What's happening
This bill requires that any Assembly bill with 76 sponsors or Senate bill with 32 sponsors must get a floor vote.
Why it matters
Shifts power away from legislative leadership. By requiring floor votes for bills with significant co-sponsorship, this bill limits the ability of majority leaders and committee chairs to block or "bottle up" legislation that has broad support, increasing rank-and-file members' influence.
Increases legislative transparency and accountability. Floor votes on widely-supported bills make it harder for lawmakers to avoid public positions on controversial or popular issues, allowing constituents to better track where their representatives stand.
Could lead to more responsive lawmaking. With a guaranteed path to a vote for bills with broad backing, issues with strong legislative and potentially public support are more likely to be debated and acted upon, potentially speeding up the legislative process for high-interest topics.
May change legislative strategy. Lawmakers might adapt by seeking more co-sponsors to force floor action, potentially increasing collaboration or, conversely, making co-sponsorship a more politically calculated decision.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Floor Votes on Supported Bills
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Force Floor Votes on Popular Bills
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Operations · Sponsor Mary Beth Walsh
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
91
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sen. TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to bills with a threshold level of co-sponsorship
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 33-a to read as follows:
§ 33-a. Bills with a threshold level of co-sponsorship. 1. Any bill introduced in the assembly shall, upon being co-sponsored by seventy-six or more members, be brought to the floor of the house for a vote to be taken thereon during the legislative session in which it was introduced.
2. Any bill introduced in the senate shall, upon being co-sponsored by thirty-two or more members, be brought to the floor of the house for a vote to be taken thereon during the legislative session in which it was introduced.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00843-01-5
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to bills with a thresh- old level of co-sponsorship
Purpose
To allow for a piece of legislation that has garnered the co-sponsorship of 76 members of the Assembly and 32 members in the Senate to be brought to the floor in that respective house for a vote.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends the legislative law by adding a new section 33-a to read as follows:
33-a. Bills with a threshold level of co-sponsorship. 1. Any bill intro- duced in the assembly shall, upon being co-sponsored by seventy-six or more members, be brought to the floor of the house for a vote to be taken thereon during the legislative session in which it was introduced.
2. Any bill introduced in the senate shall, upon being co-sponsored by thirty-two or more members, be brought to the floor of the house for a vote to be taken thereon during the legislative session in which it was introduced.
Justification
In theory, any piece of legislation in any legislative body that has earned the sponsorship of more than half its members has been vetted, passed muster and merits an open floor debate and up or down vote. This legislation would require that those pieces of legislation that have garnered widespread support (76 members in the Assembly/32 members in the Senate) be discharged from committee and brought to the floor for a vote.
It is the very concept of good governance and democracy for a legisla- tive body to openly debate a bill in the public square that has the support of the majority of its members, hence a majority of that legis- lative body's constituency.
Legislative history
01/15/16: S.6475 REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
01/10/17: S.1706 REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
01/03/18: S.1706 REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
01/09/19: S.558 REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
01/09/19: S.558 REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
01/06/21: S.220 REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
01/05/22: S.220 REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS 01/04/23: S.47 REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
01/03/24: S.47 REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.