theprocess

The Constitution of New Jersey provides that each Legislature convenes for a term of two years beginning at noon on the second Tuesday in January in each even numbered year. The term is divided into two annual sessions. Thus, January 8, 2002 began the first session of the 210th legislative term in Trenton. For the next two years important decisions will be made on bills involving your municipality. To make an impact on those vital decisions, local officials must know how the process works, how the League speaks for local interests, and how they can help.

An estimated 10,000 bills and resolutions are introduced in the average two-year session of the Legislature. Approximately 2,500 of these bills will have an impact on the 566 municipalities in the Garden State. The debate in the legislative halls in Trenton, consequently is of major importance to you, the municipal official.

How does the legislative process work? What is the process by which a bill becomes law? How can you help in the ongoing campaign of The New Jersey State League of Municipalities to defeat bad legislation and encourage the passage of good legislation?

First, let's follow a typical bill. It begins with introduction by one of the 80 members of the General Assembly or by one of the 40 members of the Senate. In addition to the primary sponsor, many bills have several co-sponsors.

At the time of introduction, bills are assigned a number and read by number and title only. They are then normally assigned by the presiding officer of the house to one of several standing committees for detailed study. The presiding officer of the Senate is its President. The presiding officer in the General Assembly is the Speaker.

There are a number of standing committees in the Senate and General Assembly. For municipal officials, the committees dealing with municipal and local government issues are the most important.

The League has four staff members who are lobbyists. They are Executive Director Bill Dressel, and Legislative Analysts Helen Yeldell, Mike Cerra and Jon Moran. They monitor the weekly meetings of these and other committees and provide the committee members with background on the League's position on the bills under their consideration.

Sometimes these committees will schedule full-scale public hearings on bills which are especially important or controversial.

The League alerts municipal officials around the state to these hearings, and arranges to have mayors and other local leaders on hand to testify on behalf of municipal interests. Additionally, over 300 mayors comprise the League's "Quick Response Hot Line." The Hot Line team provides immediate response to Special Legislative Alerts faxed to them by the League. They, in turn, phone their legislative representatives to relate the League's position on the particular bill. This program has proven to be a very effective lobbying tool. (Because of this record of success, the League recently added the "Legislative E-Line" service. Same idea. Different technology. We anticipate excellent results.)

Many bills, whether or not they become the subject of public hearings, remain in the respective committees and never move further. Other measures, however, do receive favorable consideration and are voted out by the members of the committee.

The bill, once released by the committee, is reported back to the full house and given second reading where it is again read by number and title only. After a lapse of 24 hours, the bill is ready for third and final reading, again by title only. It is now ready for debate and voting by the full membership of the house.