New York Legislative History

Linda HolmesBrooklyn Law School Library

Federal Legislative History: House & Senate Hearings & Reports,

Congressional Record, Compiled Legislative Histories.

New York State Legislative History has been referred to as “looking for a needle in a haystack.”

New York State Legislature, Albany

New York legislative activity in 2010:

6,719 bills introduced in the Senate 9,261 bills introduced in the Assembly

496 bills signed by the Governor

A statute is the result of the combined action of the Legislature and the Governor on a bill.

New York Times series on the “Albany Syndrome,” October 2002.

Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law

(www.brennancenter.org)◦ The New York State Legislative Process: An

Evaluation and blueprint for Reform (2004)◦ Unfinished Business: New York State Legislative

Reform (2006 Update)

Articles/Reports Critical of the New York State Legislative Process:

Laws of the State of New York (KFN 5025 .A23) 1797 to date

McKinney’s Session Laws of New York (KFN 5025 .M3) 1954 to date

New York Consolidated Laws Service: Session Laws (KFN 5025 .L42) 1976 to date

Session Laws

McKinney’s Consolidated Laws of New York (KFN 5025 .A4 M15)◦ Westlaw: Database: NY-ST-ANN

Consolidated Laws of New York (KFN 5030 .A4 L33)◦ Lexis: New York – NY Consolidated Laws Service

Codes

Lexis: Source: NYTEXT

Westlaw: Database: NY-BILLS

New York State Assembly: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/

Bills for Current Session of Legislature

Online:◦ Lexis: Source: NYTRCK◦ Westlaw: Database: NY-BILLS

Print: ◦ New York Legislative Record and Index (1971-1984)

KFN 5007 .N43◦ State of New York Legislative Digest (1985 to date)

KFN 5007 .N44◦ New York Legislative Service State Report (1996 to date)

KFN 5007 N42

Bill Tracking

New York State Library in Albany◦ www.nysl.nysed.gov

New York Public Library Science, Business and Industry Library in Manhattan◦ www.nypl.org

Legislative Journal: Daily record of actions taken by the Senate & Assembly, not verbatim

proceedings

http://assembly.state.ny.us/av

http://www.nysenate.gov/video

Channel 159 of Time Warner Cable also broadcasts legislative proceedings

Debates: Bills in the NYS Legislature can pass without debate

Transcripts: ◦ New York State Library – www.nysl.nysed.gov◦ New York Legislative Service – www.nysl.org

Live Hearings:◦ New York State Assembly –

http://assembly.state.ny.us

◦ New York State Senate – www.nysenate.gov/calendar

Committee Hearings

New York State Library – www.nysl.nysed.gov

New York State Legislative Documents (KFN 5005 .N496)

New York State Assembly – http://assembly.state.ny.us/Reports

New York State Senate – www.nysenate.gov

Committee Reports

Sponsor’s memoranda: ◦ New York Legislative Annual (KFN 5005 .N499)

Governor’s approval memoranda:◦ New York Legislative Annual ◦ McKinney’s Session Laws◦ Consolidated Laws of New York: Session Laws◦ Public Papers of the Governors of the State of

New York (J 87 .N717)

Memoranda: On introduction or approval of a bill

For current legislative session: Contact Governor’s Counsel’s office

1905 & 1921 to date (Microform): New York State Library, New York State Archives, New York Public Library Science, Business & Industry Library

New York Legislative Service (Fee-based service) – www.nyls.org

Bill Jackets

The BLS Library may be able to obtain a bill jacket on interlibrary loan for you from the State Library in Albany. Please speak to a reference librarian directly if you would like for us to try and obtain one for you.

Bill Jackets, cont’d.

New York State Archives:www.archives.nysed.gov

Digital Bill Jackets: 1995-2009

2008 Bill Jacket

Letter from Commissioner ofDept. of Correctional Services

NY-LH-REP: Documents include executive, legislative, judicial and sponsor memoranda, 1996 to date

NY-LH-VOTES: Voting records for bills passed 2005 to date

NY-LH-BILLJACKET: Bill jackets from the Governor’s office, 1996 to 2006

Electronic Legislative Historyfor New York on Westlaw: NY-LH

New York State Law Revision Commission Reports, 1935-1977 (KFN 5014 .L33)

From 1970 – 1995 the Law Revision Commission Reports were reprinted in McKinney’s Session Laws (KFN 5025 .M3)

Their reports are also available on their website: www.lawrevision.state.ny.us

New York State Law Revision Commission

New York Law Journal New York Times Syracuse Law Review: Annual Survey of

New York Law (P Sy 8)

Legislative Gazette◦ www.legislativegazette.com

Times Union (Albany)◦ www.timesunion.com/capitol

Commentaries on Legislation

Adelman, Elizabeth, New York Legal Research(1 Ref. KFN 5074 .A34 2008)

Manz, William, New York Legal Research Guide (1 Ref. KFN 5074 .G53 2004) Manz, William, “If it’s Out There: Researching Legislative

Intent in New York,” 77 New York State Bar Association Journal 43, March/April 2005.

New York Red Book (1 Ref. JK 3430 .N5 2010) State Legislative Sourcebook: A Resource Guide to

Legislative Information in the Fifty States (1 Ref. JK 2495 .S68 2011)

Print Sources for Further Research

Legislative History of a New York State Law: A Tutorial and Guide to Library Resources.◦ Prepared by librarians of the New York State

Library. www.nysl.nysed.gov/leghist/

Legislative Intent in New York State: Materials, Cases and Annotated Bibliography.◦ By Robert Allan Carter, 2nd ed., New York State

Library, 2001. www.nysl.nysed.gov/legint.htm

Electronic Sources for Further Research from the New York State Library