About the program:

The Suggested State Legislation (SSL) program seeks to identify the best legislation from around the country and to share these successful legislative approaches with all states. Since the program began in 1941, CSG has been compiling legislation on topics of current interest and importance to states. The final product is a yearly volume of draft legislation.

How is legislation chosen for inclusion in an SSL volume?

Legislation submitted to the SSL program is first evaluated by CSG policy experts against specific criteria. This legislation is then split into docket books for consideration by the Committee on Suggested State Legislation. The committee votes to reject, include or defer all pieces of legislation on the dockets during three separate meetings per year. Legislation that has been chosen for inclusion is then highlighted in the next volume of Suggested State Legislation.

Who can submit legislation to the program?

Any state official or staffer can submit legislation to the program. CSG staff and associate members can also submit legislation to SSL.

How do I submit legislation from my state?

If the legislation meets the criteria for consideration, follow these instructions for submission. In order to facilitate the selection and review process on any submitted legislation, it is particularly helpful to include information on the status of the legislation, enumeration of other states with similar provisions, and any summaries or analyses of the legislation.

NOTE: Submissions for any SSL docket should be sent to CSG at least eight weeks in advance of any scheduled SSL meeting in order to be considered for the docket of that meeting. Submissions received after this will typically be held for a later meeting. Anyone desiring an exception to this policy must contact the SSL committee leadership and will be responsible for preparing and distributing to the SSL committee any materials that are related to the docket submission in question. April 1, 2007, is the deadline for submitting legislation to SSL Docket 28B.