The Making Of A Law In Connecticut

The process of turning a bill into law in Connecticut involves many steps and the participation of legislators, their staff, and individuals or groups with particular interests. Ideas for bills can come from lawmakers or constituents, and they can be proposed by individual members of the legislature or by committees. The legislators who propose a bill are called its sponsors, and other legislators can sign on as co-sponsors to show their support. Bills are then referred to the relevant committee, which may have the bill drafted in legal language, combine it with other bills, refer it to another committee, or take no action. The committee holds public hearings for the public, state agency representatives, and legislators, after which it may report the bill favourably, defeat it, or issue no report. If a bill passes out of committee, it may be considered by the House or Senate, where amendments can be made, and it must pass both chambers in the same form. Once a bill passes both houses, it goes to the governor for approval, who can sign it, veto it, or take no action. If vetoed, the bill requires a two-thirds majority vote in each house to become law.

Bill proposal

The process of turning a bill into law in Connecticut is a lengthy and complex one, involving legislators, their staff, and the participation of individuals and groups with particular interests. The bill proposal is the first step in this process.

A bill proposal can come from individual members of the legislature or committees. The legislators who propose a bill are called its "sponsors", and other legislators can "sign on" to a bill as co-sponsors to show their support. Alternatively, a citizen with a legislative idea must ask their state senator or representative to introduce it. The deadline for filing proposed bills is early in the session, approximately two weeks after the session begins.

There are several types of bills that can be introduced: Proposed Bills, Committee Bills, Raised Bills, and Governor's Bills. Individual legislators may introduce "Proposed Bills", which are drafted in general terms, often just a sentence describing the goal or subject matter of the legislation. Committees may propose "Committee Bills", which are screened by the committee leadership before filing. Raised Bills are drafted in formal statutory language and developed by committee leadership, and Governor's Bills are usually budget-related and submitted by the Governor to the General Assembly.

Once a bill is proposed, it is sent to the clerk of the House of the sponsoring legislator for numbering. The bill title, number, and sponsors are printed in the House and Senate Journals. The bill is then sent to the appropriate joint standing committee of the General Assembly, depending on the bill's subject matter. There are 26 legislative committees that consider bills, each with dedicated staff, and most have offices in the Legislative Office Building.

The committee may have the bill drafted in legal language, combine it with other bills, refer it to another committee, or take no action, in which case the bill fails. The committee may also write a new "raised" committee bill. The committee holds public hearings for the public, state agency representatives, and legislators on all bills it wishes to consider. After the hearings, the committee may report the bill favourably, defeat it, or issue no report. Bills requiring action by another committee are referred to that specific committee. For example, a bill requiring expenditure would be referred to the Appropriations Committee.

The bill proposal stage is a critical part of the process of turning an idea into a law in Connecticut, and it involves careful consideration, drafting, and review by legislators and relevant committees.

Committee referral

Once a bill has been proposed, it is sent to the appropriate joint standing committee of the General Assembly, depending on the bill's subject matter. There are 26 legislative committees that consider bills, and each committee has dedicated staff to manage the work.

The committee may have the bill drafted in legal language, combine it with other bills and have it drafted as a committee bill, refer the bill to another committee, or take no action, so the bill fails. The committee may also write a new "raised" committee bill.

The committee holds public hearings for the public, state agency representatives, and legislators on all bills it wishes to consider. The committee may then report the bill favorably, defeat the bill, or issue no report. Bills requiring action by another committee are referred to that specific committee, e.g. a bill requiring funding is referred to the Appropriations Committee. Bills often must travel to several committees before reaching the House or Senate.

The Co-Chairs, and sometimes Ranking Members with assistance from staff, meet in private to decide, or “screen”, all the bills referred to and raised by the committee. In those meetings, they decide which bills will receive a public hearing. Committee staff conduct the public hearings, generally in the middle of the session.

The leaders then decide in private which bills to schedule for a committee vote. Bills scheduled for a vote are put on the agenda of a committee meeting. At the meeting, members have an opportunity to ask questions of the legislator who sponsored the bill. Sometimes the bill’s language is changed or “substituted” at the meeting. The public does not have an opportunity to speak in Committee meetings but can watch. Advocates can offer a committee member “substitute language” for the bill to clarify or address concerns.

Public hearings

The public hearings are typically conducted by committee staff in the middle of the legislative session. The hearings are open to the public, who can observe the proceedings. However, only those who have signed up in advance are allowed to testify and provide written copies of their testimony. The number of copies required and other guidelines for testifying are provided on the Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) website.

During the public hearings, the committee may decide to make amendments to the bill based on the input received. After the hearings, the committee will decide whether to report the bill favorably, defeat it, or take no action. If the committee reports the bill favorably, it will move forward in the legislative process. On the other hand, if the committee defeats the bill or takes no action, it may fail to advance.

It is worth noting that bills often need to pass through several committees before reaching the House or Senate. For example, a bill related to funding for an education program must be approved by both the Education and Appropriations Committees. Each committee holds its own public hearings and makes decisions on the bill before it can move forward. This process ensures that proposed legislation is thoroughly reviewed and considered by relevant stakeholders.

The public hearings play a vital role in Connecticut's law-making process, providing a platform for public participation and input. They allow legislators to gather feedback and make informed decisions about the potential impact of proposed bills. By holding these hearings, the state ensures that the legislative process is transparent and inclusive, giving citizens a voice in shaping the laws that govern them.

Governor's approval

Once a bill has passed both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the governor for approval. The governor has three options: they can sign the bill, veto it, or take no action. If the governor signs the bill, it becomes law. If they veto it, the bill is returned to the house in which it originated. The bill can still become law if both houses of the legislature vote to pass it by a two-thirds majority. If the governor takes no action, the bill can still become law without their signature. In this case, the governor has five days during the legislative session or fifteen days after adjournment to act before the bill becomes law.

Becoming law

The process of turning a bill into law in Connecticut is a lengthy one, involving legislators, their staff, and members of the public. Ideas for bills can come from lawmakers or constituents, and are proposed by individual members of the legislature or by committees. The legislators who propose a bill are its "sponsors", and other legislators can "sign on" as co-sponsors. Bills can only be proposed early in the session.

Once a bill has been proposed, it is sent to the clerk of the House of the sponsoring legislator for numbering. The bill title, number, and sponsors are printed in the House and Senate Journals. The bill is then sent to the appropriate joint standing committee of the General Assembly, depending on the bill's subject matter. There are 26 legislative committees that consider bills, each with dedicated staff. The committee may have the bill drafted in legal language, combine it with other bills, refer it to another committee, or take no action, in which case the bill fails. The committee may also write a new "raised" committee bill.

The committee holds public hearings for the public, state agency representatives, and legislators on all bills it wishes to consider. The committee may then report the bill favorably, defeat the bill, or issue no report. Bills may be referred to other committees for further consideration. After leaving the last committee, the bill is sent to the Legislative Commissioners' Office to be checked for constitutionality and consistency with other laws. The Office of Fiscal Analysis then adds an estimate of the bill's cost and fiscal impact on the community, and the Office of Legislative Research adds a "plain English" explanation of the bill.

The bill is then sent for final printing and assigned a calendar number. Lawmakers debate and draft amendments in the house of origin, and the house may send the bill to another committee before voting. A "yes" vote sends the bill to the other house for placement on the voting calendar. The bill is then returned to the first house for concurrence if amended by the second house. If not amended, the bill is sent to the governor.

If the two houses cannot agree on the bill, it is sent to a joint conference committee, which sends a compromise report to both houses. If one or both houses reject the changes, the bill fails. If both houses pass the bill, it is sent to the governor, who can sign the bill, veto it, or take no action. If the governor vetoes the bill, it is returned to the house in which it originated. Vetoed bills can be reconsidered by both houses, and the bill becomes law if the governor's veto is overridden by a two-thirds majority vote in each house. If the governor does not veto the bill, it will become law if they fail to sign it within 5 days during the legislative session or 15 days after adjournment from the day it was presented to them.

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