RICHMOND -- The envelope, please. The award for the most prolific bill filer during the General Assembly's 2003 session goes to — Delegate Robert G. Marshall of Loudoun and Prince William counties.

The contest wasn't even close: Marshall, a Republican representing House District 13, filed 48 bills by Friday's deadline. The runner-up was Sen. William C. Mims, R-Leesburg, with 35 bills.

The Top 10 bill filers (actually, 12; there were ties for the No. 10 spot) included Delegate Robert B. Bell, R-Charlottesville; Delegate David B. Albo, R-Springfield; Sen. Thomas K. Norment, Jr., R-Williamsburg; Delegate R. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave; Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Woodbridge; Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Hot Springs; Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle, R-Virginia Beach; Delegate Jeannemarie Devolites, R-Vienna; Delegate Thelma Drake, R-Norfolk; and Sen. William C. Wampler Jr., R-Bristol.

Together, those legislators are the "chief patrons," or sponsors, of 369 bills, ranging from repeal of Virginia's estate tax (Norment) to protection for corporate whistleblowers (Mims).

That's almost 18 percent of the 2,093 bills introduced by the 140 members of the General Assembly.

Lawmakers can have a lengthy list of reasons for sponsoring a lengthy list of bills.

"Delegate Marshall has a lot of issues he want to address," said his legislative assistant, Claire Gardner.

Moreover, Marshall often files several similar bills on the same issue. For example, he is sponsoring five bills about licensing abortion clinics.

"Some of the bills that Delegate Marshall has filed are very similar with minor changes," Gardner said. "This provides a higher chance that one of the bills will get through the system without being severely amended."

A legislator's seniority can also affect the number of bills he or she files.

Norment, for instance, is serving his 12th term in office and has a reputation for getting legislation passed. So other lawmakers often call on him to sponsor bills, his office says.

Also, some of Norment's proposals represent technical corrections of existing laws -- not new statutes.

Is there a relationship between a legislator's bill output and his or her proficiency in public office?

"Ultimately, the voters are the judges of each legislator's choices in the bill lottery," said Larry J. Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. "Each legislator is elected independently and has to represent constituents in the manner he or she believes appropriate.

"To some, that means introducing dozens of bills and resolutions. To others, it means introducing few or none in the interests of reducing costs and the passage of new laws."

Delegate Daniel W. Marshall, R-Danville, falls in the latter category.

"When I ran for the House, I decided I did not want to throw out a lot of bills," he said. "To me, it's not about quantity, but it is about quality. Before filing a bill, I want to make sure it will help our district and state."

Daniel Marshall said he wants the General Assembly to become more effective with its lawmaking ability. In his opinion, bogging down the system with large numbers of bills defeats that goal.

"We set ourselves up for failure with the system," he said. "I do not think we leave enough time to have thoughtful discussion about the bills."

This session, Daniel Marshall is sponsoring just three bills.

Sen. Frank M. Ruff Jr., R-Clarksville, is in the middle of the pack with 14 bills filed. He is astounded by the amount of legislation introduced for this 46-day session: It's even higher than the 2,066 bills considered during last year's 60-day session. And those numbers don't include hundreds of resolutions put in the legislative hopper.

Still, Ruff does not want to limit the number of bills. He said the filings represent democracy in action.

"The citizens, are fairly represented. You have no other way to seek changes in state government than by asking your representatives in the House of Delegates and Senate of Virginia to introduce legislation on your behalf," he said.

"If we are to maintain a vibrant, representative government, we cannot and must not close opportunities that are there for the people."