What's happening
This bill requires that any bill sponsored by more than half the members of either legislative house be given expedited consideration and a prompt vote by the full membership.
Why it matters
Reduces Leadership Gatekeeping. By mandating a prompt vote on any bill supported by a majority of members in either chamber, the bill significantly limits the ability of legislative leaders or committees to block, stall, or ignore widely supported proposals.
Empowers Rank-and-File Legislators. This change shifts some agenda-setting power away from leadership and toward individual legislators, making it easier for bipartisan or cross-faction coalitions to force floor action on issues that have broad support but might not align with leadership priorities.
Speeds Up Legislative Action. The bill sets a strict timeline—after three days in print, eligible bills must be brought up for a vote as the first order of business, ensuring that high-support bills cannot languish or be buried in procedural delays.
Promotes Government Transparency and Accountability. Because the full membership must debate and vote publicly on these bills, there will be a clear record of where each legislator stands on popular measures, making it harder to avoid taking a position on contentious or widely backed issues.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Faster Votes on Popular Bills
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Held for consideration in governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4555
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. STEC -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to expedited consideration for bills
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The legislative law is amended by adding a new section 68 to read as follows:
§ 68. Expedited consideration for bills. Whenever a bill has been sponsored by a number of the members of either the assembly or of the senate in excess of half of the total membership of that house, the prime sponsor of that bill shall notify the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the assembly and clerk of the assembly, or the temporary president of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, and clerk of the senate, as appropriate, that the bill is eligible for expedited consideration. Bills eligible for expedited consideration shall be considered to have satisfied any and all requirements of the rules of that house to be voted on by the full membership of that house. Bills eligible for expedited consideration shall be voted upon by the full membership of that house as the first order of business at the first regularly scheduled session of that house after having been in print and upon the desks of the members of that house for three days, and the house shall conduct no further business until any debate is concluded and the ayes and nays have been tallied.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08755-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.