ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state lawmakers passed fewer bills during the 2016 session than in past year, continuing a trend in recent years.
This year 618 pieces of legislation passed the full Legislature before lawmakers adjourned in June.
In 2015 they passed 718 bills.
The data comes from an analysis released Friday by the New York Public Interest Research Group, which examined the results of the legislative session following its adjournment.
While the number of bills passed each year has varied widely in past decades, the number has trended downward in the past several years. One explanation is that lawmakers now often insert various policy measures into the budget, avoiding the need for many pieces of separate legislation.