Introduced bill would set caps on legislative drafting requests

The introduced text would cap requests for Legislative Counsel to prepare measures. The listed limits cover legislators, legislative committees, the Governor and state agencies, named statewide officers, the labor commissioner, and the Judicial Department. In odd-year regular sessions, an individual legislator may request up to 25 measures and a legislative committee up to 15; the Joint Committee on Ways and Means is exempt from those caps. The Governor and state agencies have a combined cap of 200, excluding measures requested by the Department of Administrative Services to carry out the Governor’s budget recommendations. The Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, labor commissioner, and Judicial Department each have a cap of 15. The text says the limits apply to requests for the 2027 regular session and later odd-year regular sessions.

The introduced text would let either chamber’s Rules Committee request extra measures on behalf of listed requesters. Listed requesters include lawmakers and committees, the Governor and agencies under the Governor, named statewide officers, the labor commissioner, and the Judicial Department. The request must come from the Senate or House Rules Committee and be on behalf of a requester listed in the text. The text gives no separate deadline for these requests.

The introduced text would let a measure’s requester ask Legislative Counsel to prepare another measure after the Senate or House passes or adopts the original measure. The additional request is available to the member or committee that requested preparation of the measure that passed or was adopted. A vote to reconsider, agree to the other chamber’s amendments, or approve conference committee amendments does not allow another request under this provision. The request could be made after the Senate or House passes or adopts the measure.