The Journey Of A Bill To A Law In Georgia

The process of a bill becoming a law in Georgia involves several steps and can be initiated by citizens or legislators. The idea is drafted into a bill with legal advice from the Office of Legislative Counsel, then filed with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, before undergoing three readings across both chambers. Following this, the bill is assigned to a standing committee for review and recommendations, before being returned to the respective Clerk or Secretary for a General Calendar of bills. It is then sent to the Rules Committee for a Rules Calendar, before a final reading and vote. If passed, the bill is sent to the Governor for approval, veto, or automatic passage.

The role of the Georgia General Assembly

The Georgia General Assembly is the state's lawmaking body, consisting of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Assembly has been in operation since 1777, when Georgia became one of the original 13 states. The Assembly's role in the legislative process is to debate and vote on bills, which are proposals for new or amended laws.

The legislative process begins with an idea, which can come from a legislator, a legislative committee, a citizen, or a group of citizens. If a legislator decides to act on this idea, they become the sponsor of a bill. The legislator then seeks advice from the Office of Legislative Counsel, where a non-partisan attorney provides legal advice and helps to draft the bill. Once drafted, the legislator must file the bill with either the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate, depending on which chamber they belong to. The bill is then introduced on the first legislative day after filing, when the bill's title is read during the first of three required readings.

After the first reading, the bill is assigned to a standing committee, which is a permanent committee dedicated to a specific subject area. The standing committee considers and debates the bill, and typically invites testimony from relevant experts and interested parties, including the bill's author and other legislators. The committee then makes a recommendation on the bill, which can include suggesting amendments or substitutes.

If the committee approves the bill, it is sent back to the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate, who prepares a General Calendar of bills that have been favorably reported. The presiding officer of each chamber then calls up bills from this calendar for floor action. Once a bill is called, the Clerk or Secretary reads the bill's title for the third reading, after which the bill is open for floor debate and amendments. If a majority of the members vote to pass the bill, it is signed by the Clerk or Secretary and transmitted to the other chamber, where the process repeats.

If the second chamber also passes the bill, it is sent back to the originating chamber. If the originating chamber accepts the amendments made by the second chamber, the bill is approved and sent to the Governor. If the originating chamber rejects the amendments, a conference committee may be formed, consisting of three members from each chamber, to work out a compromise. Once both chambers agree on the same version of the bill, it is sent to the Governor for final approval.

How a bill is drafted

The legislative process in Georgia begins with an idea, which can come from a legislator, legislative committee, citizen, group of citizens, or advocacy organisation. The idea addresses a particular need or interest. A legislator then decides to sponsor a bill addressing this need, either with a new law or a bill that will change an existing law.

To draft the bill, the legislator seeks advice from the Office of Legislative Counsel, where a non-partisan attorney gives the representative legal advice and helps to draft the bill. The Office of Legislative Counsel provides nonpartisan and impartial advice to the legislator on drafting bills.

Once the bill is drafted, the legislator must file the bill with either the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate. Bills can be pre-filed by committees before the session convenes, but all formal action on a bill must take place during a legislative session. The bill is then given a title, beginning with H.B., H.R. (House Bill, Resolution), S.B., or S.R. (Senate Bill/Resolution).

The bill is then introduced on the first legislative day after filing. The legislative day is when the House of Representatives and Senate meet in the Georgia state capitol. The bill is introduced to the chamber and referred to a committee. This is the bill's first reading; the bill's title must be read three times in each chamber to pass the Legislature.

The bill's first reading

The first reading of a bill in the Georgia General Assembly is the first step in the legislative process. It is the formal introduction of the bill to the legislators. The bill's title is read aloud in the chamber of the legislator who authored it. This usually takes place on the first legislative day after the bill is filed. For example, if a senator files a bill with the Secretary of the Senate on Day 3 of the legislative session, the title of the bill will be read to the Georgia State Senate on Day 4 during the first reading.

After the first reading, the presiding officer assigns the bill to a standing committee. These committees are permanent and focused on a specific subject area, such as the Budget Committee. The committees consider and study the bill, solicit expert testimony and relevant information, and may invite people to testify on behalf of the bill, such as the bill's author, other legislators, lobbyists, or state officials. The committees then make recommendations on whether the bill should pass, not pass, or pass with changes (amendments or substitutes).

The first reading is a crucial step in the legislative process as it formally introduces the bill to the legislators and sets the stage for further discussion, debate, and consideration by the assigned committee.

The bill's second reading

The second reading of a bill is largely ceremonial, but it is still a formal part of the legislative process. This happens only in the Georgia House of Representatives. On the legislative day after the bill is introduced, the Clerk of the House reads the bill's title aloud again to the chamber. This is the second reading.

The bill is then considered and debated within the committee to which it was assigned. The legislator and their peers may testify on the bill's behalf at the committee meeting. If the bill is controversial, it may require public hearings.

The committee can then make one of four recommendations:

• Recommend Do Pass
• Recommend Do Not Pass
• Recommend Do Pass with changes (amendments or substitutes)
• Hold Bill (no action taken)

In cases where the committee decides to hold the bill, it may be referred to a subcommittee for consideration and/or amendments. If the committee takes no action on the bill, it "dies". Most introduced bills die in committee.

The bill's third reading

Once a bill has been through the committee stage, it is ready for its Third Reading. The bill is returned to the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate, who prepare a General Calendar of bills for their respective chambers. This calendar compiles all the bills that have been given a 'favorable report' by the committees.

The Rules Committees for each house then create a Rules Calendar for the next legislative day. This is a list of the bills to be considered on the floor that day. The presiding officer of each house then brings up the bills from the Rules Calendar for floor consideration.

The Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate then read the bill's title for its Third Reading. After the Third Reading, the bill opens for floor debate by the State Senators and Representatives. Following debate, amendments are discussed, and then a vote is taken.

Each state senator and representative pushes a button at their desk to vote 'Yea' or 'Nay'. The votes are shown in real-time on electronic screens at the front of the House and Senate. If the bill doesn't pass, it may still have a chance the following year, as Georgia's General Assembly runs on a two-year cycle. If it does pass, it is sent to the other chamber for another vote.

Frequently asked questions