(a)    (1)    In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

(2)    “Department” means the Department of Legislative Services.

(3)    “Prefile” means to direct the Department, before a regular session of the General Assembly, to file a bill for introduction during that session.

(b)    A member or member-elect of the General Assembly may prefile a bill, as provided in this section.

(c)    (1)    In a year when an election for members of the General Assembly is held:

(i)    a bill may be prefiled only by an individual elected or re–elected to the General Assembly at that election;

(ii)    the deadline for directing the Department to file a bill for introduction is December 10;

(iii)    the deadline for requesting the Department to prepare a bill for prefiling is November 20; and

(iv)    an individual first elected at that election may not request the Department to prepare a bill until after the election.

(2)    In any other year, a member may prefile a bill at any regular session by:

(i)    on or before the preceding November 1, requesting the Department to prepare the bill; and

(ii)    on or before the preceding November 20, directing the Department, in writing, to file the bill for introduction.

(d)    A directive to file a bill for introduction shall be in writing and shall state the name of each sponsor of the bill.

(e)    (1)    On the first day of each regular session, the Department shall send to the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House, as appropriate, copies of each bill, in the form that the Senate rules set for introduction in the Senate or that the House rules set for introduction in the House.

(2)    Each bill that is sent under this subsection shall be considered as filed for introduction.