Omar Bennett
The New York State Constitution has been amended over 207 times since its adoption in 1777. The process of amending the constitution can be done through two methods: a constitutional convention followed by voter approval or rejection of any amendments, or through legislatively referred constitutional amendments. Amendments to the constitution may be proposed by the Legislature at any time, and every 20 years, voters have the opportunity to approve convening a convention to propose changes. The constitution was last amended on January 1, 2025, with the most recent voter-approved amendment occurring on November 5, 2024.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of times the constitution has been amended | Over 207 times |
| Number of amendments since 1996 | 20 |
| Date of last amendment | January 1, 2025 |
| Number of constitutions adopted | 4 |
| Number of constitutional conventions held | 8 or 9 |
| Frequency of constitutional conventions | Every 20 years |
| Number of amendments via legislatively referred constitutional amendments since 1996 | 16 |
| Number of amendments via constitutional conventions since 1996 | 4 |
| Minimum votes required in the New York State Assembly for a constitutional amendment | 126 |
| Minimum votes required in the New York State Senate for a constitutional amendment | 32 |
| Number of amendments via legislatively referred constitutional amendments | 187 |
| Number of amendments via constitutional conventions | 20 |
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What You'll Learn
The NYS Constitution has been amended over 200 times
The New York State Constitution, first adopted in 1777, has been amended over 200 times. The process of amending the NYS Constitution is a careful, multi-step procedure designed to ensure broad legislative support and public involvement. The NYS Constitution can be amended through legislatively referred constitutional amendments or through constitutional conventions.
The first method of amending the NYS Constitution is via a constitutional convention followed by voter approval or rejection of any amendments approved by the convention’s delegates. This is a three-part process spanning three election cycles. First, voters either approve or reject holding a convention. If approved, delegates to the convention will be chosen in the following year’s general election. Finally, any changes or additions to the Constitution made by the delegates will be submitted for voter approval or rejection in the third year of the process at a general election.
The second method of amending the NYS Constitution is via proposal and approval of an amendment in two consecutive sessions of the Legislature. First, a proposed amendment is introduced by legislative sponsors in both the NYS Senate and the NYS Assembly. After introduction, the proposed amendment is assigned a bill number and sent to the appropriate committees within each house to conduct initial reviews. If the proposed amendment is approved by the committees in both the Senate and Assembly, it moves forward to the floor of each house. The proposed amendment is then debated and voted on by members of the Senate and Assembly. If both houses approve the amendment, this is referred to as the "first passage". After the first passage, the proposed amendment is presented to the Legislature during the next regular legislative session. This extra step ensures that any amendment receives careful consideration by the newly elected legislature. Depending on when the election occurs, the second vote on the amendment can take place either one or two years after the first passage. Once both houses of the Legislature pass the amendment in identical form during the second legislative session, the proposed amendment is placed on the ballot for approval by NYS voters. If the majority of voters approve the amendment, it is officially adopted and becomes part of the NYS Constitution.
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Amendments can be proposed by the Legislature at any time
The New York State Constitution establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. The current New York Constitution has been amended over 207 times, with 20 constitutional amendments adopted since 1996. The Constitution was last amended on January 1, 2025.
Amendments to the New York State Constitution can be proposed by the Legislature at any time. This is one of the two methods of amending the Constitution, the other being a constitutional convention followed by voter approval or rejection of any amendments approved by the convention's delegates. The Legislature's ability to propose amendments at any time is provided for in Article XIX, §1 of the New York Constitution.
The process of amending the Constitution through the Legislature involves several steps. First, a proposed amendment is introduced by legislative sponsors in both the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly ("houses"). After introduction, the proposed amendment is assigned a bill number and sent to the appropriate committees within each house for initial reviews. The next step is the Attorney General Review, where the Attorney General must review the bill and provide a legal opinion on its impact on the state constitution within 20 days. If the proposed amendment is approved by the committees in both houses, it moves to the floor of each house for debate and a vote. If both houses approve the amendment, this is referred to as the "first passage."
Following the first passage, the proposed amendment is presented to the Legislature again during the next regular legislative session, ensuring careful consideration by the newly elected Legislature. The timing of the election will determine whether the second vote on the amendment takes place one or two years after the first passage. If both houses of the Legislature pass the amendment in identical form during the second legislative session, the proposed amendment is placed on the ballot for approval by New York voters. Typically, the proposed constitutional amendment is presented to voters during a general election. If the majority of voters approve the amendment, it becomes part of the New York State Constitution and takes effect on January 1 of the following year.
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Amendments require voter approval
The New York State Constitution has been amended over 207 times, with 20 constitutional amendments adopted since 1996. The process of amending the constitution involves two methods. The first method is through a constitutional convention, followed by voter approval or rejection of any amendments approved by the convention's delegates. The second method is via proposal and approval of an amendment in two consecutive sessions of the Legislature.
The process of amending the New York State Constitution is a careful, multi-step procedure designed to ensure broad legislative support and public involvement. A proposed amendment is introduced by legislative sponsors in both the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. After introduction, the proposed amendment is assigned a bill number and sent to the appropriate committees within each house for initial reviews. The Attorney General must also review the bill and provide a legal opinion on how the amendment will impact the state constitution within 20 days.
If the proposed amendment is approved by the committees in both the Senate and Assembly, it moves forward to the floor of each house for debate and vote. If both houses approve the amendment, this is referred to as the first passage. After the first passage, the proposed amendment is presented to the Legislature during the next regular legislative session, ensuring that any amendment receives careful consideration by the newly elected legislature. Depending on when the election occurs, the second vote on the amendment can take place either one or two years after the first passage.
Once both houses of the Legislature pass the amendment in identical form during the second legislative session, the proposed amendment is placed on the ballot for approval by New York voters. The proposed constitutional amendment is typically presented to voters during a general election. If the majority of voters approve the amendment, it is officially adopted and becomes part of the New York State Constitution, typically taking effect on January 1 of the following year.
The New York Constitution can also be amended through legislatively referred constitutional amendments. A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the New York State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
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The Constitution can be amended through legislatively referred constitutional amendments
The New York Constitution has been amended over 207 times, with 20 constitutional amendments adopted since 1996. The most recent amendment was approved on November 5, 2024. The New York Constitution can be amended through legislatively referred constitutional amendments or through constitutional conventions.
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments involve the legislature proposing amendments to the constitution. In New York, a simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the state legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. This amounts to a minimum of 126 votes in the State Assembly and 32 votes in the State Senate. Importantly, amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Once an amendment is on the ballot, it must be approved by a majority of voters to become part of the constitution. This process is outlined in Article XIX, §1 of the New York Constitution, which states that amendments proposed by the Legislature must be referred to the next regular legislative session after the succeeding general election for consideration and passage.
The process of amending the constitution through a convention is a three-part process spanning three election cycles. Firstly, voters decide whether to approve holding a convention. If approved, delegates to the convention are chosen in the following year's general election. Finally, any changes or additions to the constitution proposed by the delegates are submitted for voter approval or rejection in the third year of the process.
The New York Constitution provides for a twenty-year cycle during which voters can approve convening a convention to propose changes. This cycle was reset in 1938 for 1957 and twenty-year intervals thereafter (1977, 1997, and 2017).
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The Constitution has been amended four times since 1777
The New York State Constitution establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York and outlines the basic rights of its citizens. The original Constitution was adopted on April 20, 1777, and has since been amended several times, including four essentially de novo constitutions in 1777, 1821, 1846, and 1894.
The process of amending the New York State Constitution is carefully designed to ensure broad legislative support and public involvement. There are two methods to amend it: through a constitutional convention or via proposal and approval of an amendment in two consecutive sessions of the Legislature.
The first method, a constitutional convention, involves three election cycles. First, voters approve or reject holding a convention. Next, delegates to the convention are chosen in the following year's general election. Finally, any changes or additions made by the delegates are submitted for voter approval or rejection in the third year of the process at a general election.
The second method involves proposing and approving an amendment in two consecutive sessions of the Legislature. First, a proposed amendment is introduced by legislative sponsors in both the New York State Senate and Assembly. After being assigned a bill number, it is sent to appropriate committees within each house for initial reviews. The Attorney General then reviews the bill and provides a legal opinion on its impact on the state constitution within 20 days. If the proposed amendment is approved by the committees in both the Senate and Assembly, it moves to the floor of each house for debate and vote. If both houses approve, this is referred to as the "first passage." After the first passage, the proposed amendment is presented again to the newly elected Legislature during the next regular legislative session, ensuring careful consideration. Depending on the timing of the election, the second vote can take place one or two years after the first passage. Once both houses of the Legislature pass the amendment during the second legislative session, it is placed on the ballot for approval by New York voters. If approved by a majority of voters, the amendment becomes part of the Constitution and typically takes effect on January 1 of the following year.
The New York Constitution has been amended over 207 times, with 20 constitutional amendments adopted since 1996. The most recent amendment occurred on January 1, 2025.
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Frequently asked questions
There is no limit to how often the NYS Constitution can be amended. Amendments may be proposed by the Legislature at any time.
The NYS Constitution has been amended over 207 times. Since 1996, 20 constitutional amendments have been adopted.
Every 20 years, starting in 1957.
The process for amending the NYS Constitution is a multi-step procedure designed to ensure broad legislative support and public involvement. Amendments can be proposed by the Legislature or by a constitutional convention. They must then be approved by a majority of voters.
The NYS Constitution was last amended on January 1, 2025.
