Requires certain bills and resolutions with at least 32 sponsors to be voted on third reading upon notice.

AR121

ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 121

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� JAY WEBBER

District 26 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires certain bills and resolutions with at least
32 sponsors to be voted on third reading upon notice.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Assembly
Resolution
supplementing the Rules of the
General Assembly to require certain bills and resolutions with at least 32
sponsors to be voted on third reading upon notice.

����
Be It
Resolved
by the General Assembly of the State
of New Jersey:

���� 1.� General Assembly Rule
15:30 is added as follows:

����
15:30. Minority Leader
Bills and Resolutions

���� The Minority Leader may
designate three bills or resolutions each two-year legislative session which
shall then be voted on third reading subject to the following provisions:

���� a. The bill or resolution
shall have at least 32 General Assembly sponsors or be a Senate bill or
resolution, with the identical General Assembly bill or resolution having at
least 32 sponsors.

���� b. The first prime sponsor of
the bill or resolution shall join the Minority Leader in designating the bill
or resolution as requiring a vote on third reading pursuant to this rule.

���� c. The Minority Leader shall
provide a signed written notice, also signed by the first prime sponsor, to the
Speaker and Clerk, designating the bill or resolution as requiring a vote on
third reading pursuant to this rule.� The notice shall not be in order unless
at least 45 days have passed since the bill received first reading, or, if on
second reading, at least 45 days have passed since the bill received second
reading.� In the case of identical bills or resolutions either the General
Assembly or Senate bill or resolution may satisfy this requirement.

���� d. The Clerk shall enter the
notice in the Minutes of the General Assembly on the next day on which the
General Assembly has a quorum present to do business.� The notice shall be
effective as of that date.

���� e. Once the notice is
effective, the subject bill or resolution, if in committee, shall immediately
be released from committee and returned to the General Assembly.� The bill or
resolution shall not be subject to any motions, other than to substitute under
Rule 15:20, the Identical Bill Rule, and to move the bill or resolution on
third or final reading.

���� f. Within 30 days of the
effective date of the notice, a public hearing shall be held by the original
reference committee or by another committee designated by the Speaker for this
purpose on the subject bill or resolution.� However, the subject bill or resolution
shall be considered a matter under investigation or study by the committee
holding the hearing and shall not be referred to the committee.� The provisions
of Rule 18:1, Public Hearings, shall apply to the hearing.

���� g. The bill or resolution
shall be on the calendar for the next meeting of the General Assembly at which
bills or resolutions are considered on third or final reading, occurring more
than five days after the public hearing.� The bill or resolution shall be the
order of the day for that meeting of the General Assembly and shall be
considered in preference to any other bills or resolutions on that day.

���� h. The notice described in
subsection c. may only be withdrawn by the Minority Leader.� If it is withdrawn
after the public hearing held pursuant to subsection f., the subject bill or
resolution shall count as one of the three bills or resolutions the Minority
Leader may designate under this rule.

���� 2.� This resolution shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� In the republican form of
government, the people delegate to the elected members of any legislative body
the power to make policy.� The political majority of that body, having been
chosen by the people, properly has the ability to enact policies consistent
with its view of the mandate given by the people, and ultimately bears the
responsibility for those policies and their consequences.

���� However, all elected
representatives, regardless of their political alignment or their standing with
the prevailing majority of the legislative body, have the same duty to
recommend solutions to the problems facing the people.� The people are best
served when their representatives engage in a competition of ideas that results
in a choice between workable alternatives.

���� This resolution encourages the
development and presentation of new ideas and policy choices by providing
limited opportunity for those with the support of 40 percent of the General
Assembly to be debated and put to an up-or-down vote.

���� Section 1 of the resolution
proposes a new rule: 15:30, Minority Leader Bills and Resolutions.� This rule
authorizes the Minority Leader, with the consent of the prime sponsor of the
bill or resolution, to designate up to three bills or resolutions which shall
be voted on third reading.� In order to so designate a bill or resolution,
there must be at least 32 sponsors, 40 percent of the General Assembly.� If the
bill or resolution is a Senate bill or resolution there must be at least 32
sponsors of the identical General Assembly bill or resolution.� Sponsors
include prime sponsors and co-sponsors.

���� The Minority Leader designates
a bill or resolution for a vote on third reading by providing a written notice,
signed by the Minority Leader and first prime sponsor, to that effect to the
Speaker and Clerk.� The notice shall be entered in the Minutes of the General
Assembly and effective as of the next day on which the General Assembly has a
quorum present.� For the notice to be in order the subject bill or resolution,
if on first reading, must have been on first reading for at least 45 days, and
if on second reading, must have been on second reading for at least 45 days.�
In the case of identical bills or resolutions, either the Senate or General
Assembly bill or resolution may satisfy this provision.� A notice that is not
in order shall be of no effect.

���� Once the notice is effective,
if the bill or resolution is in committee, it shall immediately be released by
the committee and returned to the General Assembly.� This procedure shall
operate automatically under this rule and shall not require a meeting or any
action by the committee.

���� As of the effective date of
the notice, the bill or resolution is not subject to any motions other than to
substitute under Rule 15:20, the Identical Bill Rule, and to approve on third
or final reading.

���� Within 30 days of the
effective date of the notice, a public hearing shall be held on the bill or
resolution by the original reference committee or by another committee
designated by the Speaker.� The bill or resolution shall be considered a matter
under investigation or study by the committee holding the public hearing and
shall not be referred to that committee.� Rule 18:1 applies to the public
hearing.

���� The bill or resolution shall
be on the calendar for the next meeting of the General Assembly at which bills
or resolutions are considered on third or final reading occurring more than
five days after the public hearing.

���� Only the Minority Leader may
withdraw the notice designating the bill or resolution for third reading under
this rule.� If that withdrawal occurs after the public hearing, the bill or
resolution which is the subject of the withdrawn notice shall count as one of
the three bills or resolutions allowed under this rule.� If the withdrawal of
the notice occurs prior to the call to order of the public hearing, the subject
bill or resolution shall not count as one of the three bills or resolutions
under this rule.