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How Does an Idea become a Law?
Hill Day February 25-26, 2015
By Anesa Kajtazovic
What changes are needed, either in your profession
or community? The chances are, like most people I
talk to, you have ideas. The good news is that we live
in a great country, where we can get involved to bet-
ter our communities. It is not as hard as it might
seem. Here’s a quick run-through of our legislative
process and how our laws are made each year.
Every year, the legislature convenes in January and
usually ends in April or May. Each elected official
serves on average of four to five committees. They
are confronted with issues not only in their commit-
tees and within their expertise but a wide range of is-
sues, often with no prior encounter or knowledge of
the subject matter. The good news is that many are
willing to learn and listen to their constituent concerns.
Approximately 2,000 bills are introduced in a given
session and about 100 become law. Bill ideas come
from various diverse sources, including constituents,
organizations, businesses, etc.
There is absolutely no limit to where those bill ideas
could come from. I’ve seen an 11 year old, joined by
parents and a small group of community supporters,
come to the Capitol to educate the legislators and
have their bill pass as a result of their work as con-
cerned citizens. Sometimes, it takes a couple of
years or more to see the results.
First, a legislator needs an idea to sub-
mit to a bill drafter. The bill draft needs
to be approved, modified, or declined
by the lawmaker. If the lawmaker ap-
proves the language in the bill, it’s in-
troduced to the House or Senate
Chamber.
The next step for the bill is to be as-
signed to a committee. The committee
chair first assigns the bill to a subcom-
mittee. During a typical three member
sub-committee meeting, the public has
the opportunity to join and be part of
the discussion. If the bill passes the
subcommittee, it becomes eligible for a
committee vote. Assuming the bill is
moved before the committee and pass-
es; it is qualified for a floor vote. If the
leadership decides to move the bill for-
ward, the entire House or Senate body votes on the
bill. Once it passes one chamber, the bill has to pass
the other chamber in the exact format, and then it
goes on the Governor’s desk for approval or veto. It
is common for a bill to be changed multiple times from
introduction to final passage. Your bill idea can be
added to a relevant bill in a form of an amendment.
A few tips on your idea delivery. Be concise. Present
what the current obstacle is and perhaps how it can
be improved. Sharing real life examples can be effec-
tive. Public support for a bill idea can also have an
impact. Yes, take your idea to your elected official.
Feel free to use an 11 year old for inspiration! To re-
cap the steps:
1) Idea; 2) Bill Draft ; 3) Introduced to Committee;
4) Assigned to Subcommittee; 5) Committee Vote;
6) Eligible for House or Senate vote;
7) Passes both Chambers; 8) Governor’s desk
(Assuming the bill passes each of these hurdles, if
not, the bill is dead for the session, unless it’s added
in amendment format.)
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