However, we pleasantly discovered that once the initial change was made the next steps would be rather easy to implement. For example, we quickly learned that simply having amendments available on a computer at the time of their consideration was insufficient to give both the Members and the public adequate time to review them. By the second year of the project, the House Members, without any objection, had adopted an amendment filing deadline which required that all amendments be filed at least two hours prior to the daily session, which while an improvement, also proved inadequate. The Members have easily adapted to this change. Providing electronic access to the Members of amendments has had the additional benefit of speeding up the process.
Members frequently file multiple amendments to the same bill.
Because the computer screens are set to default to the amendment presently under consideration, the Member presenting the amendment can discover quickly which of his or her several amendments is being considered. Prior to the implementation of automation, it was a regular occurrence to have to stop consideration of a bill while the Members tried to figure out which of their amendments was being considered or having to reconsider amendments when it was discovered that the amendment adopted was not the one explained. While this still happens occasionally, it happens much less frequently. In addition to providing electronic access to amendments on the floor, they are also available in the Member s district offices around the state, to certain legislative staff in their offices, to the media and in the lobby area of the Capitol. We will be upgrading our system during the interim to increase the ability to distribute the amendments.