Sponsored by:
Senator BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires intervention of at least two days between second reading and passage of State budget bill in either house of Legislature.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the timing of the passage of the annual appropriations act and supplementing Title 1 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. No bill to effectuate the annual appropriations act for any fiscal year shall receive third reading and final passage in either house of the Legislature until after two full calendar days have elapsed following the date on which the bill received second reading in that house of the Legislature.
b. The requirements of subsection a. of this section may be waived by an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the total authorized membership of the house of the Legislature.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires any bill to effectuate the annual appropriations act, commonly known as the State budget bill, to receive third reading only after at least two full calendar days elapsing between second and third reading.
The State Constitution requires all bills, including the State budget bill, to be read three times in each house of the Legislature before final passage. Currently, a bill cannot be passed in either house of the Legislature without at least one full calendar day occurring between the second and third reading. However, this requirement can be waived if the bill is deemed an emergency measure, which may occur through a three-fourths majority vote of all members of that house.
Beyond these requirements, this bill would require the State budget bill to remain on second reading in each house of the Legislature for at least one additional calendar day before receiving third reading and final passage in that house. However, the bill would allow this requirement to be waived through a three-fourths majority vote of all members of either house of the Legislature while the State budget bill is under consideration by that house.