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Inside the Legislative Process

Now, Inside the Legislative Process is becoming an electronic document—hopefully, making its information more accessible to legislators and legislative staff. The electronic version will include all sections published since 1996. Access the electronic edition of Inside the Legislative Process through the Published Sections List. Please note that the individual sections are published as PDFs, which will require Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the documents.

As of November 2007

Background

Inside the Legislative Process is a nationally-recognized, valuable research tool, providing some of the best information on state legislative processes. It is produced through a cooperative effort between the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS) and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

In 1975, ASLCS authorized its first comprehensive survey of the structure, size, function and operations of the clerks’ and secretaries’ offices in the 50 state legislatures. The survey proved to be an extraordinarily useful document, not only to the Society’s members but also to the NCSL and to others who are interested in the management and procedures of legislative chambers. The data proved so beneficial that the surveys have been continued. Surveys were conducted in 1975, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006.

The publication format for Inside the Legislative Process has changed over the years. In 1975, the data were compiled into charts for use by ASLCS members. From 1979 through 1992, editions were published every three to four years as stand-alone books. Beginning with the 1996 edition, Inside the Legislative Process became a publication with its information divided among several general topic tabs in a three-ring binder.

Topics Covered by Various Editions

Legislatures deal with a large number of parliamentary issues—too many to be addressed in a single survey. As a result, the topics covered by each edition of Inside the Legislative Process typically vary.

Year*	Topics Covered
1979 (available in printed format only)	Selection and duties of the clerk and secretary; staff; parliamentary authority; journals; calendars; bills; committee process; legislative procedures; public information offices; publications; computerization; roll call voting systems; fiscal information; recording of session or committee meetings
1982 (available in printed format only)	Office of the chief clerk and secretary; salaries and benefits; bill processing; printing of legislative documents; referral of bills to committee; calendaring process; advance public notice of committee meetings; taping of committee meetings and floor sessions; parliamentary authority; public information; media coverage; computerization
1985 (available in printed format only)	Office of the chief clerk and secretary; salaries, benefits and personnel policies; printing of legislative documents; referral of bills to committee; calendaring process; advance public notice of committee meetings; committee consideration and reporting of bills; taping committee meetings and floor sessions; conference committee procedures; media coverage; electronic roll call voting systems; computerization
1988 (available in printed format only)	Calendaring process; handling of floor amendments; voting practices; consent calendars; introduction and referral of bills; courtesy or personal resolutions; ceremonial practices (including prayer practices); referral of bills to committee; appointment of standing committee chairs and members; standing committee size and structure; committee scheduling during the session; legislative party caucuses; bill processing; printing of legislative documents; capitol facilities; salaries, benefits and leave policies
1991 (available in printed format only)	Legislative organization; regular, extraordinary or special sessions; committee consideration of bills; committee report information; advance notice of committee meetings and open meeting requirements; expediting the legislative process; readings of bills; processing of bills; debate; taping committee meetings and floor sessions; public information; printing (of legislative documents); document charges; the journal; selection of the principal clerk; selection of other chamber offices; staff functions; parliamentary authority; fringe benefits; leave plans and time
1996	Opening day of session; new member orientation; mechanisms used to streamline bill processing; sponsorship limits for legislation; referral of bills, standing committees; subcommittees; conference committees; floor amendments; vote requirements; roll call voting machines and practices; censure, expulsion and other disciplinary actions
1997	Rules committees; access to printed legislative documents; electronic access to legislative documents; communicating with legislators
1998	Engrossing process; enrolling procedures; the calendaring process; end-of-session logjam; the veto process
1999	Legislative party caucuses; legislative leaders; recording legislative proceedings; media or public information services; the principal clerk or secretary (which also includes info on other job positions within the office); parliamentary authority
2000	Legislative organizational sessions; transition process; germaneness requirements; reconsideration processes; the legislative journal; archiving legislative documents
2002	Bill prefiling; personal, congratulatory, ceremonial or courtesy resolutions; prayer practices; open meetings and notice requirements
2004	Regular and special or extraordinary sessions; committee procedures
2006	Floor Amendment procedures; automation of journal production

*Note: The edition year reflects the year in which the data were collected (not the publication date).

Published Sections List

Note: The documents are published as PDF files. To view PDF files, you must install Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Section	Topic	Edition Year	Document Name
---	Inside Cover, Contents, List of Tables, and Acknowledgments	2006	06Tab0
Tab 1	Introduction	2006	06Tab1
Tab 2	Legislative Organization
Part 1	Opening Day of Session	1996	96Tab2Pt1
Part 2	New Member Orientation	1996	96Tab2Pt2
Part 3	Legislative Party Caucuses	1999	99Tab2Pt3
Part 4	Legislative Leaders	1999	99Tab2Pt4
Part 5	Legislative Organizational Sessions	2000	00Tab2Pt5
Part 6	Transition Process	2000	00Tab2Pt6
Part 7	Legislative Sessions	2004	04Tab2Pt7
Tab 3	Bills and Bill Processing
Part 1	Mechanisms Used to Streamline Bill Processing	1996	96Tab3Pt1
Part 2	Sponsorship Limits for Legislation	1996	96Tab3Pt2
Part 3	Referral of Bills	1996	96Tab3Pt3
Part 4	The Engrossing Process	1998	98Tab3Pt4
Part 5	Enrolling Procedures	1998	98Tab3Pt5
Part 6	Bill Prefiling	2002	02Tab3Pt6
Part 7	Personal, Ceremonial, Congratulatory or Courtesy Resolutions	2002	02Tab3Pt7
Tab 4	Committee Procedures
Part 1	Standing Committees	1996	96Tab4Pt1
Part 2	Subcommittees	1996	96Tab4Pt2
Part 3	Conference Committees	1996	96Tab4Pt3
Part 4	Rules Committees	1997	97Tab4Pt4
Part 5	Committee Consideration of Bills	2004	04Tab4Pt5
Tab 5	Floor Action
Part 1	Floor Amendments	1996	96Tab5Pt1
Part 2	Vote Requirements	1996	96Tab5Pt2
Part 3	Roll Call Voting Machines and Practices	1996	96Tab5Pt3
Part 4	The Calendaring Process	1998	98Tab5Pt4
Part 5	Germaneness Requirements	2000	00Tab5Pt5
Part 6	Reconsideration Processes	2000	00Tab5Pt6
Part 7	Prayer Practices	2002	02Tab5Pt7
Part 8	Floor Amendment Procedures	2006	06Tab5Pt8
Tab 6	General Legislative Procedures
Part 1	Censure, Expulsion and Other Disciplinary Actions	1996	96Tab6Pt1
Part 2	End-of-Session Logjam	1998	98Tab6Pt2
Part 3	The Veto Process	1998	98Tab6Pt3
Part 4	Open Meetings and Notice Requirements	2002	02Tab6Pt4
Tab 7	Legislative Documents
Part 1	Access to Printed Legislative Documents	1997	97Tab7Pt1
Part 2	Electronic Access to Legislative Documents	1997	97Tab7Pt2
Part 3	The Legislative Journal	2000	00Tab7Pt3
Part 4	Archiving Legislative Documents	2000	00Tab7Pt4
Part 5	Automation of Journal Production	2006	06Tab7Pt5
Tab 8	Public Information
Part 1	Communicating with Legislators	1997	97Tab8Pt1
Part 2	Recording Legislative Proceedings	1999	99Tab8Pt2
Part 3	Media or Public Information Services	1999	99Tab8Pt3
Tab 9	Office of the Chief Clerk or Secretary
Part 1	The Principal Clerk or Secretary	1999	99Tab9Pt1
Part 2	Other Chamber Officers and Staff	1999	99Tab9Pt2
Part 3	Parliamentary Authority	1999	99Tab9Pt3