Suffolk County Legislature Hosts CHS Government Classes in Hauppauge

The Suffolk County Legislature hosted seniors from Commack High School in Legislator Sal Formica’s district for a hands-on introduction to the workings of the legislative process on Thursday, November 5 and Friday, November 6, 2026, at the William H. Rogers Legislature Building in Hauppauge.

Students from several government classes participated in a mock legislative session, taking seats at the “horseshoe” and acting in the roles of the Presiding Officer, Legislators, and interested citizens to question, debate, and ultimately take roll call votes on model legislation. Before the session, students viewed a video narrated by the Presiding Officer which describes the legislature’s structure and responsibilities as a separate branch of county government.

“I am honored to represent students that are eager and were willing to come and learn about how our local legislative processes work and take part in this mock legislative session,” said Legislator Formica. “They all engaged in well thought out debates and brought great ideas to the group.”

“We’re pleased to be able to provide this opportunity to these students,” said Presiding Officer Anthony A. Piccirillo. “Having the chance to learn how local government works is an invaluable opportunity to enhance civics among our young people– who may one day embark on their own careers in public service. These future leaders had a chance to see what it’s like to consider, debate, and vote on an issue as we do in the Legislature each session.”

The participants debated and conducted votes on specific legislation that was considered by the Suffolk County Legislature, including: a local law to establish additional regulations on the use of electric scooters and electric-assist bicycles; and a local law requiring that single-use beverage straws and stirrers be distributed in Suffolk County ‘by request’ only to help protect the environment.

The students were given a chance to speak in the role of legislator and question speakers advocating for or against the resolutions. As in a real legislative meeting, students gained the opportunity to offer their views, hear other views, and obtain new perspectives.

Following the session, several students – all seniors -- shared their personal perspectives.

“What I learned today was that lawmaking can actually be a pretty enjoyable job for a lot of people. I didn't take it too seriously when I first got the field trip form. I thought it was something strictly informational. When I heard that it was a mock session, I was a little bit discouraged. I didn't do a lot of research, but actually stepping up to play the role of the legislator was fun. I got to engage with my peers, which was probably the best part of it. And I got encouraging support from the members of the faculty here. It was overall a good experience that I will take with me in the future,” said Jack G.

“I really did enjoy this…I thought it was truly informative, and it showed firsthand just how difficult it is to pass these laws or bills, and how much effort, and time, and communication it takes. I also appreciated being able to participate with my peers, because I got to see their perspectives, their different sides of things, and their knowledge.  When I first got the form, I kind of just took this as an excuse to skip school, because I thought ‘Oh, I'm probably not going to enjoy it. But when I was up there, I found it enjoyable. I liked communicating with all of my peers and hearing their thoughts and opinions on these bills. I think this is something that everyone should at least look into… because it affects your community,” said Amilia S.

“Just as I heard [from fellow students], I didn't initially take this as a serious thing but came here and I found out how in-depth the process of getting something through the legislature is…and I discovered a little bit of something about myself -- that I may be interested in doing this one day! I really enjoyed the experience,” said Raymond T.

The Commack teachers also praised the experience at the legislature.

“This is the first exploration into the whole process of learning how the legislature works. We came here with the anticipation of seeing ‘behind the scenes’ and how a law is made. I think leaving here, we learned a tremendous amount about how the debate happens, how the public inquiries are made, and the conversation between legislators. For us, I think it was a great hands-on learning experience about local government,” said Chris Denton, Economics and government teacher at Commack High School.

Each year, the Suffolk County Legislature hosts hundreds of students in a series of mock legislative days in the legislative chambers in both Hauppauge and Riverhead.