How does a bill become a law in Georgia?

                         Tracking a Bill through the Georgia General Assembly

IDEA
A legislator sees the need for a new law or changes in existing law and decides to introduce a bill.

DRAFTING
The legislator goes to Office of Legislative Counsel where an attorney advises the legislator on legal issues and drafts the bill.

INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING
The legislator files the bill with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate. On the legislative day after filing, the bill is formally introduced. The bill’s title is read in the House or Senate, and the presiding officer assigns bill to a standing committee.

SECOND READING
In the House, on next legislative day, the Clerk reads bill’s title (second reading) in the chamber, although actual bill is now in committee. In Senate, second reading comes after bill is reported favorably from committee.

COMMITTEE ACTION
The bill is considered by committee. The bill’s author and other legislators may testify. If controversial, public hearings may be held. The final committee action is reported in a written report. Committee options are:

• Recommend Do Pass;
• Recommend Do NOT Pass;
• Recommend Do Pass with changes (amendments or substitutes);
• Hold Bill. (no action taken)

THIRD READING AND PASSAGE
The Clerk or Secretary prepares a General Calendar of bills favorably reported from committee.

• Legislation which was second read the day before is placed on a calendar in numeric order for floor action prior to the Rules Committee meeting to choose bills for consideration.
• The Rules Committee meets and prepares a Rules Calendar for the next day’s floor consideration from bills on General Calendar.
• The presiding officer calls up bills from the Rules Calendar for floor action in order as they appear on this calendar.

 
Once presiding officer calls bill up from Rules Calendar, the Clerk or Secretary reads the bill’s title (third reading). The bill is now ready for floor debate, amendments, and voting. After debate, the main question is called and members vote. If bill is approved by majority of total membership of that body, it is sent to the other body and the process starts all over again.

TRANSMITTAL TO OTHER CHAMBER….START THE PROCESS AGAIN


Bill is passed if: 

• If second chamber passes bill, it is returned to chamber where bill was introduced.
• If first chamber rejects changes and second chamber insists, a conference committee may be appointed. Committee report is accepted by both chambers.

GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE/VETO
The Governor may sign the bill or do nothing, and bill becomes law. If the Governor veto’s the bill, two-thirds of  the members are needed to override a veto.

ACT
Act and other laws enacted at the session are printed in the Georgia Laws series. Also, act is incorporated into the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. Act becomes effective the following July 1, unless a different effective date is provided in act.

What is a lobbyist’s role in the legislative process?

A lobbyist is an educator. Georgia’s legislators may have jobs as farmers, attorneys, doctors, accountants, teachers or retired people. It is the GFIA lobbying team that educates legislators on how a bill will affect the food industry. There is no way that part time legislators can be experts on every field. That’s why a lobbyist plays an important role in the legislative process.

After meeting with our board of directors, your GFIA lobbyists will reach out to legislators, asking them to sponsor a bill that will help the food industry. Passing a bill is a very difficult task due to the many steps before reaching the governor.  Other times, we play defense by reading each bill as it is introduced, writing a summary of the bill and asking our members to assess the potential impact the legislation will have on their business.

The GFIA lobbyists work for you by analyzing hundreds of bills; finding legislators to become champions of our issues by sponsoring a bill; encouraging other legislators to co-sponsor a bill; writing position papers; meeting with committee members; working through the committee process; testifying in committee; building coalitions; reaching out to members to get calls in to the legislators, managing the bill through the committee and floor votes. If a bill makes it out of one House, we start all over again.