Summary:
HB 428 is the first leg of a constitutional amendment creating a “Crossover Day” deadline for bills to pass from one chamber to the other, excluding budget, bond, grant-in-aid bills, and resolutions.
Analysis:
Each bill must pass both chambers to be placed on the Governor’s death for signature. As it currently stands, bills that are passed in one chamber are reported to the next, even on the last day of Session. Even up until the wee hours of the morning on the last day of Session, bills are going back and forth from one chamber to the next. This gives legislators from the second chamber very little time to review the bills and make informed decisions and gives the public less time to respond and be a part of the process as well.
This extremely expedited process is not the most efficient way to enact legislation. There have been previous attempts to prohibit bills from being filed at a certain point towards the end of Session, as well as attempts to end the last day of Session sooner. All such attempts have been meaningful ways to ensure that legislation is given appropriate thought and consideration from legislators as well as publiic response and participation.
This bill is one to support.