Mandate Relief Council

The Mandate Relief Council is an eleven-member Executive and Legislative council charged with reviewing and advancing proposals to reduce the statutory and regulatory burden on local governments and school districts. Governor Cuomo signed the law creating the Mandate Relief Council as part of a mandate relief package that will save local governments and school districts more than $125 million.

The State depends on its local governments and school districts to deliver essential services to its residents and often prescribes how these services should be provided. These requirements are woven throughout State laws and regulations – limiting flexibility and increasing costs. The Council was created to find, review, and reform these mandates.

To accomplish its charge, the Council is to review specific mandates identified by members of the Council, local governments, or school districts. After considering public comment on each mandate, the Council determines whether it is being imposed in an “unsound, unduly burdensome or costly manner so as to necessitate that it be eliminated or reformed.”

If the Council makes such a determination, it may:

• refer a local government to the appropriate state agency to petition for regulatory flexibility;
• upon a two-thirds vote, refer a regulation to be repealed or modified; or
• upon a vote of seven members, refer a statute to be repealed or modified.

In addition, local governments and school districts may appeal to the Council to review a state agency determination on the local government’s or school district’s petition for regulatory flexibility. The Council may affirm, reject, or modify the agency’s determination.