The Process Of Lawmaking In Connecticut

The process of a bill becoming a law in Connecticut involves multiple stages and stakeholders. Bills can be proposed by individual members of the legislature or committees, and they need to be sent to the clerk of the House of the sponsoring legislator for numbering. The bill is then referred to the appropriate joint standing committee of the General Assembly, which can decide to draft the bill in legal language, combine it with other bills, or take no action. After leaving the last committee, the bill goes through several offices for analysis and review before being assigned a calendar number and sent for final printing. Lawmakers debate and draft amendments, and the bill is then voted on. If passed by both houses, the bill is sent to the governor for approval, who can sign it, veto it, or take no action. If vetoed, the bill can be reconsidered by both houses, and it becomes a law if repassed by a two-thirds vote.

Proposed Bill

In Connecticut, the process of turning a proposed bill into law involves several steps. Firstly, ideas for bills can come from lawmakers, constituents, or everyday citizens and advocacy groups. These ideas are then drafted into bills by members of the Connecticut General Assembly, who act as sponsors or co-sponsors of the bill.

Once a bill is drafted, it is introduced and assigned a number by the clerk of the House of the sponsoring legislator. The bill title, number, and sponsors are then printed in the House and Senate Journals. At this stage, the bill is also assigned to the appropriate joint standing committee of the General Assembly, depending on its subject matter.

The committee plays a crucial role in shaping the bill. They may choose to have the bill drafted in legal language, combine it with other bills, refer it to another committee, or take no action, which could lead to the bill's failure. The committee also holds public hearings to gather input from various stakeholders, including the public, state agency representatives, and legislators. Following these hearings, the committee can report the bill favorably, defeat it, or issue no report.

After leaving the committee, the bill undergoes further scrutiny and analysis. It is sent to the Legislative Commissioners' Office to ensure it aligns with the constitution and existing laws. Then, the Office of Fiscal Analysis adds an estimate of the bill's cost and fiscal impact, and the Office of Legislative Research provides a "plain English" explanation.

The bill is then assigned a calendar number by the clerk and undergoes final printing before being presented for debate and amendment by lawmakers in the house of origin. If the bill receives a yes vote, it moves to the other house for placement on the voting calendar. If amended, it returns to the first house for concurrence.

If both houses pass the bill, it is sent to the governor for approval. The governor has several options: signing the bill, vetoing it, or taking no action. If the governor vetoes the bill, it can be reconsidered by both houses. The bill becomes law if it is signed by the governor, if the governor fails to sign it within the specified timeframe, or if a vetoed bill is repassed by a two-thirds vote in each house.

Bill Numbering

The bill numbering process in Connecticut is an essential step in the legislative process, ensuring that each bill is assigned a unique identifier for tracking and reference purposes. Here's an overview of the bill numbering process, also known as the "Bill Numbering" stage:

The bill numbering process in Connecticut begins once a bill idea has been proposed. The proposed bill is then sent to the clerk of the House of the sponsoring legislator for numbering. This clerk is responsible for assigning a unique number to the bill, which will remain with the bill throughout its journey in the legislative process. The bill number serves as a critical identifier, ensuring that each bill can be easily tracked, referenced, and distinguished from other bills.

Bill Title and Sponsors:

In addition to assigning a number, the clerk is also responsible for recording the bill's title and its sponsors. The bill title provides a concise description of the bill's subject matter, and it is crucial that it does not mislead readers or conceal the bill's true content. The sponsors of the bill are typically the legislators who introduced the idea and initiated the legislative process. Both the bill title and sponsor information are printed in the House and Senate Journals, providing transparency and accountability in the legislative process.

In Connecticut, the numbering conventions for bills differ between the House and the Senate. If a bill originates in the House, it is assigned the prefix "HB" followed by a unique number ranging from 5001 to 9999. On the other hand, if a bill starts in the Senate, it is designated as "SB" and given a number between 1 and 5000. These numbering conventions help identify the chamber of origin for each bill.

LCO Numbers:

In addition to the standard bill numbers, the Legislative Commissioners' Office (LCO) assigns unique, computer-generated numbers to legislative documents. These LCO numbers are used to distinguish different versions of the same bill or related bills. They are particularly useful for tracking various amendments made to a bill during its progression through the legislative process. LCO numbers are included on all legislative documents produced by the LCO, except for Joint Favorable Substitute bills.

Substitute Bills:

It is worth noting that if a bill undergoes substantial changes and becomes a substitute bill, its designation changes. A substitute House bill is denoted as "sHB," while a substitute Senate bill is labelled "sSB." These designations indicate that the bill has evolved from its original form and now includes significant amendments.

Throughout the legislative process, bills may undergo amendments, which can result in changes to their content and scope. However, the bill number remains constant, providing a consistent reference point. Only in rare cases, when a bill becomes an amendment to another related bill, will the number change. This consistency in bill numbering ensures that the legislative history of a bill can be easily traced, and no two bills during the same legislative session will bear the same number.

In summary, the bill numbering process in Connecticut is a critical step that assigns unique identifiers to proposed legislation. These bill numbers, along with prefixes and LCO numbers, facilitate the transparent tracking and management of bills as they progress through the legislative journey.

Sent to Committee

Once a bill has been proposed and given a number, 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, each with dedicated staff, analysts, and leaders.

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 requiring action by another committee are referred to that specific committee, for example, a bill requiring expenditure is referred to the Appropriations Committee.

The committee must vote on each bill by their JF Day deadline or it does not move on in the process. JF Days vary for each committee. Bills are often referred to other, relevant committees for votes, and a bill must pass each committee to which it is referred to move on to the calendar of either the House or the Senate.

Legislative Commissioners' Office

The Legislative Commissioners' Office (LCO) is a nonpartisan legislative service agency that provides legal counsel to the members of the Connecticut General Assembly and their staff. The LCO is composed of attorneys who are well-versed in the legislative process and are committed to confidentiality while producing accurate and timely legal work.

The LCO serves legislators and officials by drafting legislation that expresses legislative intent clearly, concisely, and in a constitutionally sound manner. This involves ensuring that bills are drafted in legal language and are consistent with the state statutes and the Connecticut Constitution. The office also provides legal counsel, publishes legislative documents, and carries out other duties as assigned by law.

The Legislative Commissioners' Office is governed by two commissioners, one Republican and one Democrat, appointed by the General Assembly for staggered four-year terms. These commissioners are responsible for hiring a director to manage the day-to-day operations of the LCO, overseeing other staff members, and ensuring nonpartisanship within the office.

The LCO plays a crucial role in the process of how something becomes a law in Connecticut. Once a bill leaves the last committee, it is sent to the LCO to be reviewed for constitutionality and consistency with existing laws. This step ensures that the proposed legislation aligns with the state's legal framework and does not contradict any current statutes or the state's constitution. After the LCO's review, the bill moves on to the next steps in the legislative process, including fiscal analysis, debate, and voting.

Office of Fiscal Analysis

The Office of Fiscal Analysis is a nonpartisan professional office of the Connecticut General Assembly. It is led by an Executive Director who leads a staff of seven. The office's primary function is to provide technical support to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding, as well as the other committees and members of the legislature.

The Office of Fiscal Analysis provides committee staffing to the Joint Appropriations and Finance, Revenue and Bonding committees, along with other support to the rest of the standing committees in the Connecticut General Assembly.

The Office of Fiscal Analysis provides all analysis and preparation of the Connecticut state budget. It also provides all reviews of departmental budgets, revenue projections, and handling budget requests. The office produces all fiscal notes for bills that affect state or local government revenue and make expenditures of general fund revenue.

In the process of a bill becoming a law in Connecticut, the Office of Fiscal Analysis plays a crucial role. After a bill leaves the last committee, it is sent to the Office of Fiscal Analysis to add an estimate of the bill's cost and fiscal impact on the community. The office then sends the bill to the Legislative Commissioners' Office to be checked for constitutionality and consistency with other laws. The bill is then sent to the Office of Legislative Research for a "plain English" explanation before final printing.

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