Senate bill · S8578 (2025-26)

Incorporates the city of Staten Island

New York State Senate

Same as A9346, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Latest action May 14, 2026

Sponsor: Andrew J. Lanza (State Senator, District 24, Republican/Conservative/Independence/Reform)

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From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 20, 2026. About our data

Summary

Incorporates the city of Staten Island; enacts a city charter; provides for all necessary technical changes for the establishment of such city; provides for a transition period prior to such establishment.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

Incorporates the city of Staten Island. SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: This legislation incorporates the city of Staten Island and enacts a charter for such city. The legislation makes conforming changes in the law to reflect the creation of the city of Staten Island and the resulting effects on the city of Staten Island. 1. Sections 1-1001 through 1-004 provide for the history of the move toward incorporation and the subsequent incorporation of the city of Staten Island; 2. Section 2-001 enacts the city charter for the city of Staten Island; 3. Sections 3-001 through 3-010 provide the mechanism to represent the interests of the city of Staten Island and to provide for its transition to a city form of government. The election of city officials is provided for as well as the transfer and appointment of civil service employees. Vacancy, residency and retirement issues involved in the transfer are also covered. The legislation provides a procedure for the allocation of the proportion of debt between the city of Staten Island and the city of New York. Included also are provisions for the continuance of municipal services and powers of the city of Staten Island during the period of transition; 4. Sections 4-001 through 4-020 provide for the creation of the city school district of the city of Staten Island. These sections also make conforming amendments to the education law reflecting the creation of such city school district. Transition period provisions relating to functions of the city school district are also provided for; 5. Sections 5-001 through 5-003 provide for the transfer of the college of Staten Island of the city university of New York to the State Univer- sity of New York. The transfer of employee rights, contract rights and provisions affecting real property rights are provided for as well. Conforming amendments to the education law are made; 6. Sections 6-001 provide for the continuance of the court system for the city of Staten Island. These sections provide, as nearly as possi- ble, for the maintenance of a court system that reflects the present city-wide court system in New York city. The transfer and protection of employee rights are also provided for in the legislation. 7. Sections 7-001 through 7-011 make conforming amendments to consol- idated law for membership on certain authorities or the city of Staten Island; 8. Sections 8-001 through 8-023 make conforming technical amendments to various laws reflecting a city form of government for Staten Island relating to probation and social services within the city of Staten Island; 9. Sections 9-001 through 9-017 amend the county law to provide for the treatment of Richmond county to be similar to that afforded to counties within cities with a population of one million or more. Sections 9-050 through 9-053 make conforming changes in law that reflet the establish- ment of the city of Staten Island; 10. Sections 10-001 through 10-008 provide of the continuance and main- tenance of existing housing regulations for the city of Staten Island. A rent guidelines board is established for such city. Existing housing tax exemptions are maintained for the city of Staten Island; 11. Sections 11-001 provides for the continuance of a city real property tax limit of two and one-half percent for the city of Staten Island due to the maintenance of a city form of government rather than a change to a county form of government; 12. Sections 12-001 through 12-020 and provisions of law concerning the municipal assistance corporation for the city of New York to reflect its application to the city of Staten Island as well; 13. Sections 13-001 through 13-007 amend provisions of the general city law and the law providing enabling legislation for the city to impose taxes and tax credits therefore; 14. Section 14-001 provides enactment of provisions similar to the New York city administrative code tax provisions for the city of New York for the city of Staten Island; provides the maintenance and conti

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Out of committee and scheduled for a vote by the full chamber.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

Committee

Cities · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Cities 1 · New York State Senate, Rules · New York State Assembly, Rules · New York State Senate.

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Cosponsors

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Read on NY Senate

Republican2

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The sponsor's argument

Why Andrew J. Lanza says this is needed

The people of the State of New York, represented in the Senate and Assembly enacted Chapter 773 of the Laws of 1989, as amended by Chapter 17 of the Laws of 1990, which authorized the borough of Staten Island to consider formally separating from its existing municipality. These previous Chapter laws provided for two separate referendum by the people of Staten Island. The first vote, which took place in November of 1990, resulted in over 80% of the voters authorizing the establishment of a New York State Charter Commission for Staten Island to draft a charter for the proposed City of Staten Island. The second referendum, which took place in November 1993, resulted in a 65% approval of the proposed charter. During the three years between the two votes, in addition to drafting the proposed Charter, the Charter Commission held 12 public hearings, conducted in-depth research into the myriad legal and fiscal issues involved and compiled its findings in numerous reports which were submitted to the people of Staten Island as well as to the Governor and legislative leaders. Governor Mario Cuomo's message approving Chapter 773 of 1989 provided the following justification: The Legislature has declared - overwhelmingly on both sides of the aisle and in both houses - that the people of Staten Island should have the opportunity to vote on the question whether they should be allowed to create a new and separate city. It appears to be universally accepted that they are justified in wanting to consider separation from the City of New York. They have been a part of the City since 1898. But a recent decision by the Supreme Cout of the United States dramatically changed Staten Island's participation in city governance, reducing its equal vote on the Board of Estimate to a relatively small participation in a new city legislative body. That changed circumstance, added to a long list of grievances by the people of the Island over the years, moved the legislature to adopt this bill. This proposed legislation was initially submitted to the Governor and the Legislative Leaders in 1993, as Senate Bill S.6820 to fulfill the mandate of Chapter 17 of 1990, to "propose legislation enabling the borough of Staten Island to disengage and separate from the City of New York". Since the initial introduction of this legislation the population of Staten Island has continued to grow from approximately 350,000 in 1993, to now approximately 475,000. Yet, its local municipal governing struc- ture, for the least populous borough and county within the City of New York, continues to deny Staten Island residents of any meaningful participation in City government. The 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision which abolished New York City's most powerful governing body, the Board of Estimate, effectively reduced Staten Island's role in New York City government to that of a mere observer in local municipal affairs. That "changed circumstance", as acknowledged above in Governor Cuomo's approval message, and which ulti- mately gave rise to this legislation's initial introduction, has only been further exacerbated, leading to New York City's unilateral imposi- tion of many additional "grievances" upon the people of Staten Island, including the City's unfair congestion pricing program, the placement of illegal migrants without proper community input, and the arbitrary COVID-19 restrictions upon local businesses and public school students, which are totally inconsistent with the character and quality of life of a county of almost a half a million disenfranchised New York State resi- dents. Accordingly, now, more than ever, this legislation is vital to restore meaningful and effective representative local municipal government for the people of Staten Island

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

Vote: Committee vote · Cities 1
Senate Cities 1May 14, 2026Result: passed
(4) (3) (0) (0)

Full history

May 14, 2026
Reported out of committee
REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO CITIES 2
NY Senate
Mar 13, 2026
In committee
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED
NY Senate
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO CITIES
NY Assembly
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO CITIES 1
NY Senate
Dec 10, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO CITIES
NY Assembly

Show full history (1 earlier event)

Nov 14, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO RULES
NY Senate

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.