Appropriations "Suspense File" and Final Actions on Bills Headed to Governor Newsom

Next week of August 12 will be the final week for fiscal committees in the legislature to meet and hear and pass bills that still have a chance of making it into the Governor’s desk. 

Those measures that have a cost of more than $150,000, are regularly sent to what’s known as the “suspense file “. The suspense file is a holding file in the appropriations committee in the Senate and Assembly for those high-cost bills, and all of them will be taken up in one final suspense hearing which is coming up, Thursday August 15th likely to start mid-morning or up upon adjournment of session.

At the suspense hearing, the fate of each bill will be determined as to whether it’s being held in committee, or released to the floor, and what amendments if any will be put into those measures as a condition to being released to the floor. We anticipate a number of bills being held, and those that are held will be dead for the remainder of this session and cannot be revived. Any committee amendments will be processed and the last two weeks of August members of the Assembly and the Senate will spend almost all of their time in their respective houses casting floor votes on all of these bills. Any and all bills that make it to the Governor at the very end of session will need to be processed by the Governor by midnight Monday September 30th with his signature or veto,

With the 72-hour rule which requires all legislation to be in print for a minimum of 72 hours before it can be taken up and voted on, we anticipate seeing fewer legislative gut and amends with last-minute proposals coming out of nowhere. Nevertheless, there’s always surprises at end of session and it’s important to pay attention every day to the operations of the Legislature if you have Skin in the Legislative regulatory game in Sacramento.

Please stay tuned as Sheehy Strategy Group will give you more updates.