Assembly Resolution No. 854
BY: M. of A. Peoples-Stokes
ADOPTING special temporary procedures during a
declared state or national state of emergency
WHEREAS, The Rules of the Assembly were adopted on January 9, 2019,
and, as last amended on January 13, 2020, remain in full force and
effect, except that the current declared state or national emergency
require such Assembly, in the exercise of its constitutional power and
prerogative, to implement special temporary procedures permitting the
consideration of legislation in an expedited fashion to meet the urgent
needs of the people of the State of New York while confronting rapidly
changing circumstances and public health concerns and directives; be it
hereby
RESOLVED, That, notwithstanding the provisions of section 2 of Rule
V of the Assembly Rules, during a period of declared state or national
state of emergency, in the event a slow roll call is not requested, the
yeas and nays on the final passage of a bill or any other question
before the House shall be taken by a fast roll call and a member
desiring to vote in the negative on such a roll call shall do so by
entering a negative vote through the electronic voting system or in such
other manner as may be prescribed by the Speaker. All other members
shall be recorded in the affirmative. On such a roll call the Clerk of
the Assembly shall call the names of the members who are recorded in the
negative; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That, notwithstanding the provisions of
subdivision b of section 6 of Rule V of the Assembly Rules, during a
period of declared state or national state of emergency, no member shall
speak more than once on any bill or amendment, without leave of the
House and no member shall speak for more than fifteen minutes at a time;
and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That during a period of declared state or national
state of emergency, the bar of the House may be extended, at the
discretion of the Speaker, to allow for members to be in attendance in
any proceeding of the House by remote means including teleconference or
videoconference and such members shall be continuously recorded in
attendance by the Clerk of the Assembly for the purposes of a quorum;
and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That any member in attendance as permitted during
a period of declared state or national state of emergency may submit
requests for recognition to the presiding officer by electronic means
including the submission of questions for debate, which shall be
presented as part of the debate within the respective member's allocated
time; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That no technical failure on the part of an
individual member or a group of members that breaks their remote
connection to the proceedings shall invalidate any action taken by a
majority of the Assembly.