Entitles members to bring one substantive piece of legislation to the floor for a vote without a home rule message and committee review during each two-year term.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2747
SPONSOR: Johns (MS) TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to
entitling each member of the legislature to bring one substantive piece
of legislation of his or her choosing to the floor for a vote without a
home rule message and committee review during each two-year term
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To allow each member of the Legisla-
ture, during each two-year term, to bring one substantive piece of
legislation, of his or her choosing, to the floor for a vote.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section 1 allows each member of the
Legislature, during each two-year term, to choose to have one bill
discharged from committee and brought to the floor for a vote by filing
a notice with the clerk of that member's respective House, Excludes any
bill accompanied by a home rule message.
Section 2 contains the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION: This legislation would require that during each two-
year Legislative Term, each member would be entitled to have at least
one substantive piece of legislation of his or her choosing discharged
from committee and brought to the floor for a vote. All home rule
legislation would be excluded. While this legislation seeks to bypass
all other rules regarding the processing of a bill from committee to the
floor, it represents real reform that will benefit all the people of
this State. A change such as this has been advocated by Legislators, the
media and good government groups for years. Each year, many pieces of
good legislation remain in committee without any consideration. Many of
these bills contain good ideas that could pass into law if they only
received a chance.
If every member of the Legislature delivers just one bill to the floor
and has an opportunity to convince his or her colleagues of the merits
of his or her legislation, then democracy would be truly served.
This legislation will let every Legislator's voice be heard. If enacted,
this would allow the citizens of every district in this state to hear
their representative presenting a piece of legislation that is important
to them.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2011-12: A9548/S6947
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2747
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 17, 2013
___________
Introduced by M. of A. JOHNS, BLANKENBUSH, HAWLEY, GOODELL, WALTER, RA,
KATZ, McKEVITT, SALADINO, CROUCH, McDONOUGH, TEDISCO, BARCLAY, CERET-
TO, REILICH, TENNEY, GIGLIO, GRAF -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
DUPREY, McLAUGHLIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to entitling each
member of the legislature to bring one substantive piece of legis-
lation of his or her choosing to the floor for a vote without a home
rule message and committee review during each two-year term
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "sensible
2 opportunity for legislative equality (SOLE) act".
3 § 2. The legislative law is amended by adding a new section 33-a to
4 read as follows:
5 § 33-a. Entitlement to one substantive bill during each two-year
6 term. Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, during each
7 two-year term of the legislature, each member shall be entitled to have
8 at least one substantive piece of legislation, of his or her choosing,
9 exclusive of any bill accompanied by a home rule message, discharged
10 from committee and brought to the floor for a vote. A member may bring
11 such bill to the floor for a vote by filing a written notice with the
12 clerk of senate desk operations or the index clerk of the assembly on a
13 form provided by such clerk.
14 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01224-01-3
