A Second Type of Consent Calendar

In the Senate Appropriations Committee, under Senate Rule 28.8, the Chair of the fiscal committee must send to the Senate Floor any non-appropriation measure for which “(a) any additional state costs are not significant and do not and will not require the appropriation of additional state funds, and (b) the bill will cause no significant reduction in revenues.”

In the Assembly Appropriations Committee, there is not a similar rule. However, there are two separate consent calendars that are usually voted on each week. The first is the traditional one based upon consent calendar bills under the Joint Rules (called an “uncontested bill”).

Under Joint Rule 22.1, an “uncontested bill” means a bill that “(a) receives a do-pass or do-pass-as-amended recommendation from the committee to which it is referred, by unanimous vote of the members present provided a quorum is present, (b) has no opposition expressed by any person present at the committee meeting with respect to the final version of the bill as approved by the committee, and (c) prior to final action by the committee, has been requested by the author to be placed on the Consent Calendar.”

The bills on this list are sent directly to the Assembly Floor on the basis that they meet the specified criteria, and then that fall below the $150,000 Suspense File threshold.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee has a second Consent Calendar. This was has the following criteria: (1) the bill’s fiscal impact is below the $150,000 threshold; (2) there were no recorded “no” vote in the policy committee(s); and, (3) both party caucuses agree that the measure should be placed on the consent calendar. With this set of bills, there can be registered opposition to the measure. These bills are also sent directly to the Assembly Floor, but will not be placed on the consent calendar on the Floor.