State lawmakers are expected to continue discussions this week about addressing the growing number of vague, placeholder bills that are introduced in the Legislature.
Interest groups, journalists and some lawmakers have expressed concern about a proliferation of so-called "concept draft" bills during the past several legislative sessions.
On paper, concept drafts are supposed to be placeholders while lawmakers and staff flesh out the details on sometimes complicated policy issues. But on multiple occasions during this past two years, committees have scheduled public hearings on concept draft bills before the actual language was widely disseminated to the public.
Supporters say changes are needed to restore transparency to the legislative process.
Republican Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford told members of the Legislature's Rules Committee last month that he opposes concept drafts except in very specific circumstances, such as multi-billion dollar state budget bill. In particular, Bennett raised concerns that the language for concept drafts is sometimes only made available before a meeting to people who have signed up as "interested parties" for that committee.
"It's hard to know if you are an interested party if you don't know what the content of the bill at all," Bennett said. "And some of the bills have titles that are very vague in terms of what they would accomplish. I think people have been frustrated, members of the public have been frustrated as well as legislators about that."
On Tuesday, the Rules Committee is expected to discuss a proposal from Bennett that would require committees make bill language available at least one day before a public hearing. It is one of several proposed procedural changes that lawmakers are considering ahead of next year's session.
A vote by the Rules Committee would not be binding, however. That's because anything endorsed by the committee this summer or fall would have to be formally adopted by the new Legislature when members are sworn in after the November elections.
