New York Senate Bill S10144

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/30/26
• Refer: 4/30/26

Caption

Prohibits the naming of state buildings after a public officer during the period in which that person is a public officer or after a public officer who has been convicted of a felony.

Summary

S10144, the “Prohibiting Elevation of Notorious Names (PENN) Act,” would amend the New York Executive Law to restrict when state and local public facilities may be named after public officers. The bill defines a “public facility” broadly as a building or other real property owned by the state or a political subdivision, and defines “public officer” to include elected officials as well as people appointed or employed by the state or a local government. Under the bill, a public facility could not be named for someone while that person is currently serving as a public officer. It would also prohibit naming a facility after any public officer who has been convicted of a felony, and would require the state to remove that person’s name immediately upon conviction. The bill includes grandfathering provisions: facilities already named for public officers before the bill’s effective date could keep those names, and a facility named for someone before they became a public officer could also keep the name if that person later enters public service.

Impact

The bill would create a new article in the Executive Law governing naming of public facilities and would renumber existing article and section references accordingly. In practical terms, it would limit future honorary naming decisions by state and local governments, require immediate renaming in the event of a felony conviction for a covered public officer, and preserve most existing names through grandfather clauses. The measure would affect state agencies, municipalities, and other political subdivisions that own or name public property.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote record is available, so there is no documented debate or recorded support/opposition in the provided materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be framed as an ethics- and accountability-focused restriction on honorary naming, with an emphasis on avoiding public honors for sitting officials and for officials convicted of felonies.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are the breadth of the definition of “public officer,” which reaches both elected and appointed/employed government personnel, and the automatic removal requirement upon felony conviction, which leaves no discretion for agencies or local governments. Another likely issue is the bill’s treatment of existing names: it largely preserves current facility names, which may be seen as a compromise by supporters of broader renaming efforts and as insufficient by critics who want more retroactive application. No specific opposing or supporting stakeholders are identified in the available record.