Relates to chief administrative officers, staff and office allocations, introduction of legislation and continuity of legislative sessions

Summary of provisions

Section 1:

Provides for the appointment of a chief administrative officer of the Senate and Assembly who shall have the day to day management and control of all administrative officers of the senate and assembly and who shall jointly have control of the joint offices established by this legislation. The chief administrative officer shall conduct herself or himself in a non-partisan manner, affording to all Members of the Senate and Assembly equal treatment and equal access to administrative services of the legislature.

Provides that the following administrative services shall be combined between the Senate and Assembly: human resources such as personnel hiring, benefits management, and payroll; media services; research; mail; technology; contracting; other non-public policy related offices.

Provides that employment positions in those shared administrative areas shall be assigned titles in consultation with the Department of Civil Service and qualifications and testing procedures for such positions. Provides that incumbent employees shall receive titles most compatible with their existing positions and shall pass a test within four years (and score in the top 3 persons to take such test), or forfeit their position.

Provides that Members of the Senate and Assembly shall be afforded equal staffing allocations (equal within each house of the Legislature) except that the Senate Majority Leader, Minority leader, and Deputy Majority Leader for Legislative Operations and Deputy Minority Leader in the Senate; and the Assembly Speaker, Assembly Majority leader, Assembly Minority leader and Assembly Deputy Minority Leader shall receive an additional amount. Provides that committees shall hire staff upon the recommendation of the Chairperson in amounts allocated to each Committee by the Assembly Speaker or Temporary President of the Senate (and provides that the Ranking Minority Member of each Committee shall be able to hire a staff person in the amount of $50,000 per committee, or not less than 1/3 of the Committee budget allocated to the Chairperson of the Committee, whichever is greater).

Provides that there shall be a policy for the location of District and satellite offices based on defined geographic criteria.

Provides that legislation shall be introduced by a Member of the Legislature or by the Committee on Rules upon the request of one or more named, particular Members of the Legislature.

Provides that notice shall be posted on the Senate and Assembly websites of all legislation to be considered at least 24 hours in advance of its consideration (unless a message of necessity has been issued).

Provides, if "member items" exist, they shall be equally allocated by each Member of the Senate or Assembly (equal within each House of the Legislature).

Provides that petitions to discharge legislation to the floor for a vote shall be maintained by the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the Assembly; and upon a majority of Members of the Senate or Assembly signing such petition, the bill shall be voted on within a week; or, if the requisite number of signatures are obtained between June 25 and December 10, within twenty weeks but in any event by the end of the calendar year. Provides that signatures made after September first in even numbered years do not count.

Section 2:

Provides that if a bill passes in the first year of the two year Legislative term, it shall be sent to the appropriate committee in the other House for action on such bill, where that House may act on the bill at any time during the remainder of the biennial Legislative Session. Provides that a bill which is reported by a Standing Committee and is on the floor of the Legislature, may be acted on anytime during the two-year legislative session (unless the bill shall have been amended, in which case such bill may be referred back to a Standing Committee for reconsideration).

Section 3. Effective Date.

Effects of present law which this bill would alter

This legislation would help ensure that any person elected to the New York State Legislature is not impeded by poor legislative process, from addressing the basic requirements of their job: answering constituent inquiries and actively participating in the legislative process. It would substantially empower "rank and file" members and statutorily put in place minimum legal standards for the allocation of funds to hire staff, while creating basic requirements persons must meet to hold jobs in the New York State Legislature.

Justification

Every two years, many sincere, competent people are elected to serve in the Legislature, only to become (in actuality or perception), part of a process where Legislative leaders have the legal tools to control all substantial debate; and rank and file members can lose the ability to effectively advocate for their constituency, simply by speaking out against the status quo.

An opportunity must be genuinely provided to all Legislators - Majority and Minority alike, to timely address constituent concerns; and advance legislation from introduction to law, by advocating for the same on the merits, and ending the ability of the leadership to stop ideas worthy of debate and consideration from ever being heard.

This legislation also does for both the Senate and Assembly, what many Legislators have sought to have local governments and State agencies do: create efficiencies and shared services when possible. It seeks to hold the Legislature to the same standards of fairness and government efficiency that the Legislature and the State's agencies seek to impute to others through the making of laws and rules.

Legislative history

New Bill.

Fiscal implications

By combining administrative services, this proposal will save taxpayer money.

Effective date

The first day of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law, provided that the Senate and Assembly shall, by concurrent resolution, adopt rules necessary to implement this act within twenty days after such act shall have become a law.