Understanding North Carolina's Lawmaking Process

The process of turning a bill into law in North Carolina is a lengthy one. A bill is a proposed law that can be drafted by any competent person, but only a member of the General Assembly can introduce it for consideration. The bill then goes through several readings, during which it is debated and amended, before being voted on. If passed, it is sent to the other chamber, where the process is repeated. If approved by both chambers, the bill is enrolled and sent to the governor for approval or veto. The governor has the power to veto a bill, but this can be overridden by a majority vote in both chambers. Once signed, the bill becomes law and is published.

Any citizen can suggest legislation

In North Carolina, any citizen, group, organization, state agency, or legislator can suggest legislation, which may originate in either the Senate or the House of Representatives. This is the first step in the lawmaking process of the North Carolina General Assembly.

Once a proposal has been made, a legislator can send a request to the General Assembly's bill-drafting division, which will assist in researching and formatting the proposal into a bill. The bill must then be submitted to one of the two chambers for consideration. Legislators who introduce bills are known as "primary sponsors", and other legislators may sign on as "co-sponsors" before the bill is introduced.

The bill is then typically introduced on the next legislative business day after it is filed with the clerk. On days when the legislature is in session, the Speaker of the House or Senate President will call for the "Introduction of Bills and Resolutions", at which point new bills are introduced.

After introduction, the bill is assigned to a relevant policy committee for consideration. The committee will study the bill and recommend next steps, which may include amendments. If the committee approves the bill, it is placed on the calendar for consideration by the entire House or Senate.

The bill is then debated on the floor of the House or Senate and must pass both second and third readings to move forward. The amount of time it takes to pass a bill can vary depending on the level of debate and amendment required.

Bills must be introduced by a legislator

A bill is a proposed law that may be drafted by any competent person. However, only a member of the North Carolina General Assembly may introduce a bill for consideration, and that member is called the bill's introducer or sponsor. These introducers or sponsors are also known as "primary sponsors".

Any concerned citizen, group, organization, state agency, or legislator can suggest legislation, which may originate in either the Senate or House of Representatives. The legislator sponsoring the proposed legislation is then responsible for introducing it to their respective chamber.

At the proper time during each daily session, the presiding officer announces "Introduction of Bills and Resolutions." A member wishing to introduce a bill must have already filed it with the Principal Clerk on the previous legislative day when it received a bill number. The Reading Clerk then reads aloud the name of the introducer, the bill number, and the bill title. At this point, the bill has passed its first reading.

Once introduced, the bill is assigned to a relevant policy committee for consideration. If the committee approves the bill, it is placed on the calendar for consideration by the entire House or Senate.

Bills are assigned to a committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a relevant policy committee for consideration. Each chamber of the General Assembly has committees assigned to certain areas of policy, such as finance, education, and healthcare. The bill is then studied carefully and amendments may be recommended by the committee. If the committee approves the bill, it is placed on the calendar for consideration by the entire House or Senate.

The committee chair will recognise the sponsor of the bill or the chair of the committee which recommended the bill for passage. The sponsor will explain the bill, and then any member who wishes to speak for or against the bill will be heard. There may be lengthy and heated debate, or there may be virtually no debate at all. After all, those who wish to be heard have spoken, a vote is taken. If the vote is favourable, the bill moves to its third and final reading, at which time there may be more debate.

Once a bill has passed its third reading in the house in which it was introduced, it is sent to the other house, where it goes through the same process. If the second house makes changes to the bill, it must be returned to the house of origin with a request to concur with the changes. If the original house objects to the amendments, the two presiding officers may appoint members to a conference committee to reconcile the differences. If the committee can agree on the disputed subjects, both houses will vote on the recommended text. If either house rejects the recommendation, new members may be appointed to the conference committee to try again.

Bills must pass three readings in each house

In North Carolina, a bill must pass three readings in each house—the House of Representatives and the Senate—to become a law. The first reading occurs when a member of the General Assembly, known as the bill's introducer or sponsor, presents the bill to the Assembly for its consideration. The sponsor is responsible for introducing the bill to their respective chamber.

During the first reading, the presiding officer announces, "Introduction of Bills and Resolutions." The member wishing to introduce a bill has already filed it with the Principal Clerk on the previous legislative day when it received a bill number. The Reading Clerk then reads aloud the name of the introducer, the bill number, and the bill title.

After the first reading, the bill is typically assigned to a committee for careful study and recommendation. This committee is named by the Chair of the Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee for Senate bills or the Speaker of the House of Representatives for House bills. If the committee approves the bill, it is placed on the calendar, the daily schedule of business, for consideration by the entire House or Senate.

The second reading occurs when the full membership of the house considers the bill. The Chair will recognize the sponsor of the bill or the chair of the committee that recommended the bill, and they will explain it. Then, any member who wishes to speak for or against the bill will be heard, which may result in a lengthy and heated debate or very little debate. After the discussions, a vote is taken, and if it is favorable, the bill moves to its third and final reading, which may include more debate.

The third reading in the house occurs after the bill has been debated and voted on by the entire house. If the bill passes this stage, it is sent to the other house, where it goes through the same process: it is referred to a committee, and if approved, it is debated and voted on at the second and third readings on the floor.

The governor decides whether to sign or veto

Once a bill has passed both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly, it is enrolled. A clean copy, including all amendments, is prepared, with space for the signatures of the two presiding officers, and the governor, if necessary. The governor then has 10 days to decide whether to sign the bill into law, veto it, or let it become law without their signature. If the governor chooses to veto the bill, it is returned to the original house, where 3/5 of present and voting members can vote to override the veto. If the original house votes to override the veto, the bill is sent to the second house, where 3/5 of present and voting members must also vote to override the veto before the bill can become law.

In November 1996, citizens of North Carolina voted to amend the State Constitution to allow for a gubernatorial veto (Section 22 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution). All Public Bills other than bills making appointments, proposing constitutional amendments, or revising districts are presented to the Governor on the day following ratification for their approval or veto. If the governor signs the bill or takes no action on it, the bill becomes law. During a session, the governor has 10 days to act. After adjournment of the General Assembly, the governor has 30 days to act on a bill. The governor is required to reconvene the General Assembly if a bill is vetoed after adjournment, unless a written request is received and signed by a majority of members of both houses that it is not necessary to reconvene.

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