Sponsored by:
Senator STEPHEN M. SWEENEY
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Senator THOMAS H. KEAN, JR.
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Amends Senate Rules concerning floor amendments and conditionally vetoed General Assembly bills.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution amending Rules 17:2 and 23:5 of the Rules of the Senate.
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. Rule 17:2 is amended to read as follows:
17:2. Floor Amendments.
Bills and resolutions may only be amended on second reading. No floor amendment of a bill on second reading and no motion to return to second reading for the purpose of amendment shall be in order unless the sponsor of the amendment, at least one hour prior to the calling of the bill, delivers [50 copies] a copy of the proposed amendment to the President, Minority Leader, and Secretary. The Secretary shall [immediately deliver a copy of the proposed amendment to the President, Majority and Minority Leaders, and place a copy on the desk of] make a copy of the proposed amendment available to each Senator prior to consideration. Floor amendments shall include a sponsor's statement concisely describing their contents and effects.
2. Rule 23:5 is amended to read as follows:
23:5. Conditional Veto - General Assembly Bills.
a. Amended in accordance with the Governor's recommendations. After the General Assembly has passed a motion to approve a bill conditionally vetoed by the Governor by amending it in accordance with the Governor's recommendations, the General Assembly shall forward the amended bill, together with the Governor's recommendations, to the Senate.
To approve a conditionally vetoed bill which has been amended in accordance with the Governor's recommendations, the bill must be read three times in the Senate, with the intervention of one full calendar day between second and third readings, unless it is declared an emergency measure under Rule 17:4. No conditionally vetoed bill shall receive first reading or be referred to committee unless directed by the President. The affirmative vote of at least 21 Senators is required to pass the bill.
The passed bill, together with the Governor's recommendations, shall be [returned to the General Assembly] presented to the Governor.
b. Override. If the General
Assembly has voted to override a conditional veto and forwards the bill to the
Senate, the Senate may, at any time after receipt of the bill, move to override
the conditional veto in the same manner and subject to the same requirements as
necessary to override an absolute veto of a General Assembly bill.
3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
The resolution amends Rule 17:2 of the Senate to provide that the sponsor of a floor amendment need only provide one copy to the President, Minority Leader, and Secretary rather than the 50 copies currently required to be provided to the Secretary. The resolution would also amend the rule to require the Secretary to make a copy of the proposed floor amendment available to each Senator prior to consideration.
The resolution also corrects a longstanding issue in the Senate Rules concerning the handling of conditionally vetoed General Assembly bills. Senate Rule 23:5 currently provides that a conditionally vetoed General Assembly bill amended in accordance with the conditional veto and approved by the Senate be returned to the General Assembly. The appropriate course for such a bill is to present it to the Governor, not return it to the General Assembly. The amendment corrects this issue.