Bates v. Lang

26 A.D.2d 462, 275 N.Y.S.2d 578, 1966 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2864
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedDecember 13, 1966
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 26 A.D.2d 462 (Bates v. Lang) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bates v. Lang, 26 A.D.2d 462, 275 N.Y.S.2d 578, 1966 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2864 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

Stevens, J.

The respondent Civil Service Commission (Commission) and the interveners appeal from a judgment entered March 23, 1966 which granted petitioners’ application and remanded the matter to the Commission for recomputation of the performance ratings of petitioners based upon the performance ratings effective January 1, 1960 and to credit the petitioners accordingly.

The difficulty here arose because the Commission made certain changes in its performance and seniority ratings. The question involved is whether regulations adopted October 20, 1964 by the Commission, effective October 1, 1964, are invalid and not here applicable because not adopted in accordance with the requirements of section 20 of the Civil Service Law, or to express it in a somewhat different manner, may the Commission unilaterally adopt and revise regulations affecting the weight accorded performance ratings and seniority in promotional examinations.

The petitioners, employees of the New York City Transit Authority (Authority), variously employed in different positions at periods beginning November, 1936 and thereafter and presently employed, all successfully competed in a promotional examination for promotion to trainmaster. Prior to October 1, 1964 the regulation in effect allowed 1% for each year of satisfactory service not exceeding 15 years, plus %% for a permanent member in the competitive class with at least three but less than nine months ’ service. Seniority credit of % % a year was allowed up to a maximum of 10 years, or five points. Simply stated, as the result of the changes the maximum performance rating under the new regulation was 5% as contrasted with the former maximum of 15%. The maximum seniority credit allowable under the new regulation was 7%% as contrasted with 5% under the old regulation. The regulation adopted in October, 1964 was published in the City Record prior to November 4, 1964, the date the examination for promotion to trainmaster was open for applications. Notice of the proposed change had been given to the various employee associations prior to their adoption and their comments solicited. None, apparently, were forthcoming.

Performance and seniority comprise the weighted rating and represent 50% of a candidate’s final test mark, the other 50% [465]*465being represented by the mark achieved in the written examination. Seventy per cent was the automatic base required in each part of the examination, and each successful candidate under the new and old regulations was accorded this automatic base to which were added credits for seniority and past performance.

Petitioners successfully contended below and urge on this appeal that the action of the Commission in adopting the new regulations governing performance ratings was illegal as a matter of law because the procedure required by section 20 of the Civil Service Law was not followed. Even if the new regulation be held valid petitioners assert it is not properly applicable to them by virture of section 185, the Saving Clause adopted as part of the new Civil Service Law by chapter 790 of the Laws of 1958, effective April 1, 1959.

Section 20, Rules, after conferring upon each Municipal Civil Service Commission power to prescribe, amend and enforce suitable rules for carrying into effect the new Civil Service Law provides in pertinent part: “ Such rules, and any modifications thereof, shall be adopted only after a public hearing, notice of which has been published for not less than three days, setting forth either a summary of the subject matter of the proposed rules or modification or a statement of the purpose thereof. * * * The rules and any modifications thereof adopted by a city civil service commission or city personnel officer shall be valid and take effect only upon approval of the mayor * * * and the state civil service commission; provided, however, that where the mayor * * * or other authority, as the case may be, fails to approve or disapprove a rule or modification thereof within thirty days after the same has been submitted to him, such rule or modification thereof shall be deemed to be approved by him. * * * Any such rule or modification thereof shall be filed with the secretary of state within thirty days after final approval thereof by the state civil service commission. Such rule shall have the force and effect of law.” Subdivision 2 above quoted was derived from subdivision 2 of former section 11 (as amd. by L. 1921, ch. 653, and so numbered by L. 1923, ch. 177, and amended by L. 1941, ch. 933, and repealed by L. 1958, ch. 790; see Historical Note, McKinney’s Cons. Laws of N. Y., Civil Service Law, § 20).

Subdivision 2 of section 11 of the old Civil Service Law (L. 1941, ch. 933) provided: “ Such rules so prescribed and established, and all regulations for appointment and promotion in the civil service of said cities and any subsequent modification thereof * * * shall be valid and take effect only after a public hearing, notice of which has been published for not less [466]*466than three days, setting forth a summary of the subject matter of such proposals and upon the approval of the mayor or other duly authorized appointing authority of the city and of the state civil service commission.” (Emphasis supplied.)

Contrasting section 11 with section 20 of the present law, it is noted that “ regulations ” while included in the prohibition of section 11, are not included in section 20 with respect to the procedural ban of public hearings and mayoral approval before adoption. (Cf. Civil Service Law, § 25, subd. 1, par. [a], dealing with the powers of the State Civil Service Commission. The Legislature there retained both terms,— “rule” and ‘ ‘ regulation ’ ’ indicating thereby it recognized a distinction.)

It is a general rule of construction that upon ‘ ‘ the repeal of a statute and its re-enactment in another form, such clauses in the earlier acts as are not retained ” in the newly enacted statute are deemed repealed by necessary implication. And where a later statute covers the whole subject, the Legislature evidently intended the new law to be the only law on the subject. Consequently the old law is necessarily repealed by implication (see McKinney’s Cons. Laws of N. Y., Statutes, §§ 373, 399; City of Buffalo v. Lewis, 192 N. Y. 193). We do not have here the instance of conflicting statutes applicable to the same subject matter (cf. Woods v. Board of Supervisors, 136 N. Y. 403). Where a statute is amended, as in the present instance (L. 1909, ch. 15, as amd. were amended generally and recodified by L. 1958, ch. 790), a similar rule prevails. That is, the parts of the old act omitted from the new act are impliedly repealed. The change in the phraseology was undoubtedly deliberate. In the resolution of effect to be given statutory changes we consider generally “the old law, the mischief and the remedy” (cf. Woollcott v. Shubert, 217 N. Y. 212; County of Monroe v. Town of Brighton, 268 App. Div. 484; Matter of Corwin v. Board of Elections of Vil. of Greenport, 188 Misc. 841). Of course if rights have been acquired under the old statute the new statute might be considered a continuation of the old in order to save such rights. Here, section 185 of the Civil Service Law, expressly provided “nothing contained in this act shall affect or impair any act done or right accruing, accrued or acquired prior to the time when this act shall take effect, under or by virtue of the provisions of the civil service law as in force immediately prior to the time this act shall take effect ”.

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Bluebook (online)
26 A.D.2d 462, 275 N.Y.S.2d 578, 1966 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2864, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bates-v-lang-nyappdiv-1966.