provided in a variety of formats, 14 including but not limited to, electronic media, video, distance learning 15 and traditional classroom training. 16 (ii) Members of the zoning board of appeals shall complete six credit 17 hours of accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annual- 18 ly thereafter. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal 19 education courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments, 20 in the same format as provided in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. 21 § 4. Subdivision 7-a of section 271 of the town law is amended by 22 adding a new paragraph a-1 to read as follows: 23 a-1. (i) In addition to the training required pursuant to paragraph a 24 of this subdivision, each member of the planning board shall complete, 25 at a minimum, six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 26 courses in ethics within one year of such member's appointment to the 27 planning board. The six hours of accredited continuing legal education 28 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. Such train- 29 ing shall be approved by the town board and may include, but not be 30 limited to, training provided by a municipality, regional or county 31 planning office or commission, county planning federation, state agency, 32 statewide municipal association, college or other similar entity. 33 Training may be provided in a variety of formats, including but not 34 limited to, electronic media, video, distance learning and traditional 35 classroom training. 36 (ii) Members of the planning board shall complete six credit hours of 37 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annually there- 38 after. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 39 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments, in the same 40 format as provided in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. 41 § 5. Section 4-412 of the village law is amended by adding a new 42 subdivision 4 to read as follows: 43 4. Continuing legal education requirements for members of a village 44 board of trustees. a. Each member of a board of trustees shall complete 45 six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education courses in 46 ethics within one year of such member's election to the village board of 47 trustees. The six hours of accredited continuing legal education courses 48 in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. 49 b. Members of such board of trustees shall complete six credit hours 50 of accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annually 51 thereafter. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal educa- 52 tion courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. 53 § 6. Subdivision 7-a of section 7-712 of the village law is amended by 54 adding a new paragraph (a-1) to read as follows: 55 (a-1) (i) In addition to the training required pursuant to paragraph 56 (a) of this subdivision, each member of the zoning board of appeals
A. 6523 3 1 shall complete, at a minimum, six credit hours of accredited continuing 2 legal education courses in ethics within one year of such member's 3 appointment to the zoning board of appeals. The six hours of accredited 4 continuing legal education courses in ethics shall be completed in one 5 hour increments. Such training shall be approved by the town board and 6 may include, but not be limited to, training provided by a municipality, 7 regional or county planning office or commission, county planning feder- 8 ation, state agency, statewide municipal association, college or other 9 similar entity. Training may be provided in a variety of formats, 10 including but not limited to, electronic media, video, distance learning 11 and traditional classroom training. 12 (ii) Members of the zoning board of appeals shall complete six credit 13 hours of accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annual- 14 ly thereafter. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal 15 education courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments, 16 in the same format as provided in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. 17 § 7. Subdivision 7-a of section 7-718 of the village law is amended by 18 adding a new paragraph a-1 to read as follows: 19 a-1. (i) In addition to the training required pursuant to paragraph a 20 of this subdivision, each member of the planning board shall complete, 21 at a minimum, six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 22 courses in ethics within one year of such member's appointment to the 23 planning board. The six hours of accredited continuing legal education 24 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments. Such train- 25 ing shall be approved by the town board and may include, but not be 26 limited to, training provided by a municipality, regional or county 27 planning office or commission, county planning federation, state agency, 28 statewide municipal association, college or other similar entity. 29 Training may be provided in a variety of formats, including but not 30 limited to, electronic media, video, distance learning and traditional 31 classroom training. 32 (ii) Members of the planning board shall complete six credit hours of 33 accredited continuing legal education courses in ethics annually there- 34 after. The six credit hours of accredited continuing legal education 35 courses in ethics shall be completed in one hour increments, in the same 36 format as provided in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. 37 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately.