posted on: July 24, 2024
Hundreds or sometimes thousands of pieces of proposed legislation, called bills, are introduced during a state legislative session. With such a high volume of bills, most of which can be quite technical, it is important that folks like your ASCP Government Relations team help lawmakers understand how proposed legislation might positively or negatively impact an industry.
Through the legislative process, lawmakers, their staff, government relations officials, and citizen advocates like
you work together to determine which bills should be set aside and which should be perfected and turned into state
law. Let's have a quick, basic course in civics to refresh ourselves on how a bill moves through the legislative
process and, if successful, becomes a law.
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The Bill Is Introduced
A bill is introduced by an individual senator or assembly member on the floor of their chamber (the house or senate) and is then assigned to a committee.
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The Bill Goes to Committee
Committee hearings are held so committee members can hear public testimony. Comments may vary and be in support of or in opposition to the bill. The committee members will debate and can move the bill forward to the full originating chamber, propose amendments to the bill, or vote to "kill" the bill. If killed in committee, the bill dies here and does not move forward.
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The Bill Is Debated
If the bill is sent back to the full chamber, the bill is debated by legislators on its merits and voted up or down. If the bill does not need to go back to committee for more deliberation, the chamber will vote to either pass the bill over to the other chamber for it to repeat the process or vote to kill the bill.
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The Bill Is Passed to the Second Chamber
If the bill is approved by the first chamber, it is passed on to the second chamber, where the process of committee work and floor deliberation is repeated. If the second chamber passes the bill without changes, it goes to the governor's desk. Keep in mind that even if a bill passes through both chambers of the legislature, it is still not guaranteed to become law.
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The Bill Is Given to the Governor
If the bill is further amended before it is passed out of the second chamber, it must return to the first chamber for an up or down vote to concur with the changes. If the first chamber votes not to concur, the bill goes to a conference committee comprised of members of both chambers to resolve their differences. The bill is sent to the governor if the differences are resolved and both chambers approve of the amended bill.
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The Bill Becomes Law
Once a bill passes all the way through the legislature, the governor can choose to sign, veto, or take no action on the bill. If the governor signs or takes no action, the bill becomes law. If a governor vetoes the bill, most legislatures can override the veto with a 3/5 majority vote, also known as a supermajority. If the bill can't be overridden, the bill is dead.
Food (and Facts) for Thought
Some state legislatures pass more bills than others. According to the American data analytics company LexisNexis, the country's 50 state
legislatures pass about 20 percent of bills they introduce. However, pass rates can be higher in states with
shorter legislative sessions. For example, Utah, with a regular session of only 45 days, passes about 60
percent of bills it introduces.
Where do we fit in the mix? ASCP's GR team helps protect the skin care industry from egregious bills and
supports ones that elevate the profession; whether that means we assist in killing a bill or help carry a
bill through the legislature to become law and part of that “20 percent” average.
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