Provides for the establishment of a joint budget committee or conference on appropriations and proposed legislation or resolutions related to the budget to resolve differences between similar but not identical legislation passed by the senate and assembly.

---

S496-2011 Actions

• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
• Jan 5, 2011: REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

S496-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S496

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the legislative law, in relation to providing for a joint
budget committee on conference to resolve differences between similar
but not identical legislation passed by the senate and assembly

PURPOSE:
The intent of this bill is to codify the current practice of convening
a joint budget committee on conference which is open to the public.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 creates a requirement that the joint budget committee on
conference convene within two days of the passage of similar budget
bills and/or resolutions in the respective houses of the Legislature,
and sets forth the structure and procedures of such committee.

Section 2 provides that this bill shall take effect immediately.

JUSTIFICATION:
This bill assures the continued open cooperation of the two houses of
the New York State Legislature in resolving differences in their
respective legislation. The Joint Budget Committee on Conference is
an indispensable part of the state budget process. Meetings are open
to the public. Without the committee structure during the budget
process, it would be nearly impossible to reconcile the differences
in budget legislation corning from the different houses. This bill
codifies a structure which facilitates collegial communication
between the respective houses of the Legislature and thereby aids in
streamlining the legislative process under which the State of New
York finalizes its annual operating budget.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
06/22/06 Passed Senate.
01/09/08 REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate.

S496-2011 Text

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

                                     496

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 5, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  ROBACH -- 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  providing  for  a
    joint  budget  committee  on conference to resolve differences between
    similar but not identical legislation passed by the senate and  assem-
    bly

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


    Section 1. The legislative law is amended by adding a new section 53-a
  to read as follows:

    S 53-A. JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE ON  CONFERENCE  ON  APPROPRIATIONS  AND
  PROPOSED LEGISLATION OR RESOLUTIONS RELATED TO THE BUDGET. 1. WITHIN TWO
  DAYS OF THE PASSAGE OF APPROPRIATIONS AND PROPOSED LEGISLATION OR RESOL-
  UTIONS RELATED TO THE BUDGET IN EACH HOUSE OF THE LEGISLATURE, WHICH ARE
  SIMILAR  BUT  NOT  IDENTICAL  TO THOSE OF THE OTHER HOUSE, AND WHICH, IF
  AGREED TO BY BOTH HOUSES, WOULD CONSTITUTE SUFFICIENT  FUNDING  FOR  THE
  SUPPORT  OF  GOVERNMENT,  THE  TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE
  SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY SHALL JOINTLY  CONVENE  A  BUDGET  COMMITTEE  ON
  CONFERENCE  TO CONSIDER AND WHICH MAY REPORT UPON SUCH LEGISLATION. SUCH
  COMMITTEE SHALL BE CONSTITUTED BY THE FILING OF A JOINT  CERTIFICATE  BY
  THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY
  WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE SENATE AND THE  CLERK  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY,  AND
  SHALL CONSIST OF THE SAME NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF EACH HOUSE. UNLESS OTHER-
  WISE  PROVIDED  IN  THE CERTIFICATE, THERE SHALL BE FIVE MEMBERS ON SUCH
  COMMITTEE FROM EACH HOUSE TO BE APPOINTED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT  OF
  THE SENATE WHO SHALL APPOINT THE MEMBERS FROM THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER
  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY  WHO  SHALL  APPOINT  THE  MEMBERS  FROM THE ASSEMBLY;
  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT OF EACH HOUSE'S DELEGATION AT LEAST ONE  MEMBER,
  UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE RESPECTIVE MINORITY LEADERS, SHALL REPRE-

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD01983-01-1

 S. 496                              2

  SENT  THE  MINORITY IN EACH HOUSE.  UNLESS DELEGATED TO THE CHAIR OF THE
  SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON FINANCE BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT  OF  THE
  SENATE  OR  TO  THE CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND
  MEANS  BY  THE  SPEAKER  OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
  SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY SHALL EACH SERVE AS  CO-CHAIRPER-
  SONS  OF THE COMMITTEE AND SUCH CO-CHAIRPERSONS SHALL CONVENE AND RECESS
  MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE. MEETINGS JOINTLY CONVENED BY THE CO-CHAIRPER-
  SONS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE SEVEN OF  THE  PUBLIC
  OFFICERS LAW.  THE COMMITTEE MAY FILE A WRITTEN REPORT SETTING FORTH THE
  JOINT  RECOMMENDATIONS OF A MAJORITY OF EACH HOUSE'S DELEGATION WITH THE
  SECRETARY OF THE SENATE AND THE CLERK OF  THE  ASSEMBLY  OR  SUCH  OTHER
  COMMITTEES  OR OFFICERS AS MAY BE SET FORTH IN THE CERTIFICATE, AND SUCH
  REPORT MAY INCLUDE SPECIFIC BILL LANGUAGE THAT WOULD IMPLEMENT THE JOINT
  BUDGET COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE'S RECOMMENDATIONS.  NO  REPORT  SHALL  BE
  FILED  EXCEPT  UPON THE AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS OF
  EACH HOUSE'S DELEGATION ON THE COMMITTEE. MINORITY REPORTS MAY  ALSO  BE
  FILED.
    2.  FOR  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE LEGISLATION TO BE CONSIDERED BY
  THE JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE MAY BE BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS  OR
  A COMBINATION OF BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN MUTUALLY AGREED TO
  BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY
  TO CONSTITUTE LEGISLATION WHICH IS SIMILAR BUT NOT IDENTICAL.
    3.  THE CO-CHAIRPERSONS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE SHALL CREATE SUBCOMMIT-
  TEES CONSISTING OF AN EQUAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF  EACH  HOUSE,  BUT  NOT
  FEWER  THAN  THREE  MEMBERS OF EACH HOUSE, WHICH CORRESPOND TO THE MAJOR
  RELEVANT BUDGETARY ISSUES CONTAINED IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET  SUBMISSION
  WHICH  REMAIN UNRESOLVED. AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE MINORITY CONFERENCE
  OF EACH HOUSE AS RECOMMENDED BY THE RESPECTIVE MINORITY LEADERS SHALL BE
  DESIGNATED TO SERVE ON EACH  SUBCOMMITTEE  CREATED.  SUCH  SUBCOMMITTEES
  SHALL FACILITATE DISCUSSION, ANALYSIS, AND REVIEW OF OUTSTANDING BUDGET-
  ARY ISSUES RELEVANT TO THE BUDGETARY AREAS FOR WHICH THE SUBCOMMITTEE IS
  RESPONSIBLE.  SUCH  SUBCOMMITTEES  SHALL  WORK TO ACHIEVE AN APPROPRIATE
  ALLOCATION OF STATE FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR  ITS  PURPOSES  AND  TO  DEVELOP
  LANGUAGE  TO  IMPLEMENT  PROGRAMMATIC  PROPOSALS INCIDENTAL TO THE ALLO-
  CATION OF STATE FUNDS WITHIN THE SUBCOMMITTEE'S AREA OF  RESPONSIBILITY.
  UPON AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE OF EACH HOUSE'S DELEGATION ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE,
  SUCH  SUBCOMMITTEE  MAY  REPORT  ITS JOINT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BUDGET
  COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE AT THE CONCLUSION OF SUBCOMMITTEE DELIBERATIONS.
  ANY MINORITY REPORT SHALL ALSO BE FORWARDED TO THE JOINT BUDGET  COMMIT-
  TEE  ON  CONFERENCE. IN THE EVENT THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE DOES NOT RESOLVE
  ALL OUTSTANDING ISSUES WITHIN THE SUBCOMMITTEE'S AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY,
  SUCH UNRESOLVED ISSUES SHALL BE REFERRED TO THE JOINT  BUDGET  COMMITTEE
  ON CONFERENCE FOR RESOLUTION.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.