Council Rules in the United States

New York Council Rules

On October 30, 2013, New York City Council Members and Nominees announced a proposal to reform City Council rules, making the body more transparent in its work and responsive to New Yorkers. The rules were proposed for enactment at the beginning of the 2014 legislative session.

The City Council has frequently been an effective voice for the people of New York, passing legislation, providing oversight of New York City agencies, and negotiating budgets to improve the lives of city residents. But reforms are needed to make the body more fair, inclusive, and effective. Under these new rules, the body will be able to strengthen and expand its efforts.

The main points of the reforms were:

• Take the politics out of Member Items by allocating discretionary funding for Council Districts on a fair and objective basis.
• Insure fair consideration of legislation.
• Further empower chairs in the running of their committees, giving them greater control over committee hearings and staffing.
• Dedicate a greater share of Council resources to enabling Members to provide effective services to the public.
• Establish a formal procedure by which Members can file a grievance with the Rules Committee if they believe the City Council rules are not being followed.

See Also

Council Rules of Procedure
Privy Council Rules
State Bar Council rules