Copyright© 2000 by School Services of California, Inc.

Volume 13                    For Publication Date: August 18, 2000                   No. 18

Legislative "Suspense File" is Where The Action is Now!

When the Legislature returned to Sacramento from its summer recess on August 7, its primary focus was to act on more than 1,100 bills awaiting action in their respective fiscal committees. The primary legislative procedure for dealing with legislation that has a fiscal implication is the so-called "suspense file."

The "suspense file" is a process that was started in the Assembly several years ago, when former Assembly Member Willie Brown was Speaker. It is a procedure that the Appropriations Committee can use to delay taking action until a later date on any measure that is identified as having a state General Fund cost of more than $150,000. The majority of bills are routinely referred to the "suspense file."

Referring bills to the "suspense file" not only speeds up the committee agenda, but has become a convenient way to kill bills without much debate. After a bill is referred to the "suspense file," the committee leadership will meet behind closed doors and make decisions about which bills live or die. When the "suspense file" is heard by the committee, there is no public debate or testimony, simply a pro-forma vote by the committee.

The following bills that have an impact on community colleges have been referred to the "suspense file":

AB 206 (Runner, R-Lancaster)—Equalization Funding
AB 475 (Ducheny, D-San Diego)—Community College Leadership Institute
AB 1861 (Runner, R-Lancaster)—Articulation Agreements
AB 2007 (Runner, R-Lancaster)—Joint-Use Facilities
AB 2337 (Ducheny, D-San Diego)—Community College Finance
AB 2434 (Wildman, D-Los Angeles)—Part-Time Faculty
AB 2476 (Romero, D-Los Angeles)—Community College Deferment Act
AB 2496 (Washington, D-Los Angeles)—Book Grants

The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to take up its "suspense file" on August 22, and the Assembly Appropriations Committee will take action on August 24. The Legislature adjourns on August 31, and as a result, all bills must be acted upon by that date. Since this is the second year of the two-year legislative cycle, all bills that do not make it to the Governor’s desk are considered dead. The Governor has until September 30 to sign or veto legislation passed by the Legislature on or before September 1 and in his possession on or after September 1.

At the beginning of the 2001 Legislative session, the bill numbering process starts at "1," once again.

—Arnold Bray