How a Bill Becomes Law

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How a Bill Becomes Law

• Iowa Legislative Process

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Legislative Bill

• It is a written proposal for a law
• In Iowa, only legislators are able to sponsor
  bills or introduce bills
• A legislator is made aware of a problem and may
  try to solve it through legislation

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It Starts With An Idea

• Ideas can come from
• Constituents
• Interest Groups
• Government Agencies
• Legislators
• Governor

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Drafting a Bill

• A legislator may ask the Legislative Services
  Agency to draft the idea into a bill
• The Legislative Services Agency will put the idea
  into legal language for the bill
• After it is drafted, the bill is returned to the
  sponsor

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Filing the Bill

• The bill draft is sent to the House or Senate
  where it is assigned a number
• The bill is then sent to the chair of the
  chamber President of the Senate or Speaker of
  the House

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Assigned to Committee

• The chair of the chamber refers the bill to an
  appropriate standing committee
• The standing committee assigns the bill to a
  subcommittee where the bill is studied and a
  report is issued to the full committee
• A subcommittee is usually made up of 3 members of
  the full committee

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Possible Action by the Full Committee

• Discusses the subcommittees report and makes a
  recommendation to the chamber
• Pass the bill in its original form
• Pass the bill in an amended form
• Send the bill to the floor without a
  recommendation
• Refer the bill to another committee for study
• Postpone the bill indefinitely

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Calendar

• Committee recommendation is sent to the Secretary
  of the Senate or the Chief Clerk of the House
• Bill is placed on the chamber calendar
• Bills that are important may be moved ahead on
  the calendar by the Majority Leader of the chamber

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Floor Debate Floor Manager

• Subcommittees chairperson usually will become
  the floor manager of the bill
• Floor manager presents the bill to the chamber
• Floor manager oversees the progress of the bill
  in the chamber

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Floor Debate Debate and Action

• Members may propose amendments to the bill
• Amendments are adopted by simple majority vote
• Bills are passed or voted down
• Motions to reconsider may be proposed by members
  who voted on the prevailing side and a new vote
  is taken

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Second Chamber Action

• If passed by one house, the bill will retain its
  original number and be referred for action in the
  other house
• If the second chamber amends the bill, it is sent
  back to the original chamber for a vote
• If it passes in an identical version, then the
  bill goes to the governor for a signature to
  become law

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Second Chamber Action

• If the original chamber refuses to pass the bill
  in an amended form from the second chamber, then
  the second chamber may
• Recede from the amended version and pass it in
  its original form then it goes to the governor
• Insist on the amended version the bill goes to
  conference committee

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Conference Committee

• Conference committees are composed of members of
  the Senate and House majority and minority
  parties
• 10 members are appointed by the Senate Majority
  Leader and Speaker of the House to find a
  compromise version of the bill
• If a compromise version is reached, then the bill
  cannot be amended and is sent to both chambers
  for action

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Conference Committee

• If the conference committee version is rejected
  by either chamber
• A new conference committee is convened, or
• The bill fails

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Action by the Governor

• Final action on a bill is done by the Governor
• Options of the Governor on a bill
• Sign the bill
• Veto the bill (have 3 days in session to veto
• Item veto the bill if an appropriations bill
• Take no action (If in session for 3 days, the
  bill becomes law)

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Action by the Governor

• Veto is used against an entire bill
• Item veto is used against parts of an
  appropriations bill (bill that allocates money
  for programs)
• Veto messages are issued to explain the
  Governors reasons for vetoing a bill
• Pocket Veto The Governor has 30 days to act on
  a bill received in the last 3 days of the
  session. If no action is taken, the bill
  receives a pocket veto. The bill fails and the
  Legislature cannot override.

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Override of a Governor Veto

• Takes a 2/3 vote of each chamber
• If a 2/3 vote is achieved, the bill becomes law
• If the veto is not overridden, the bill fails

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Becoming a Law

• A bill passed by the Legislature and signed by
  the Governor is sent to the Secretary of State
• The Secretary of State enters the law into the
  Iowa Code
• Many bills go into effect July 1

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Influences on Legislation

• Constituents
• Lobbying groups
• Governors position on issues (especially if a
  veto is imminent)
• Opinions of the Speaker of the House or the
  Senate Majority Leader
• Positions taken by political parties
• Newspaper and Media opinions/positions

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The Funnel

• The Legislature begins its work in January and
  usually tries to finish in April
• The Funnel eliminates legislation from
  consideration so that the session can end on time
• In order to move the legislative agenda along,
  the Legislature sets pre-determined dates to have
  bills out of committee
• If bills are not out of committee by the
  pre-determined dates, the bills die in committee

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Other Factors

• Legislators are paid a salary and a per diem (per
  day) for living costs for a pre-determined amount
  of time
• Once the per diem deadline is reached,
  legislators wish to go home
• Special sessions after the regular session can be
  called by the Governor for specific work to be
  done by the Legislature

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Resources

• http//www.legis.state.ia.us/
• http//www.legis.state.ia.us/Educational.html