Assembly Bill A7186

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

                                  7186

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             April 15, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  GALEF,  KAVANAGH, LAVINE, P. RIVERA, PAULIN,
  ROSENTHAL,  BURLING,  CALHOUN,  KOLB,  CORWIN,  GIGLIO,  FINCH,  RAIA,
  P. LOPEZ  --  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, CASTELLI, CONTE,
  CROUCH, DUPREY, HAWLEY, JORDAN, LANCMAN, J. MILLER, SAYWARD,  SCHIMEL,
  THIELE,  TOBACCO,  TOWNS -- read once and referred to the Committee on
  Governmental 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-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01889-01-1
              

A. 7186                             2

SAND DOLLARS FOR THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE IN THE  SENATE
AND THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE IN THE ASSEMBLY.
  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.