After introduction in a legislative body (such as a senate, house of representatives or assembly), a bill is referred to a committee which is comprised of legislators. Most animal bills are introduced in the Agriculture committee. Sometimes they may first be placed in a Consumer Protection Committee. Because bills might impact several layers of government, they sometimes are considered by several committees. A lot happens to a bill between when it is introduced and it’s signed into law, if it is. In both federal and state governments, committee votes are an important part of a bill’s journey.
A committee debates and “marks up” (edits) the proposed bill. A committee may also add new language and ideas to a bill in the form of amendments. Prior to a full committee vote, there may be open hearings on the bill that allow public testimony. Stopping a bill in committee is the first step if it is negative legislation.
Once a bill is finished being worked on in committee the revised bill is scheduled to be voted on by the full committee. A simple majority is usually all that is needed to pass. If the bill passes, it either moves to the next committee that needs to consider it or it moves to the floor of the main legislative body for a vote.
Ways in which a bill can be obstructed during the committee process:
* If a committee deems a bill frivolous or imprudent, it may stop working on the bill by “tabling” it—which means putting it aside—indefinitely.
* A committee chairperson can stop a bill by never calling it for a committee vote.
* A committee might also assign a bill to a subcommittee for intensive study.
* Sometimes, amendments change a bill so dramatically that its original intent becomes obscured. In extreme cases, its sponsor is forced to withdraw support and fight against the very legislation that he or she once championed.
If a bill is voted favorably out of committee it can then go to a full vote of the legislative body. If it passes by a majority it goes to the executive's desk (governor on the state level, President on the Federal) to be signed into law. There can be differences between passed bills from both sides of the legislative branch in which case a committee is formed to merge the two bill versions into one which is then sent to the executive to sign into law.
NYS Flow chart How a Bill Becomes a Law
Tips On Attending a Public Hearing
-Be sure to find out the check in procedure to allow someone to speak at a public hearing prior to attending the hearing.
-Speakers are usually limited to 3-5 minutes each. A person who has more to say can ask another speaker to allow them their block of time.
-Legislators are not interested in hearing the same points repeated over and over and might even cut off a speaker who is repeating information previously offered by a previous speaker. If you have nothing new to add, simply state you support what the previous speakers of your viewpoint have stated.
-You will carry more weight with the commissioners if you present factual information in a respectful, moderate tone of voice. DON'T play to the spectators. They have NO VOTE.
-Be prepared to answer questions that the commissioners may ask
See Also:
Project votesmart how a bill becomes a law