NY State Senate Bill 2025-S2304

Senate Bill S2304

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Provides for the appointment of a standing committee on conference to resolve differences between similar, but not identical, bills and resolutions

download bill text pdf

Current 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 16, 2025	referred to investigations and government operations

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2025-S2304 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:: Legislative Law
Laws Affected:: Add §54-b, Leg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S5404
2011-2012: S381
2013-2014: S1473
2015-2016: S2666
2017-2018: S4578
2019-2020: S4001
2021-2022: S2725
2023-2024: S2420

2025-S2304 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for the appointment of a standing committee on conference to resolve differences between similar, but not identical bills and resolutions; provides that such committee may refer bills and resolutions to sub-committees for disposition; provides for appointment of a non-partisan counsel to make referrals to such standing committee on similar bills and resolutions.

2025-S2304 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2304

SPONSOR: KRUEGER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to providing for a
standing committee on conference to resolve differences between similar,
but not identical bills and resolutions passing the senate and assembly

 
PURPOSE:

To create a standing committee on conference consisting of Senators and
Members of the Assembly to produce a single bill and explanatory report
when each house has passed a separate bill accomplishing the same
purpose.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The Legislative Law is amended to require that a Standing Committee on
Conference be created to reconcile similar versions of legislation
passed by the Senate and Assembly. The Committee shall be composed of
majority and minority conference members in the Senate and Assembly

relative to the total membership of the Senate and Assembly. In the
event that the proportion of either majority conference members would
result in a fractional amount, the number of majority conference members
shall be rounded up to next whole number. This mirrors the requirements
for the creation of the standing committees outlined in the Senate
Rules, rule VII(c.)

Whenever a bill or resolution has passed the Senate or the Assembly and
contains substantially the same provisions of law or accomplishes essen-
tially the same purpose as a bill or resolution that has passed the
other house, it may be considered by the standing committee on confer-
ence. To have legislation considered by the Committee joint requests
must be made by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Temporary President
of the Senate or, by the prime sponsors in both houses or, by the
committee chairs which deliberated on the similar bills.

In addition, each bill or resolution passed by each house shall, at the
written request of any member of the legislature, be examined by a
nonpartisan counsel appointed by the Commissioners of the Legislative
Bill Drafting Commission to determine if the bill should be sent to the
Standing Committee on Conference.

When measures are referred to the Committee, the Committee shall meet
within ten days to negotiate any changes necessary and issue a report on
the bills within fifteen days after the referral. Subsequently, a report
shall be filed with the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the Assem-
bly which shall contain a conference bill with the agreed upon text. The
bills will then be placed on respective third reading calendars for
consideration.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Currently, Conference Committees are rarely utilized to deal with simi-
lar legislation which passes in each house. As a result, the responsi-
bility for resolving such issues falls informally to the sponsors, the
Leaders or their staffs or some combination thereof.  Under this system
a multitude of reasons can often needlessly delay or prevent passage of
needed legislation. Even when compromise solutions are reached under the
current practice, it is often done totally removed from the scrutiny of
the public and even the membership, with the amended bills being
reported directly to the floor of the Senate and Assembly without
committee review.

The Congress of the United States and 45 of the 49 bicameral state
legislatures have long employed Conference Committees as an efficient
and democratic means of dealing with differences over legislation
between the two Houses. This proposal is adapted from Rule XXVIII of the
Standing Rules of the United States Senate and is similar to the rules
governing Conference Committees in most state legislatures.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2009-2010: S.5404/A.3853

2011-2012: S.381A/A.8637

2013-2014: S.1473/A.257

2015-2016: S.2666/A.5753

2017-2018: S.4578 Governmental Ops

2019-2020: S.4001A/A10098 Passed Senate

2021-2022: S.2725/A6701 Passed Senate

2023-2024: S.2420 Passed Senate

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S2304 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2304
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. KRUEGER, BAILEY, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, LIU, MAY, PERSAUD,
   SERRANO, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when  printed
   to  be  committed  to  the  Committee on Investigations and Government
   Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in  relation  to  providing  for  a
   standing  committee on conference to resolve differences between simi-
   lar, but not identical bills and resolutions passing  the  senate  and
   assembly
 
   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 54-b
 to read as follows:
   § 54-B. STANDING COMMITTEE  ON  CONFERENCE;  REFERRAL  TO  CONFERENCE,
 APPOINTMENT  OF NONPARTISAN COUNSEL FOR REFERRAL. 1. BY JANUARY FIFTH OF
 EACH YEAR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF  THE
 ASSEMBLY  SHALL APPOINT A STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE. SUCH COMMIT-
 TEE 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 CLERK OF THE  ASSEMBLY.    THE  STANDING
 COMMITTEE  ON  CONFERENCE  SHALL  BE COMPOSED OF MAJORITY CONFERENCE AND
 MINORITY CONFERENCE MEMBERS IN THE SAME  PROPORTION  AS  THE  NUMBER  OF
 MAJORITY  CONFERENCE  AND  MINORITY CONFERENCE MEMBERS IN THE SENATE AND
 ASSEMBLY RELATIVE TO THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF THE  SENATE  AND  ASSEMBLY.
 FOR  PURPOSES OF COMMITTEE COMPOSITION, IN THE EVENT THAT THE PROPORTION
 OF EITHER MAJORITY CONFERENCE  MEMBERS  WOULD  RESULT  IN  A  FRACTIONAL
 AMOUNT, THE NUMBER OF MAJORITY CONFERENCE MEMBERS SHALL BE ROUNDED UP TO
 THE NEXT WHOLE NUMBER. FURTHER, IN THE CASE OF AN EXCUSED ABSENCE OF ANY
 COMMITTEE MEMBER SUCH COMMITTEE MAY DESIGNATE AN ALTERNATE MEMBER OF THE
 CONFERENCE  FOR  MEETINGS  OF SUCH COMMITTEES PROVIDED WRITTEN NOTICE IS
 PROVIDED AND ACCEPTED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE  AND  THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05674-01-5
 S. 2304                             2

 
 SPEAKER  OF  THE ASSEMBLY AT LEAST ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF
 SUCH COMMITTEE MEETING.
   THIS  COMMITTEE SHALL BE KNOWN AS THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE
 AND:
   (A) SHALL DELIBERATE ON ALL BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS FOR  CONFERENCE  THAT
 ARE  REFERRED TO IT FROM THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVI-
 SION TWO OF THIS SECTION OR AS REFERRED TO IT BY THE NONPARTISAN COUNSEL
 JOINTLY APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE BILL  DRAFTING
 COMMISSION AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION;
   (B)  MAY APPOINT SUCH OTHER SUBCOMMITTEES AS ARE NECESSARY TO CONSIDER
 BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS INVOLVING PARTICULAR TOPICS THAT  ARE  REFERRED  TO
 THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE; AND
   (C)  SHALL  INVITE  THE  PRIME SPONSORS OF THE BILL FROM EACH HOUSE TO
 PARTICIPATE AS NON-VOTING MEMBERS OF SUCH COMMITTEE.
   2. WHENEVER A BILL OR RESOLUTION HAS PASSED THE SENATE OR THE ASSEMBLY
 AND SUCH BILL OR RESOLUTION CONTAINS SUBSTANTIALLY THE  SAME  PROVISIONS
 OF  LAW  OR  ACCOMPLISHES  SUBSTANTIALLY  THE SAME PURPOSES AS A BILL OR
 RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE OTHER HOUSE, SUCH BILL OR RESOLUTION SHALL:
   (A) AT THE JOINT REQUEST OF THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE  AND
 THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY; OR
   (B)  AT  THE  JOINT REQUEST OF THE PRIME SPONSOR OF THE BILL OR RESOL-
 UTION IN THE SENATE AND THE PRIME SPONSOR OF THE BILL OR  RESOLUTION  IN
 THE ASSEMBLY; OR
   (C)  AT THE JOINT REQUEST OF THE CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEES WHICH DELIB-
 ERATED ON THE BILL OR RESOLUTION IN EACH HOUSE
 BE REFERRED TO THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE, WHICH SHALL DISPOSE
 OF THE BILL OR RESOLUTION PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   3. IN THE ALTERNATIVE, EACH BILL OR RESOLUTION PASSED  BY  EACH  HOUSE
 SHALL, AT THE WRITTEN REQUEST OF ANY MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE, BE EXAM-
 INED  BY  A  NONPARTISAN  COUNSEL  APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE
 LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION TO  DETERMINE  WHETHER  A  BILL  OR
 RESOLUTION  PASSED  IN  ONE HOUSE IS SIMILAR TO ANY BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS
 PASSED IN THE OTHER HOUSE. IF THE NONPARTISAN COUNSEL APPOINTED  BY  THE
 COMMISSIONERS  OF  THE  LEGISLATIVE  BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION DETERMINES
 THAT ANY BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS ARE SIMILAR UNDER THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH
 IN THIS SECTION, THEN SUCH BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS SHALL BE REFERRED TO THE
 STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE AND THAT COMMITTEE SHALL DISPOSE OF THE
 SIMILAR BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS AS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION.
   4. (A) WHEN SIMILAR BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS ARE REFERRED TO THE  STANDING
 COMMITTEE  ON  CONFERENCE UNDER THIS SECTION, THE COMMITTEE SHALL THERE-
 AFTER MEET WITHIN TEN CALENDAR DAYS OF THE REFERRAL AND SHALL FOLLOW THE
 PROCESS SET FORTH IN THIS SUBDIVISION:
   (I) THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE SHALL CONFERENCE THE BILL  OR
 RESOLUTION,  NEGOTIATE ANY NECESSARY CHANGES AND SHALL ISSUE A REPORT ON
 THE BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TO IT WITHIN FIFTEEN DAYS  AFTER  THE
 REFERRAL AS PROVIDED HEREIN; OR
   (II)  THE  STANDING  COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE SHALL REFER SUCH BILLS OR
 RESOLUTIONS TO A SUBCOMMITTEE WITH JURISDICTION OVER THE SUBJECT  MATTER
 OF  SUCH BILLS OR RESOLUTIONS, WHICH COMMITTEE SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE
 STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE AND WHICH SUBCOMMITTEE SHALL CONSIST OF
 FOUR MEMBERS OF EACH HOUSE, INCLUDING ONE MEMBER OF  THE  MINORITY  FROM
 EACH HOUSE.
   (B)  IN  ANY EVENT, EITHER THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE OR THE
 DULY CREATED SUBCOMMITTEE SHALL FILE A REPORT WITH THE SECRETARY OF  THE
 SENATE OR THE CLERK OF THE ASSEMBLY WHICH SHALL:
 S. 2304                             3
 
   (I)  CONTAIN  A CONFERENCE BILL OR CONFERENCE RESOLUTION, WHICH HAS AN
 AGREED ON TEXT AND IS SUPPORTED BY A MAJORITY OF THE STANDING  COMMITTEE
 ON  CONFERENCE MEMBERS THAT CONFERENCED THE TWO BILLS OR  RESOLUTIONS AS
 WELL AS A MINORITY REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS,  IF  ANY,  REGARDING
 THE CONFERENCE BILL OR CONFERENCE RESOLUTION; OR
   (II) CONTAIN A REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE DELIBER-
 ATIONS  ON THE BILL OR RESOLUTION AND AN EXPLANATION REGARDING THE FAIL-
 URE OF THE COMMITTEE TO AGREE ON THE TEXT  OF  THE  CONFERENCE  BILL  OR
 CONFERENCE RESOLUTION.
   5.  ANY  CONFERENCE  BILL OR RESOLUTION, APPROVED BY A MAJORITY OF THE
 STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONFERENCE OR THE DULY CREATED SUBCOMMITTEE SHALL,
 IF REPORTED FAVORABLY TO THE SECRETARY OF THE SENATE AND  THE  CLERK  OF
 THE  ASSEMBLY,  AND  AFTER  RECEIPT  BY THOSE OFFICERS OF EACH HOUSE, BE
 PLACED ON THE THIRD READING CALENDAR FOR EACH HOUSE  AND  SUCH  BILL  OR
 RESOLUTION  SHALL  THEREAFTER  BE  SUBJECT  TO  ANY  APPROPRIATE MOTION,
 INCLUDING A MOTION TO DISCHARGE OR TO ADVANCE FOR DEBATE,  AT  ANY  TIME
 THEREAFTER.
   6.   (A) THE NONPARTISAN COUNSEL APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE
 LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION SHALL HAVE EXPERIENCE  IN  LEGISLA-
 TIVE  BILL  DRAFTING. THE COUNSEL SHALL SERVE FOR A ONE YEAR TERM, WHICH
 MAY BE RENEWED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF  THE  LEGISLATIVE  BILL  DRAFTING
 COMMISSION  FOR  A TERM OF NO MORE THAN ONE YEAR THEREAFTER. THE COUNSEL
 SHALL HAVE SUCH RESOURCES AS THE LEGISLATURE MAY PERMIT.
   (B) IN CONSIDERING WHETHER BILLS PASSED BY BOTH  HOUSES  ARE  SIMILAR,
 THE  NONPARTISAN  COUNSEL  JOINTLY APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE
 LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION SHALL CONSIDER, BUT NOT BE  LIMITED
 TO CONSIDERING, THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:
   (I)  WHETHER  EACH BILL AMENDS THE SAME SECTION AND SUBDIVISION OF THE
 LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK;
   (II) WHETHER EACH BILL CONTAINS SIMILAR  LANGUAGE  AND  CONCEPTS  EVEN
 THOUGH IT MAY AMEND DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF STATE LAW;
   (III)  WHETHER  EACH  BILL INCLUDES APPROPRIATIONS FROM STATE ACCOUNTS
 AND BENEFITS OR IMPACTS SIMILARLY-SITUATED GROUPS OF PEOPLE; AND
   (IV) WHETHER EACH BILL ORIGINATED  IN  A  SIMILAR  COMMITTEE  IN  EACH
 HOUSE.
   (C) THE LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING COMMISSION AND ITS NONPARTISAN COUN-
 SEL SHALL MAKE AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE ON ITS DETERMINATIONS
 REGARDING  THE  SIMILARITY  OF BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS AND THE CREATION OF
 CONFERENCE COMMITTEES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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