Published Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Sinn Féin special advisor Mary McArdle. (© UTV)
Having passed on Tuesday, it will now go to committee.
The role of Stormont's special advisors became the subject of some controversy last year when Ms McArdle took up the position under Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín.
She had been convicted of involvement in the murder of 22-year-old Mary Travers, the daughter of Resident Magistrate Tom Travers, almost 30 years ago.
Ms McArdle vacated the position in March following a campaign by the victim's sister.
Now TUV leader Mr Allister believes special advisors should be vetted so such an appointment cannot be made in future.
He said: "This house has the opportunity of saying that never again will someone guilty of such a vile vicious murder be elevated to one of the top administrative posts in this land - and that, in accordance with the standard by which we expect in public life, that insult will not again be visited upon the victims family or the law-abiding community."
Sinn Fein MLAs were not happy. Daithí McKay said the Attorney General had reservations over the human rights aspect of the bill.
He said: "I think there are serious questions in terms of the competence of the bill and that is something Sinn Féin is concerned about.
"One of the reasons, one of the many reasons we won't be supporting this here particular bill as it makes its way through the house is that it singles out former political prisoners.
"The proposer has been on record that he does not want European funding for example to go to any ex-prisoner groups and the bill is against the ethos of the Good Friday Agreement."