Proclamations and Resolutions
A resolution or proclamation is a non-legal declaration designating a given period of time to commemorate an event or cause, or to honor an individual or group. These declarations can be issued by governing bodies at any level, and are a great way of drawing attention to library related issues.
This page provides step by step guidance in requesting proclamations and resolutions.
I. Determine your issue and draft your resolution.
Resolutions consist of a variable number of clauses, beginning with whereas and ending with a semi-colon followed by and.
The final clause ends with a semi-colon followed by, therefore be it, followed by a statement beginning with resolved.
View a sample resolution for sample formatting.
Template for Resolutions (Word Doc)
II. Determine your target to support your resolution.
Resolutions can be passed at the local, city or state level. It is completely permissible to submit a resolution to multiple bodies for consideration simultaneously.
Each entity may have particular preferences or requirements for the format and submission methods for proposed resolutions.
Look up your NYS Senator and Assemblymember
III. Submit Your Resolution
IV. Follow-up on the submission.
It is important to inquire on the status of your submission in order to ensure it gets the attention it deserves.
State-level resolutions can be submitted to the NYS Assembly or NYS Senate. Ideally contact your local representative’s office and discuss their preferred method of submission.
The NYS Legislature does not process resolutions while they are not in session. Session runs from January through mid-June.
The following information is provided from the NYS Governor’s Office Website:
The most significant of non-legal, yet official forms of recognition issued by the Governor, Proclamations call attention to a particular subject at the request of the public. They designate a period of time (day, week, or month) for focusing and raising awareness of a specific cause.
Proclamations are of interest to a considerable sector of the population and are produced for events of either regional or statewide significance and issued in conjunction with programs sponsored by organizations, schools and other institutions. Proclamations are sometimes initiated by an individual or local group identifying a cause which impacts the region and warrants a call to action.
They are also initiated through the legislative process by a member of the State Assembly or Senate, who may introduce a formal resolution in their respective house. A resolution is a document of support containing facts and information on a subject and, with its adoption, is forwarded to the Governor for consideration of an official statewide Proclamation.
The Governor's determination and ultimate action is based on merit, appropriateness, and a review of each subject.
Further information on obtaining a Proclamation is available by contacting Executive Chamber Operations/Proclamations at (518) 474-6499 or by writing to the Governor at:
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, New York 12224
(Attention: Proclamations)