S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  6187

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 8, 2014
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  AVELLA -- 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  the  continuity  of
  legislative sessions

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

  Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature finds  that  while  New
York  and  most  other states operate on two-year legislative calendars,
only the legislature of the state  of  New  York  interrupts  procedural
continuity  of  legislation  during  the two-year session. This practice
commonly requires the reconsideration  and  readoption  of  hundreds  of
bills  during  the  second  year  which  were  previously considered and
adopted during the first year.  The  legislature  determines  that  this
practice  is  usually  unnecessary  and  expends time and taxpayer money
which could be better spent addressing other important legislative busi-
ness. The legislature therefore declares  its  intent  to  preserve  the
procedural  continuity  of  all  bills  within  the biennial legislative
session.
  S 2. The legislative law is amended by adding a new  section  42-a  to
read as follows:
  S  42-A. CONTINUITY OF LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS. 1. UPON PASSAGE OF A BILL
BY ONE HOUSE OF THE LEGISLATURE, SUCH BILL SHALL AUTOMATICALLY  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.
  2.  NO BILL REPORTED BY A STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE OR ASSEMBLY
SHALL BE REFERRED BACK TO THAT COMMITTEE.
  3. EVERY BILL WHICH SHALL HAVE REACHED THE ORDER OF THIRD READING  BUT
WHICH  SHALL  NOT  HAVE BEEN ACTED ON BY THE HOUSE BEFORE THE END OF THE
FIRST YEAR OF THE TWO-YEAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION SHALL MAINTAIN ITS  PLACE
ON  THE ORDER OF THIRD READING UNTIL THE HOUSE SHALL ACT ON SUCH BILL OR
UNTIL THE END OF THE TWO-YEAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD13218-01-3

S. 6187                             2

  4. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL  NOT  APPLY  TO  BUDGET  BILLS
INTRODUCED   BY   THE   GOVERNOR   PURSUANT  TO  ARTICLE  SEVEN  OF  THE
CONSTITUTION, BILLS REQUIRING A HOME RULE MESSAGE FROM ONE OR MORE LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS PURSUANT TO ARTICLE NINE  OF  THE  CONSTITUTION,  CONCURRENT
RESOLUTIONS  TO  AMEND  THE CONSTITUTION PURSUANT TO ARTICLE NINETEEN OF
THE CONSTITUTION OR BILLS SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION FIFTY  OF
THIS ARTICLE.
  S  3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a  law;  provided,  that  the
senate  and assembly shall, by concurrent resolution, adopt rules neces-
sary to implement this act within twenty days after such act shall  have
become a law.