Pre-filing, which officially begins Dec. 1, offers legislators an opportunity to make their priorities known before the session begins, and perhaps even set the tone for the entire session.
In 2009, of the 1,983 bills and resolutions filed in the state legislature, 367 (19%) were pre-filed. Of those, 141 (7% of the total) were pre-filed on Dec. 1.
And pre-filed bills do turn out to be pretty significant. Of the 91 bills approved by the legislature in 2009, nearly one-quarter were filed before the session convened.
In the House, the first 25 bill numbers are typically reserved for appropriations bills, with the remaining numbers assigned based on the order in which bills are filed. In the Senate, members can typically select high priority bills for number assignments as the session opens.
The legislative session convenes on Jan. 6, 2010.
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