Res. No. 38
Resolution amending various Rules of the Council.
By Council Members Reyna, The Speaker (Council Member Quinn), Comrie, Fidler, Jackson, Yassky, Brewer, Garodnick, de Blasio, Dickens, Sears, Weprin, Lappin and Liu
Section one. Various Rules of the Council shall read as follows:
5.00. Minutes - The Legislative Document [Division] Unit shall prepare and cause to be printed minutes containing the proceedings of each meeting and accurate records of the members actually in attendance. All papers submitted shall constitute a part of the proceedings of each meeting.
5.30. Certification - The certificate of the Clerk of the Council shall be attached to every proposed local law or resolution to the effect that the same has been duly passed by a vote, as required by the provisions of the Charter of the City of New York. The Legislative Document [Division] Unit shall transmit the proposed local law or resolution to the Mayor.
5.40. Records - The Legislative Document [Division] Unit shall keep index records convenient for reference of all local laws, resolutions, communications, petitions and other matters introduced in or presented by the Council, together with a complete chronological record of all action taken thereon by the Council or any of its committees. Such records shall be made available to the public during regular business hours.
5.50. Rules and Charter - The Legislative Document [Division] Unit shall furnish to each member a copy of the Rules of the Council as prepared and printed under the direction and supervision of the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Elections and a copy of "Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised", and the City Charter.
6.20. Sponsors - a. The first-named sponsors on all proposed local laws and resolutions shall be deemed to be the prime sponsors. In the event the Speaker of the Council is not a prime sponsor, the name of such [officer] member shall appear in the sequence in which such [officer] member requested to be added as a [co-] sponsor.
[The names of all co-sponsors shall appear after the last-named prime sponsor and shall be separated from the last-named prime sponsor by a semi-colon and the word "also".]
b. The first-named prime sponsor's approval shall not be necessary before the names of any co-prime sponsors may be added to proposed local laws or resolutions. However, approval shall be necessary where the first-named prime sponsor has so indicated. In either event, a member may add his or her name as a [co-] sponsor within 48 hours after the introduction of a proposed local law or resolution by making such request to the Legislative Document Unit.
6.60. Legislative Drafting Services - The Speaker shall ensure that the Council central staff provides legislative drafting services to all members on an equitable and confidential basis. Confidentiality precludes Council central staff from refusing to provide legislative drafting services to any member on the basis that similar legislation is currently being drafted. Members shall submit all proposed local laws and resolutions and proposals for laws and resolutions to such unit prior to introduction; provided that any proposed local law or resolution submitted by any member to the Speaker's office in conformance with the rules of this chapter shall be deemed to have been approved by the legislative drafting unit. Central staff, to the extent practicable, shall respond to requests for legislation in the order in which they were received providing a draft of the proposal to the requesting Member within sixty days of the date of making such request.
8.10. Home Rule Requests; How Presented - Any resolution presented to the Council calling upon the legislature of the State of New York to pass a specific bill pending before such legislature shall be filed with the Legislative Document Unit together with [fifty] ten copies of the State bill.
9.210. Discussion of General Orders - Any member, when recognized by the presiding officer, may speak on any matter on the general order calendar during the period of discussion of general orders. Such member, with the exception of the Minority Leader may speak for no more than a total of two (2) minutes unless permission to extend the time is granted by a majority of the members of the Council present. The Minority Leader shall have up to five (5) minutes to speak on any matter on the general order calendar.
9.180. Debate - The chairperson of the committee reporting, or his or her designee, shall have the option to open debate. Upon the announcement by the presiding officer that debate is closed, the Minority Leader, or his or her designee, [shall] may be the next to the last speaker and close debate for the minority party; the Majority Leader, or his or her designee, [shall] may close debate for the majority party, and shall be the last speaker on any issue.