NY State Senate Bill 2021-S622

Senate Bill S622

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Establishes the "division of research and analysis" which is a separate division of the legislative library

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to investigations and government operations
Jan 06, 2021	referred to investigations and government operations

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2021-S622 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A304
Current Committee:: Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:: Legislative Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §7-a, Leg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S5159, A7429
2023-2024: S1294, A4164

2021-S622 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the "division of research and analysis" which is a part of the legislative library and assists members of the legislature by providing research and analysis on policy.

2021-S622 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S622

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to the creation of the
division of research and analysis to assist the legislature

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This amends section 7-a of the legislative law to create a nonpartisan
Division of Research and Analysis within the Legislative Library to
provide research and analytical support for members of the legislature.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 lays out the legislative intent.

Section 2 amends the legislative law to lay out the structure and duties
of the Division of Research and Analysis, its staff, and the services it
will provide to the legislature.

Section 3 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

A nonpartisan Division of Research and Analysis (DRA) should be created
within the Legislative Library in order to provide members with unbiased
research and analysis on important topics. Modeled on the Congressional
Research Service (CRS) and the Canadian Library of Parliament, the DRA
will offer legislators and their staff impartial and confidential
research and analysis services. The DRA will give the legislature an
independent and unbiased source of information on issues of public
importance.

Currently, New York legislators rely largely on external sources for
expertise and policy analysis, in addition to the legislator's own
expertise and that of legislative staff. Legislative information can be
supplied by a wide variety of actors, ranging from think tanks and
academic experts to trade associations and private citizens. Such infor-
mation comes from a wide variety of sources and therefore reflects a
wide variety of potential biases. With limited resources and wide
demands in terms of time, legislators rely on these perspectives to help
craft policy and make weighty decisions. The resulting process can
advantage those with the resources and expertise to fill the informa-
tional gap in the legislative process, regardless of the quality of the
actual information or analysis they supply. A single nonpartisan office
to provide research and analysis will ensure all members have access to
unbiased, factual analysis that they can utilize in shaping legislation
with their colleagues.

The effectiveness of the DRA rests on its ability to serve all members
of the Legislature regardless of the house in which they serve or the
side of the aisle on which they sit. To achieve this end, under this
legislation, all legislators and their staff will have equal access to
the services of the DRA. Members and their staff will be able to request
specific confidential memoranda to support their legislative agendas.
The DRA will also prepare, at the request of members or under its own
initiative, memoranda about issues that will be available to all members
and to the public. All of these products will be delivered by staff
selected for their ability to meet the needs of the legislature, without
regard to partisan affiliation. The DRA will be led by a Director named
by the Speaker of the Assembly and President of the Senate from a list
of nominees submitted by a committee comprised of the presidents of New
York's research universities.

The most effective legislatures are those with sufficient resources to
ensure access to expert analysis and research relating to the issues
before them. New York State can lead the way in becoming one of the
first large states to develop its own corollary to the Congressional
Research Service or the Canadian Library of Parliament to meet the needs
of governing a large and complex state.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.5159-A (May) Committed to Finance /A.7429-A (Steck) Referred to
Governmental Operations

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
180 days after becoming law.

2021-S622 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    622
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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 creation of  the
   division of research and analysis to assist the legislature

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature seeks to create  a  new
 nonpartisan  division  which shall provide assistance to the legislature
 with analysis of issues and policies in order to facilitate the  lawmak-
 ing  process.  This division shall serve all members of both house cham-
 bers equally and without bias. The legislature further intends to create
 a division that shall empower the legislature by  providing  independent
 and  trustworthy  information  to  the  legislature,  and  will maintain
 adequate staffing to allow the legislature to consider the  best  inter-
 ests of the state.
   §  2. Section 7-a of the legislative law, as amended by chapter 746 of
 the laws of 1974, and the third undesignated paragraph as added by chap-
 ter 867 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
   § 7-a. Legislative library, librarian and assistants.   1.  (A)  There
 shall  be  a  legislative  library to be located in the state capitol in
 rooms assigned by the commissioner  of  general  services,  conveniently
 accessible  to  the  members  of  both  houses  of legislature, and such
 library shall be open throughout the year.
   (B) Such library shall be suitably furnished, equipped and  maintained
 under  the  direction of the legislative librarian, within the amount of
 any moneys available therefor by appropriation, subject to joint  rules,
 if any, that may be adopted by the senate and assembly in relation ther-
 eto.  There shall be, for such library, a legislative librarian and such
 assistant librarians and other employees as may be provided for  in  the

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

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04162-01-1

 S. 622                              2
 
 legislative appropriation bill. Such librarian, assistant librarians and
 other employees shall be chosen by the temporary president of the senate
 and  speaker  of  the assembly. One of the assistant librarians shall be
 assigned  by the legislative librarian to have charge of the legislative
 correspondents' room in  the  capitol.  The  legislative  librarian  and
 assistant  librarians  heretofore  chosen by the president of the senate
 and speaker of the assembly, and in office when this section  as  hereby
 amended  takes  effect,  shall  continue to serve until their successors
 shall be chosen.  The  salaries  and  compensation  of  the  legislative
 librarian,  assistant  librarians  and  other employees shall be payable
 from moneys appropriated in the legislative appropriation bill. During a
 vacancy in the office of legislative librarian, the assistant  librarian
 who shall have been longest in the service of the state as a legislative
 employee,  shall  be  employed  as acting legislative librarian with the
 powers and duties of such librarian, and shall receive during such peri-
 od the compensation herein prescribed  for  the  legislative  librarian.
 Such librarian shall have charge of the legislative library, but the two
 houses  of  the legislature may, by joint rules, regulate the use of the
 library and prescribe the powers and duties of the legislative librarian
 and the assistant librarians.
   (C) The legislative librarian, the assistant librarians and  employees
 of  the  legislative  library shall be considered to be employees of the
 legislature for all purposes.
   2. (A) THERE SHALL BE A SEPARATE DIVISION OF THE LEGISLATIVE  LIBRARY,
 KNOWN AS THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS, WHICH SHALL BE NONPARTI-
 SAN  IN  NATURE  AND  SHALL  AID  THE  LEGISLATURE IN PROVIDING RESEARCH
 SUPPORT.
   (B) (1) THE LEGISLATIVE LIBRARIAN SHALL ENCOURAGE, ASSIST, AND PROMOTE
 THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS IN:
   (I) PROVIDING RESEARCH SUPPORT AT THE REQUEST OF MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUS-
 ES OF THE LEGISLATURE TO AID SUCH MEMBERS WITH THE  ANALYSIS  OF  ISSUES
 AND DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY;
   (II)  RENDERING  TO  THE  LEGISLATURE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT
 SERVICE;
   (III) RESPONDING MOST EXPEDITIOUSLY, EFFECTIVELY, AND  EFFICIENTLY  TO
 THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF THE LEGISLATURE; AND
   (IV)  EMPOWERING  THE LEGISLATURE BY ALLOWING THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH
 AND ANALYSIS TO PROVIDE AN INDEPENDENT SOURCE OF INFORMATION.
   (2) THE LEGISLATIVE LIBRARIAN SHALL GRANT AND ACCORD TO  THE  DIVISION
 OF  RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS COMPLETE RESEARCH INDEPENDENCE AND THE MAXIMUM
 PRACTICABLE ADMINISTRATIVE INDEPENDENCE  CONSISTENT  WITH  THESE  OBJEC-
 TIVES.
   (C)  (1)  A DIRECTOR SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY
 AND THE MAJORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE TO HEAD THE DIVISION  OF  RESEARCH
 AND ANALYSIS FROM A LIST OF THREE NOMINEES FOR SUCH POSITION.
   (2) SUCH LIST OF NOMINEES SHALL BE COMPILED AND PROVIDED TO THE SPEAK-
 ER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY  AND MAJORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE BY A COMMITTEE,
 WHICH SHALL BE CHAIRED BY THE CHANCELLOR OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF  NEW
 YORK  AND COMPRISED OF THE PRESIDENTS OF BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY, THE CITY
 UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK GRADUATE  CENTER,  STONY  BROOK  UNIVERSITY,  THE
 STATE  UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY, AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW
 YORK AT BUFFALO.
   (3) THE DIRECTOR SHALL SERVE FOR A TERM OF FOUR YEARS AND MAY BE REAP-
 POINTED AT THE END OF EACH TERM IN THE MANNER OF THE  ORIGINAL  APPOINT-
 MENT. THE DIRECTOR MAY ONLY BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE UPON AGREEMENT BY THE
 TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF  THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND

 S. 622                              3
 
 AFFIRMED BY A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY VOTE BY BOTH THE SENATE AND THE ASSEM-
 BLY.
   (D) STAFFING DECISIONS FOR THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS SHALL
 BE  AT  THE  DISCRETION OF THE LEGISLATIVE LIBRARIAN AND DIRECTOR OF THE
 DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS AND SUBJECT TO  APPROPRIATION  BY  THE
 LEGISLATURE.  ALL  STAFFING  DECISIONS  MADE  PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH
 SHALL BE WITHOUT REGARD TO POLITICAL  AFFILIATION,  AND  SOLELY  ON  THE
 BASIS OF FITNESS TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF THE POSITION.
   (E)  IT  SHALL  BE  THE DUTY OF THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS,
 WITHOUT PARTISAN BIAS, TO PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING:
   (1) UPON REQUEST MADE BY A MEMBER  OF  THE  LEGISLATURE,  PREPARE  AND
 TRANSMIT  TO  SUCH MEMBER A CONCISE MEMORANDUM WHICH SHALL PROVIDE RELE-
 VANT RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS IN RESPONSE TO THE SPECIFIC REQUEST  OF  SUCH
 MEMBER.  SUCH MEMORANDUM SHALL BE CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT SUBJECT TO PUBLIC
 DISCLOSURE;
   (2) UPON REQUEST, OR  UPON  ITS  OWN  INITIATIVE  IN  ANTICIPATION  OF
 REQUESTS, PREPARE AND PROVIDE MEMORANDA FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION REGARD-
 ING  INFORMATION,  RESEARCH AND REFERENCE MATERIALS ON GENERAL ISSUES OR
 LEGISLATION THAT THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS SHALL DEEM USEFUL
 TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE. SUCH INFORMATION SHALL BE  PUBLIC  IN
 NATURE AND AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE; AND
   (3)  AT  THE  DIRECTION OF THE DIRECTOR, PREPARE AND PROVIDE MEMORANDA
 FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION REGARDING GENERAL ANALYSIS OF BROAD ISSUES THAT
 THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS SHALL DEEM USEFUL TO  ALL  MEMBERS
 OF  THE  LEGISLATURE.  SUCH  INFORMATION  SHALL  BE PUBLIC IN NATURE AND
 AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.
   (F) THE PARTICULAR NATURE OF A REQUEST FROM A MEMBER OF  EITHER  HOUSE
 OF THE LEGISLATURE, PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (E) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, SHALL
 BE DETERMINED BY THE STAFF MEMBERS OF THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND ANAL-
 YSIS,  WITH  A  PREFERENCE  OF  MAKING  SUCH  MEMORANDA AVAILABLE TO THE
 PUBLIC, IF FEASIBLE, WITHOUT DISCLOSING SPECIFIC LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY OF
 ANY MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE.
   (G) THE DIRECTOR OF  THE  DIVISION  OF  RESEARCH  AND  ANALYSIS  SHALL
 PREPARE  AND  PRESENT  TO  THE  SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE MAJORITY
 LEADER OF THE SENATE AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH  REGULAR  SESSION  OF  THE
 LEGISLATURE  A  SEPARATE  AND SPECIAL REPORT COVERING, IN SUMMARY AND IN
 DETAIL, ALL PHASES OF ACTIVITY OF THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND  ANALYSIS
 FOR  THE  IMMEDIATE  PRECEDING  FISCAL  YEAR,  AND SHALL INCLUDE IN SUCH
 REPORT A DESCRIPTION OF THE EFFORTS MADE BY THE DIRECTOR TO  MAKE  ADDI-
 TIONAL  DIVISION  OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS PRODUCTS WHICH ARE NOT DEEMED
 CONFIDENTIAL PRODUCTS OR SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S622

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Sponsored By

Rachel May