How Georgia Legislators Work for You
The Georgia legislative session begins in January of every year and typically ends in April. What happens in these sessions affects every citizen in Georgia. Yet most Georgian citizens don’t know how to exercise their rights in the legislative process or make their voices heard. Engagement with the legislative process is one of our most important civic duties.
“ All government, of right, originates with the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole. Public officers are the trustees and servants of the people and are at all times amenable to them. ” (Georgia State Constitution 2019)
Citizens should understand the answers to the following questions to effectively engage in the law-making process.
What is the difference between a bill and a law?
A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law.
A law is a bill that has been approved by the Georgia legislature and then approved by the governor.
A bill becomes law.
How do bills get proposed and who proposes them?
A bill is typically proposed by a member of the Georgia General Assembly. (The Georgia Assembly includes members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.)
The senator or representative who introduces the bill is known as the sponsor. A bill can also have several cosponsors, who support it.
The Governor can also propose legislation, but it will still have to go through the assembly.
State agencies and departments can introduce bills that relate to their duties.
Additionally, citizens and interest groups can lobby legislators to propose bills. (Lobby means to try to influence the votes of members of a legislative body.)
How can I find out what bills or laws are being proposed by Georgia legislators?
In Georgia, we have a website legis.ga.gov. where bills can be tracked (along with other information). That is the Georgia Assembly website. On that website, you can track bills by keyword, number, or sponsor. You can also track major upcoming legislative events on this website, including dates and locations.
You can also search for the archived bills on legis.ga.gov. Additionally, you can follow media or interest groups that have been highlighting a bill of interest.
How can I contact my representative or senator to voice my opinions about proposed bills?
Every representative and senator has a website that provides information on how to contact them. The website includes their phone number, email, and mailing address. Most importantly, citizens can go to the Capitol and meet their legislators in person.
Representatives and Senators have local offices where you can schedule an appointment, or they may conduct a town hall where you can talk to them and ask questions.
What is the process to pass a bill in Georgia?
The bill is introduced in the House or the Senate, and the bill goes into what is called the hopper. The bill summary is read on the floor of the chamber, and the presiding officer assigns it to a committee.
The committee then studies it, may have hearings where the public can support or oppose the bill, and eventually votes the bill up or down.
The committee can also avoid a vote and effectively kill a bill.
If the bill passes through the committee, it goes to the full floor for debate. If it was initiated in the House, it will go to the House floor, and if it was initiated in the Senate, it will go to the Senate floor.
If the bill passes the first chamber and it is before the first crossover date, it goes to the other chamber for the same process. (Cross over is the 20th day of the legislative session. Cross over is the date by which half of the assembly session is up.)
(A chamber refers to either the House or the Senate meeting place.)
The bill will go through the same process of getting read and going to a committee. Then it will go for a vote with the full chamber.
Bills can cross over anytime, but if they do not cross over by the crossover date, they die.
The Governor’s Role in Legislation
If the bill passes both chambers, it goes to the Governor for approval. The Governor can approve the bill, and it becomes law. He or she can veto the bill, and the assembly can potentially override it with a 2/3 vote.
If the Governor does nothing, the bill becomes law without a signature.
The Governor can influence the bills as they go through the process.
The Governor has liaisons who relay feedback as the bill moves through the two chambers. After getting feedback, the Governor can influence the lawmakers through the Governor’s liaisons.
If You Want to Learn More or Get Involved
There are other, more unique ways for bills to become law, beyond the scope of this article.
During the legislative session, hearings will be held on bills as they come up for debate or vote. Citizens are usually allowed to attend these meetings and make comments.
We will keep the legislative session meeting schedule updated on our website.
If you have more questions or want to get involved, click below. Someone will get back to you promptly.
