Independent Investigative Journalism for New Jersey

How we score it — Each bill starts at 15 points and can earn up to 100. The biggest factor is whether a companion bill has been introduced in the other chamber (+35) — bills moving through both the Assembly and Senate simultaneously pass at dramatically higher rates. We also look at co-sponsor count (+5 to +25), how early in the session the bill was introduced (+10 for the first 1,000 bills), and the sponsor’s leadership role (+8 to +20 for committee chairs, majority leaders, and the Senate President or Assembly Speaker, who control the floor schedule). Bills scoring 56 or above are predicted to pass; below that, they’re long shots.