With three weeks left in the legislative session, state lawmakers agreed yesterday to try to resolve differences on similar bills that would improve school nutrition, expedite power-plant siting and restrict children's access to violent video games.

The GOP-led Senate and Democratic-controlled Assembly passed different versions of the bills, but they cannot become law unless both pass the same version. Some states automatically send such proposals to a conference committee to negotiate. New York does not.

Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, said sending the proposals to conference committee yesterday was historic, but it should be automatic when similar bills are passed.

A few members of a panel that sent the bills to conference committee said they hoped it would help remove the label of "most dysfunctional" state legislature that New York University's Brennan Center for Justice gave the body in 2004.

"I think this Legislature took a very bad hit when we were called dysfunctional because I think it was wrong," said Sen. Mary Lou Rath, R-Amherst. "I think that misunderstanding between both houses when it comes to different versions of different pieces of legislation are normal and natural."

The Legislature has used conference committees on occasion, but negotiations have not always been fruitful, and lawmakers on the committees have at times just ratified deals made by leaders in private.

Barbara Bartoletti of the League of Women Voters said it would be more productive to set up a conference-committee process earlier. Just 12 session days remain before the Legislature is to finish its work.

"Next session, we want to see this committee in action from January through the session. That would be real progress," she said. "That would give rank-and-file the ability to actually decide to get these bills passed, get them in front of a conference committee, work out their differences and actually move legislation."

Sen. James Alesi, R-Perinton, co-chair of the committee that decides which bills should be negotiated, said much work will be required of legislators who sit on the conference committees for the three bills. Legislative leaders will decide who sits on the conference committees.

Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, D-Brooklyn, said he thinks there's room for a compromise on the video-games bill. "I think the goal is ... to try to figure out a way in which we can have some type of system whereby we don't let kids get access to games that may prove harmful to them," he said.

Sen. Stephen Saland, R-Poughkeepsie, who sponsored the Senate's healthy-schools bill, said there are some issues "I think we can readily come to an agreement on," but others will be tougher.