Bill would set limits and deadlines for bill-drafting requests

Legislators would request the drafting of fewer legislative measures under set limits and would meet added information, withdrawal, and filing rules. The rules cover incumbent and newly elected Assembly and Senate members, including limits for requests made before and during a regular session. For some pre-session requests, a legislator must provide enough information for complete drafting or withdraw the request by the applicable deadline. A legislator who does not use the maximum number of requests has a lower number of measures that must be prefiled or withdrawn. A legislator may not make certain requests after becoming a nonreturning legislator or filing to run for the other legislative house. Requests are generally due by August 1, December 10, or the eighth day of the regular session, depending on the request type; required prefiling or withdrawal is due by the first day of the regular session.

The Assembly Speaker, Senate Majority Leader, and minority leaders would have specified limits on requests to draft legislative measures. The limits apply to the Speaker of the Assembly, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and the minority leaders of both houses. A later-designated leader may request the remaining number allowed for that office if the prior leader did not use all of the requests. Requests must be made before the general election before a regular session, or before the first day of that session for a later-designated leader. The requests must be made before the stated election or session deadlines for the regular session they concern.

The Governor and certain constitutional officers would follow set limits and deadlines when requesting legislative drafts. The rules cover the Governor, the Governor’s representative, the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Controller, and Attorney General. The Governor could request up to 110 measures for executive agencies and up to five measures for the Governor’s agenda. The Governor’s agenda requests would follow different deadlines depending on whether a gubernatorial election occurs before the regular session. Measures not filed or introduced by the applicable deadline would be treated as withdrawn. Most listed executive requests are due by August 1 or September 1 before the regular session; agenda measures are due by August 1 when no election occurs, or between the first Monday in January and the first session day when an election occurs.