The Moreland Act was an act passed by the

New York Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an offici ...

and signed into law in 1907. It was introduced by

Sherman Moreland Sherman Moreland (October 16, 1868 – December 27, 1951) was an American lawyer and politician from New York and the Philippines. Early life He was born on October 16, 1868, in Van Etten, Chemung County, New York. He attended the district scho ...

, the Republican leader of the legislature. He proposed the act at the urging of

New York Governor The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ha ...

Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was an American politician, academic, and jurist who served as the 11th chief justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

. It was known as Section 7 of the Executive Law from 1907 to 1909 and Section 8 from 1909 to 1951. It is now known as Section 6 of the Executive Law. The act allows the governor, in person or through one or more persons appointed by the governor, to examine management and affairs of any department, board, bureau or commission in the state. Investigators could interview witnesses, administer oaths, hold hearings, and seize any material deemed relevant to the investigator's case. The investigators then had to use that intelligence to recommend legislative actions.

List of commissions appointed under the Moreland Act

''Note: This list may not be complete.'' *1915 - Commission to Examine and Investigate the Management and Affairs of the Office of the Fiscal Supervisor of State Charities, the State Board of Charities, the Sites, Buildings and Grounds Commission, the Building Improvement Commission, and the Salary Classification Commission, appointed by Governor

Charles S. Whitman Charles Seymour Whitman (September 29, 1868March 29, 1947) was an American lawyer who served as the 41st governor of New York from January 1, 1915, to December 31, 1918. An attorney and politician, he also served as a delegate from New York to th ...

*1928 - Commission for Investigation of Workmen's Compensation Law Administration, appointed by Governor

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was the 42nd governor of New York, serving from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1923 to 1928. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party's presidential nominee in the 1 ...

. *1953 - Commission to Study, Examine and Investigate State Agencies in Relation to Pari-Mutuel Harness Racing, appointed by Governor

Thomas Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 47th Governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in 1944 and ...

. *1961 - Bingo Control Inquiry, appointed by Governor

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...

. *1961 - Commission on Welfare, appointed by Governor Rockefeller. *1963 - Commission on the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, appointed by Governor Rockefeller. *1976 - Commission to Investigate Nursing Homes, appointed by Governor

Hugh Carey Hugh Leo Carey (April 11, 1919 – August 7, 2011) was an American politician and attorney of the Democratic Party who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1974 and as the 51st governor of New York from 1975 to 1982. Early ...

. *1987 - Commission on Government Integrity, appointed by Governor

Mario Cuomo Mario Matthew Cuomo ( , ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ...

. *2012 - Commission to investigate New York utilities' response to

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...

, appointed by Governor

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( , ; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, ...

. *2013 - Commission to Investigate Public Corruption, appointed by Governor

References

External links

Record of the Moreland Act
{{US-law-stub Political history of New York (state) 1907 in American law New York (state) statutes