Criminal justice reform advocates are cheering the approval of a bill creating an 11-member prosecutorial conduct commission, overseeing how local district attorneys and assistant district attorneys handle cases and whether any discipline is needed.

"It's a bill I think that I think is going to change the criminal justice system for the better,” said state Senator John DeFrancisco (R).

The bill picked up unusual allies in Albany: Democrats skeptical of law enforcement in the Assembly and Republicans in the Senate who have traditionally backed law and order legislation. 

“I think definitely there's a need and it's not picking on any DA, but there are instances where people to jail for years on things they're not guilty of,” he said.

But before the bill can take effect, changes are underway: Cuomo and lawmakers have agreed to an overhaul through a chapter amendment addressing constitutional concerns.

“Not of them really affect the thrust or the intent behind the bill,” DeFrancisco said.

Some district attorneys in New York say their concerns about things like the separation of power should not be swept away. Current judges will sit on the commission, and the DAs say that would expand the role of the judicial branch. There's also the concern that evidence and information on witnesses would be disclosed to the public. 

“We identified a half a dozen constitutional issues with the proposal from the Assembly and the Senate that was put on the governor's desk -- a half a dozen constitutional issues that cannot be remedied by chapter amendments,” said David Soares, Albany County District Attorney.

The bipartisan nature of the bill passing has some local prosecutors like Soares suspicious, saying it could be a way of undermining the ability of local DAs to refer public corruption cases. 

“This particular bill is not designed to help the families who have loved ones who are incarcerated,” he said. “This bill in its current form is designed to help the Silvers of the world, the Skelos of the world, Percocos of the world, the Howes of the world and Kaloyeros of the world.”

The District Attorneys Association of New York is expected to file a legal challenge to block the law from taking effect.