s1mp13m4n
Member
I am a member of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) which is like the NRA of Virginia. I thought I would share this from their latest newsletter as it does explain how the process of how an idea could become law.
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2. The legislative process in Virginia - baby turtles rushing to the sea
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I've often made the analogy that getting a bill passed into law is like sea turtle hatchlings racing to the (relative) safety of the sea. Many of them never make it because they have to get past a gauntlet of predators as they rush across an open beach. Birds sweep down on them from above, while crabs and even raccoons grab them on the beach.
Similarly, there are a lot of ways for a bill to be killed long before it becomes law. Consequently it is much easier to kill a bill than to get one passed. And that is a good thing because we don't want to create any bad laws.
1. A bill is usually first heard in a subcommittee, but sometimes this step is skipped. The bills can be modified in subcommittee. Some subcommittees can kill bills, others can only recommend that they be killed or passed.
2. The full committee then hears any bills that were not actually killed by a subcommittee. Bills can be modified by committee. The committee votes to either kill the bill or pass it out of committee to the Floor. The committee can also refer the bill to another committee instead.
3. The bills that pass out of committee are then heard on the Floor of the body where they were introduced (either Senate or House). Bills on the Floor are voted on by all members of the body. It takes 3 days before the Floor votes on a bill, during which time the bill can be modified on the Floor.
4. Bills that pass on the Floor are then sent to the other body and the process begins back at step 1 for the new body.
5. If a bill survives the other body without change, then the bill heads to the Governor's desk (step 7).
6. If the bill is modified, then the originating body can vote to accept the changes. If accepted, the bill heads to the Governor's desk (step 7), else a conference committee is set up and three members from each body meet to determine if any kind of compromise can be reached. The conference committee at that point can kill the bill or send it back to each body with suggested changes. At that point, both bodies must simply agree to the changes or not. No more changes are allowed. If both agree, the bill heads to the Governor's desk (step 7). If either one votes down the changes, the bill is dead.
7. Bills surviving the legislature, arrive on the Governor's desk. He has 4 choices: sign the bill into law, veto the bill, don't sign the bill (it will become law automatically without his signature), or send the bill back with suggested changes.
8. Both bodies can vote by 2/3 majority to override a veto and make the bill law. If either body fails to garner that big a margin, then the bill dies. For Governor modified bills, the bodies can vote to accept the changes or send the bill back to the Governor without the changes and we go back to step 7.
******************************************
2. The legislative process in Virginia - baby turtles rushing to the sea
******************************************
I've often made the analogy that getting a bill passed into law is like sea turtle hatchlings racing to the (relative) safety of the sea. Many of them never make it because they have to get past a gauntlet of predators as they rush across an open beach. Birds sweep down on them from above, while crabs and even raccoons grab them on the beach.
Similarly, there are a lot of ways for a bill to be killed long before it becomes law. Consequently it is much easier to kill a bill than to get one passed. And that is a good thing because we don't want to create any bad laws.
1. A bill is usually first heard in a subcommittee, but sometimes this step is skipped. The bills can be modified in subcommittee. Some subcommittees can kill bills, others can only recommend that they be killed or passed.
2. The full committee then hears any bills that were not actually killed by a subcommittee. Bills can be modified by committee. The committee votes to either kill the bill or pass it out of committee to the Floor. The committee can also refer the bill to another committee instead.
3. The bills that pass out of committee are then heard on the Floor of the body where they were introduced (either Senate or House). Bills on the Floor are voted on by all members of the body. It takes 3 days before the Floor votes on a bill, during which time the bill can be modified on the Floor.
4. Bills that pass on the Floor are then sent to the other body and the process begins back at step 1 for the new body.
5. If a bill survives the other body without change, then the bill heads to the Governor's desk (step 7).
6. If the bill is modified, then the originating body can vote to accept the changes. If accepted, the bill heads to the Governor's desk (step 7), else a conference committee is set up and three members from each body meet to determine if any kind of compromise can be reached. The conference committee at that point can kill the bill or send it back to each body with suggested changes. At that point, both bodies must simply agree to the changes or not. No more changes are allowed. If both agree, the bill heads to the Governor's desk (step 7). If either one votes down the changes, the bill is dead.
7. Bills surviving the legislature, arrive on the Governor's desk. He has 4 choices: sign the bill into law, veto the bill, don't sign the bill (it will become law automatically without his signature), or send the bill back with suggested changes.
8. Both bodies can vote by 2/3 majority to override a veto and make the bill law. If either body fails to garner that big a margin, then the bill dies. For Governor modified bills, the bodies can vote to accept the changes or send the bill back to the Governor without the changes and we go back to step 7.
