Int. No. 372

By Council Members Comrie, Baez, Brewer, Davis, Jackson, Monserrate, Nelson, Stewart and Weprin

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to the powers and term of office of the districting commission.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

                     Section 1. Subdivision c of section 50 of the New York city charter, as amended                      by vote of the electors at a general election held on November 7, 1989, is amended to read as  follows:

                             c.                     Each council delegation authorized by subdivision a of this section to make appointments to the commission shall make such appointments no earlier than one year and eight months before, and no later than one year and six months before, the general election of the council to be held in the year nineteen hundred ninety-three, and every ten years thereafter. In any case in which the chairpersons of the county committees of a political party are authorized to submit nominations to the mayor, such nominations shall be submitted no earlier than one year and eight months before, and no later than one year and six months before, the general election of the council to be held in the year nineteen hundred ninety-three, and every ten years thereafter. The mayor shall make appointments to the commission after each council delegation authorized to make appointments has done so but not later than one year and five months before such a general election of the council. The commission's term shall end [upon] sixty days after the day of the first general election of the council following the commission's adoption of a districting plan, as set forth in section fifty-one.

                     §2. Section 51 of the New York city charter is amended by adding a new subdivision h to read as follows:

          h.                     After the commission files its final plan with the city clerk pursuant to subdivision g of this section, the commission shall take all steps necessary to ensure that such plan is effectuated, including but not limited to submitting such plan for preclearance by the  United States department of justice pursuant to the United States voting rights act of nineteen hundred sixty-five, as amended, and making such adjustments in its plan as may be necessary  and appropriate to respond to a determination of a court or the United States department of  justice.

                     §3.                     This local law shall take effect immediately, and shall be retroactive to the day the New York city districting commission files its final plan with the city clerk pursuant to subdivision g of section fifty-one of the New York city charter.

efo

LS 2035

2/7/03