Inside the Legislative Process
Now, Inside the Legislative Process is becoming an electronic document—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 January 2010
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, 2006 and 2008.
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.
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Year*
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Topics Covered
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1979
(available in printed format only)
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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
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|
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
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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
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|
1999
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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
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Legislative organizational sessions; transition process; germaneness requirements; reconsideration processes; the legislative journal; archiving legislative documents
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|
2002
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Bill prefiling; personal, congratulatory, ceremonial or courtesy resolutions; prayer practices; open meetings and notice requirements
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|
2004
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Regular and special or extraordinary sessions; committee procedures
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|
2006
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Floor Amendment procedures; automation of journal production
|
|
2008
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Readings of bills; mandatory roll call votes; messaging
|
*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.
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Section
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Topic
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Edition Year
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Document Name
|
|
---
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Inside Cover, Contents, List of Tables, and Acknowledgments
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2008
|
08Tab0
|
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Tab 1
|
Introduction
|
2008
|
08Tab1
|
|
Tab 2
|
Legislative Organization
|
|
|
|
Part 1
|
Opening Day of Session
|
1996
|
96Tab2Pt1
|
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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
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|
Tab 3
|
Bills and Bill Processing
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|
|
|
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
|
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Part 7
|
Prayer Practices
|
2002
|
02Tab5Pt7
|
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Part 8
|
Floor Amendment Procedures |
2006
|
06Tab5Pt8
|
|
Part 9
|
Reading of Bills |
2008
|
08Tab5Pt9
|
| Part 10 |
Mandatory Roll Call Votes |
2008
|
08Tab5Pt10
|
|
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
|
| Part 5 |
Messaging |
2008 |
08Tab6Pt5
|
|
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
|
For More Information
For more information about Inside the Legislative Process, contact Brenda Erickson at 303-364-7700, ext. 1391.