How Bills Become Laws In Kentucky

The process of a bill becoming a law in Kentucky is similar to the US Congress, with some differences. A bill must be read three times in the legislature before it can be put to a vote for passage. The bill is introduced in the Senate or the House, and if it's a bill that raises revenue, it must be introduced in the House. It then goes to the Committee on Committees, which decides which committee the bill will be sent to. The bill can be discussed and changed by the committee, and if reported out favorably, it has its first reading and is placed on the calendar for the following day. On the second reading, the bill is sent to the Rules Committee, which decides when and whether it gets to the chamber floor for a vote. The bill is then read for a third time with a motion to pass, which opens the floor for debate. After debate and amendments, the bill faces a final vote. If it passes in one chamber, it goes to the other chamber, where it follows the same procedure. Both chambers must agree on the final form of the bill. Once it passes in both chambers, it goes to the Governor, who can choose to sign the bill, allow it to become law without signing it, or veto it.

Legislative session

The legislative process in Kentucky is similar to that of the U.S. Congress, with some differences. The Kentucky General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the State Senate, meets annually to pass laws. The legislative session begins on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January, with the length of the session varying based on the year. In odd-numbered years, the session lasts up to 30 legislative days, ending by March 30, while in even-numbered years, it can go on for up to 60 legislative days, concluding by April 15.

During the legislative session, bills are introduced and go through a multi-step process to become laws. A bill can be introduced in either the House or the Senate but must be approved by both chambers to be sent to the Governor. The Committee on Committees in each chamber decides which committee the bill will be assigned to, as certain committees are more challenging to navigate than others. The Speaker of the House chairs the House Committee on Committees, while the Senate President chairs the Senate Committee on Committees.

Once a bill reaches the assigned committee, the committee chairman decides whether to hear it. If the bill is not heard, it dies. If it is heard and approved, it proceeds to the Rules Committee, where it gets its second reading. The Rules Committee plays a crucial role in determining when and if a bill advances to the chamber floor for a vote. At this stage, the bill may be sent directly for a floor vote or back to another committee for additional review.

Before a bill can be voted on, it must be announced three times. Additionally, it must be read three times in the legislature before it can be put to a vote for passage. If the Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate refuses to call for a vote, the bill will ultimately fail. If the bill passes in one chamber, it moves to the other chamber and undergoes a similar process for approval.

If one chamber makes changes to a bill passed by the other chamber, the bill must return to the chamber of origin for approval of the modifications. This step is called "concurrence." Once a bill passes in identical form in both chambers, it is sent to the Governor.

The Governor has three options when receiving a bill: signing it into law, letting it become law without a signature, or vetoing it. If the Governor chooses not to sign a bill, it can still become law, indicating the Governor's disapproval without actively blocking it. In the case of a veto, the General Assembly can override it with a constitutional majority in both chambers.

Bill introduction

The legislative process in Kentucky is similar to that of the U.S. Congress, with some differences. The introduction of a bill is the first step in the process of enacting a law. In Kentucky, only a member of the General Assembly can introduce legislation, although these bills can be suggested by citizens or organisations. The length of bills can vary from a single paragraph to hundreds of pages. The Kentucky Constitution requires that a bill relates to only one subject, which must be stated in the title. Special laws that apply to only one city, town, county, or person are prohibited. All bills must begin with the words: "Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky."

Once a bill is introduced, it is given a number, read by title and sponsor, and referred to a standing committee by the Committee on Committees. Bills that raise revenue must be introduced in the House. The committee can discuss and make changes to the bill, and it may be reported out with designations such as favourable, favourable with amendments, or unfavourable. The committee can also choose not to act on a bill, effectively killing it.

To become law, a bill must have three readings. When a committee reports a bill favourably, it has its first reading and is placed on the calendar for the following day. On the second reading, the bill is sent to the Rules Committee, which may send it back to the original committee or place it in the "Orders of the Day" for consideration. Finally, the bill is read for a third time, with a motion to pass it, opening the floor for debate. After any amendments and debate, the bill faces a final vote.

Committee referral

In Kentucky, a bill is introduced in the Senate or the House. If the bill raises revenue, it must be introduced in the House. Each bill is given a number, read by title and sponsor, and referred to a standing committee by the Committee on Committees.

The bill is then sent to the committee where it can be discussed and changed if needed. The committee can also kill a bill by failing to act on it. The bill may be reported out with one of the following designations: favorable, favorable with committee amendments, favorable with committee substitute, unfavorable, or, in the Senate, without opinion.

When a committee reports a bill favorably, the bill has its first reading and is placed on the calendar for the following day. This is the first of three readings a bill must have to become law. On the second reading, the bill is sent to the Rules Committee, which may send it back to the committee it came from or place it in the “Orders of the Day” for consideration.

Finally, the bill is read for the third time, with a motion to pass it. This motion opens the floor for debate. After debate and amendments, the bill faces a final vote. In order to pass, a bill must be approved by at least two-fifths of the members of the chamber (40 representatives or 16 senators) and a majority of the members present and voting.

Governor's signature

After a bill has been introduced in one of the chambers (either the House or the Senate) and passed through the Committee on Committees, it must be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before it can be sent to the Governor for signature. This is an important step because it is harder to get a bill through some committees than others.

Once the bill has been approved by both chambers, it goes to the Governor for his signature. The Governor can choose to sign the bill, allow it to become law without signing it, or veto it. The Governor has 10 days (excluding Sundays) to act after the bill has been received.

If the Governor signs the bill, it becomes law. If he does not sign it, the bill still becomes law. By not signing a bill but letting it go into effect, the Governor can express disapproval without actually stopping the bill.

If the Governor vetoes the bill, it can only become law if the General Assembly overrides the veto. A veto can be overridden by a constitutional majority of both chambers. In the House, a constitutional majority is 51 votes (one more than half of 100). In the Senate, it is 20 votes (one more than half of 38). If the veto is overridden, the bill becomes law. If it is not overridden, it does not become law.

Veto and override

In Kentucky, the veto period is a 10-day stretch for the Governor to veto any bills passed by the General Assembly. The veto period begins on March 29, and lawmakers reconvene on April 12 to consider if they wish to override the governor's veto on any bills. During this time, they have one last chance to pass bills and the opportunity to override any of the governor's vetoes, enacting those bills into law over their objections.

Lawmakers will not have the chance to override any vetoes on bills passed during the final two days, so they typically pass their priority legislation before the veto period. The governor must sign or veto a bill within 10 working days of the General Assembly passing a bill. If they decline to act, the bill will become law without their signature. Overriding a veto is relatively straightforward in Kentucky. Lawmakers need a constitutional majority to override a veto and enact a bill into law. That means they only need 50% plus one vote of the total number of elected members in each chamber. The constitutional majorities are 51 votes in the 100-seat House of Representatives and 20 votes in the 38-seat Senate.

Most new laws go into effect 90 days after the last day of the legislative session. Some bills have an emergency provision. These laws go into effect immediately upon the governor signing the bill into law or the Kentucky General Assembly voting to override a veto. Bills with emergency provisions include the phrase "declaring an emergency" in their title.

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