NY State Senate Bill 2009-S2598

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2010	referred to investigations and government operations
Feb 25, 2009	referred to investigations and government operations

co-Sponsors

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2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5924
Current Committee:: Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:: Legislative Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §10, add §5-b, Leg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: A7186
2013-2014: A1542

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to apportionment of staff for members in the senate and assembly; requires generally equal staff for member offices and additional moneys for committee chairs.

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S2598

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to apportionment of
resources for members of the state legislature


 PURPOSE :
To provide equal staffing allocations for the running of the offices
of Members of the Senate and Assembly; to provide reasonable
additional assistance for Committee Chairs and Ranking Members; to
equitably apportion central staff allocations; and to develop a
non-partisan research service.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Amends the legislative law to:

1. Require that members of the Senate and Assembly be given equal
staffing allocation within each respective House of the Legislature;

2. Allocate additional resources for Committee Chairs and ranking
members. Those additional resources are $90,000 for all committee
Chairs except education, codes, health, and higher education (the
allocation for those Chairs would be $145,000); and in the case of
Finance/Ways and Means, the Allocation would be $200,000. The ranking
member of all committees would receive $30,000 except in the case of

education, codes, health, and higher education it would be $55,000;
and in the case of Finance and Ways and Means, $95,000.

3. Require a centralized research service for the Senate and Assembly
to be hired upon the recommendation of the Speaker, Temporary
President of the Senate, and Minority Leaders of each House.

 EXISTING LAW :
Allocates staff resources based on seniority and political factors
rather than based on any equitable formula.

 JUSTIFICATION :
Each Member of the Assembly represents approximately the same number
of people as any other Member of the Assembly.  Likewise, each Member
of the Senate represents approximately the same number of people as
any other Member of the Senate.

Nonetheless, staff allocations are largely arbitrary and do not
rationally relate to the service of the particular Senate or Assembly
District. There is simply no good explanation why one representative
of roughly 320,000 people should have multiple times the staff
allocation of another representative of 320,000 people. It makes no
sense.

The staff allocations (and Committee Chair/Ranking member allocations)
provided for herein ensure the equal ability to serve the District
represented by the Member. With respect to committee work, which is
only part of what a Committee Chair/Ranking Member do, the additional
allocation provides a rational amount for Committee Chairs to
independently function, organize meetings, conduct hearings, and have
the resources to have a reasonable amount of advice. With respect to
Ranking Members, who do not have the administrative responsibilities
of running a committee, the additional amount allows such member to
hire a staff person on a basis which allows that staff person to
provide advice and research relating to that committee's functions.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2007-2008: Senate Committee on Investigations and Government
Operations (S.5088) and Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations
(A.7731).
 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
The bill provides for no new appropriation. It will require the
reconfiguration of existing appropriations.

 LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately.

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  2598

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 25, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. BONACIC -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
  ment Operations

AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in  relation  to  apportionment  of
  resources for members of the state legislature

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Section 10 of the legislative law, as  amended  by  chapter
230 of the laws of 1949, is amended to read as follows:
  S 10. Compensation  of  officers  and  employees. The secretary of the
senate, the clerk of the assembly, and all other officers and  employees
of  the senate and assembly, shall be paid the compensation fixed by the
appointing officer within  the  amount  provided  by  appropriation  AND
PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION FIVE-B OF THIS ARTICLE.
  S  2.  The  legislative  law is amended by adding a new section 5-b to
read as follows:
  S 5-B. STAFF ALLOCATION.  1. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION, EVERY
MEMBER OF THE STATE SENATE SHALL HAVE THE SAME STAFF ALLOCATION AS EVERY
OTHER MEMBER OF THE STATE SENATE AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY  SHALL
HAVE THE SAME STAFF ALLOCATION AS EVERY OTHER MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY.
  2.  EVERY  STATE  SENATOR OR MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY WHO IS ASSIGNED TO
SERVE AS CHAIRPERSON OF A STANDING COMMITTEE SHALL ALSO RECEIVE AN ADDI-
TIONAL ALLOCATION DESIGNED TO REASONABLY ALLOW SUCH CHAIRPERSON TO  HIRE
A  COMMITTEE DIRECTOR AND COMMITTEE CLERK DEDICATED TO COMMITTEE RELATED
WORK. SUCH ALLOCATION SHALL BE NINETY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR  ALL  COMMIT-
TEES  EXCEPT  THE CODES, EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMIT-
TEES IN BOTH THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY,  IN  WHICH  CASE  SUCH  ALLOCATION
SHALL  BE ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS; AND TWO HUNDRED THOU-
SAND DOLLARS FOR THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE IN THE  SENATE
AND THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE IN THE ASSEMBLY.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01732-01-9

S. 2598                             2

  3.  EVERY  STATE  SENATOR  OR MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY WHO SERVES IN THE
CAPACITY AS RANKING MEMBER OF A STANDING COMMITTEE SHALL ALSO RECEIVE AN
ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION DESIGNED TO REASONABLY ALLOW SUCH  RANKING  MEMBER
TO HIRE STAFF DEDICATED TO COMMITTEE RELATED WORK. SUCH ALLOCATION SHALL
BE  THIRTY  THOUSAND DOLLARS EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF THE CODES, EDUCATION,
HEALTH, AND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEES SUCH AMOUNT SHALL BE  FIFTY-FIVE
THOUSAND  DOLLARS;  AND  IN THE CASE OF THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE SENATE
FINANCE COMMITTEE OR RANKING MEMBER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY  WAYS  AND  MEANS
COMMITTEE, NINETY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
  4.  ALL  EMPLOYEES WHOSE SALARY IS NOT CHARGED AGAINST THE STAFF ALLO-
CATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL  MEMBER  OF  THE  LEGISLATURE  SHALL  BE  DEEMED
EMPLOYEES  OF  THE  CENTRAL  STAFF OF THE SENATE OR CENTRAL STAFF OF THE
ASSEMBLY, AS THE CASE MAY BE. THERE SHALL BE A CENTRAL STAFF  ALLOCATION
WHICH  SHALL  ALLOW FOR THE HIRING OF INDIVIDUALS PURSUANT TO THE RECOM-
MENDATION OF THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE MINORITY  LEADER
OF  THE  SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF
THE ASSEMBLY. THE PERCENTAGE OF DOLLARS TO BE ALLOCATED TO THE TEMPORARY
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, THE  SPEAKER
OF  THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY SHALL BE BASED
UPON THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND NUMBER OF  MEMBERS  OF  THE
ASSEMBLY  IN THE MAJORITY AND MINORITY POLITICAL PARTY OF EACH HOUSE. IN
THE EVENT A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE IS  NOT  ENROLLED  IN  EITHER  THE
MAJORITY  POLITICAL  PARTY  IN HIS OR HER HOUSE OR THE SECOND MOST POPU-
LATED POLITICAL PARTY IN HIS OR HER HOUSE, SUCH MEMBER MAY DECLARE  THAT
HE OR SHE WISHES TO HAVE HIS OR HER MEMBERSHIP COUNTED IN ONE OF THE TWO
POLITICAL  PARTIES  SOLELY  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF STAFF ALLOCATION RATIOS.
SUCH DECLARATION SHALL BE GIVEN IN  WRITING  TO  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE
SENATE  OR  CLERK  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY  WITHIN  SEVENTY DAYS OF HIS OR HER
ELECTION. THE ALLOCATION FOR CENTRAL STAFF SHALL NOT CHANGE  DURING  THE
TWO  YEAR  TERM  OF  OFFICE  WHICH  COMMENCES EVERY JANUARY FIRST OF ODD
NUMBERED YEARS AND ENDS AT THE END OF DECEMBER THE FOLLOWING YEAR.    IN
ANY  EVENT, THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF
THE ASSEMBLY SHALL HAVE A MINIMUM OF THIRTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE  CENTRAL
STAFF ALLOCATION AUTHORITY.
  5. NOT LATER THAN THE FIRST OF JANUARY FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
THIS SECTION, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE SHALL ALLOCATE TO EACH MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE HIS OR HER STAFF
ALLOCATION PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
  6.  THERE  SHALL  BE A CENTRALIZED RESEARCH SERVICE FOR THE SENATE AND
ASSEMBLY BASED ON ASSIGNED AREAS OF RESEARCH AND EXPERTISE  WHICH  SHALL
BE  JOINTLY ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE SENATE AND THE CLERK OF
THE ASSEMBLY.  INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYED BY SUCH CENTRALIZED RESEARCH SERVICE
SHALL BE HIRED UPON THE UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION OF THE TEMPORARY PRESI-
DENT OF THE SENATE, MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, SPEAKER OF THE ASSEM-
BLY AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S2598

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee

co-Sponsors

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S2598

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Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee

co-Sponsors

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S2598 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments