NOTE: As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used in any other situation.

Only the most recent FIR version, excluding attachments, is available on the Intranet. Previously issued FIRs and attachments may be obtained from the LFC office in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

** See Fiscal Implications Section of this report.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC files

Legislative Council Service staff

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Resolution 2 amends Senate Rule 11-11 to reduce the number of copies accompanying the original of each introduced bill from five to one.

Significant Issues

Although Senate Rule 11-11 only requires five copies with the original, seven copies are actually made. According to the Legislative Council Service, all introduction copies of the bill are made in the Legislative Council Service offices and the original and seven copies, are distributed as follows:

• •Bill Jacket--This is the original bill. It is sent to the Secretary of State and then sent to archives as a permanent record.



• •Sponsor--This copy is retained by the sponsor for his/her records.



• •Journal Clerk--The journal clerk uses this copy to report that days action in the journal.

• •"Same-day" distribution--Senate staff makes same day copies to various legislative offices.



• •Legislative Finance Committee--The Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) receives a copy immediately after the floor session so that the bill can be immediately assigned to an LFC analyst, who reads the bill and assigns the bill for analysis to one or more state agencies. Immediate assignment of introduced bills is critical to the ability of state agencies and the LFC to timely produce Fiscal Impact Reports which are then used by the committees and in the floor debates when the bill is scheduled for such.



• •Bills-on-line--This copy is used by Legislative Council Service staff to post the bill on the Legislature's Internet web site.



• •Bill historians--This copy is used by Legislative Council Service bill historians to track all action taken on the floor and is used to produce the daily bill locator.



• •Printer--This copy is sent to the State Printing Bureau at the General Services Department for printing of public copies of the bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

For the most part, the distribution of the copies as listed above would still have to happen, regardless of the number of copies included in the introduction package; therefore, there would be no savings from reducing the introduction copies.

DKB/njw