Participating in the legislative Process
Participating in the legislative Process:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/pages/visitingthelegislature.aspx
Your legislators welcome your involvement in the process and hope you'll take the opportunity to participate.
Find Your Legislator http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx this is where you type in your address and it will pull up what (state) legislative district you are in and who your two house representatives are and one senator. You can also click on (Federal) congressional to find out who your federal level representatives are.
Glossary of Legislative Terms self explanatory. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/glossary.aspx
A Citizen's Guide to Effective Legislative Participation
http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/EffectiveParticipation.aspx
The Legislative Process
Every year the Legislature meets to engage in the process of public decision making. The objective is to reach consensus on a wide range of issues affecting every citizen and the future prosperity of WashingtonState. The process involves cooperation to make critical decisions in everyone's best interests.
We have chosen representatives to carry out the difficult task of determining which laws and policies will best serve these interests. However, to effectively perform their job, legislators rely heavily on input from many different sources.
They receive a great deal of technical information from their staffs, state agency personnel and professional lobbyists. Yet, much of what they actually decide depends on the views, interests and preferences of the citizens who elect them.
This is precisely how the legislative process was designed to work. It is based on a close, open and positive relationship between elected officials and the citizens whom they represent.
You can actively participate in the legislative process in a variety of ways. Select the method that allows the fullest expression of your personal interest and commitment, but follow some basic steps.
Know How the Process Works
For your individual participation to be most effective, a basic understanding of the whole legislative picture is essential. If there is something you do not understand about the process, ask someone who can provide an answer. Here are some resources:
Call the LegislativeInformationCenter at 360.786.7573.
Call your legislator's office.
Read the How a Bill Becomes a Law page.
Learn how to read a bill.
Read the Legislative Overview page.
Listen to or watch broadcasts of committee hearings to see how they are conducted. All committee hearings are broadcast live in streaming audio over our internet website and many hearings are televised live on TVW. ****This is a site you will want to check out****
Make Yourself the Expert
Before you address an issue, do some homework. Know the whole issue: who it affects, what others feel about it, how it will influence future trends, and any other information you are able to gather. Thorough research allows you to present your viewpoint with confidence and credibility, and, combined with your personal experience, is the most effective information you can provide.
Get to Know Your Legislators
To make a difference in the legislative process, you must develop a relationship with your legislators. Keep in mind that you can work effectively with someone, regardless of the personal opinions either of you may hold. Although you are unlikely to agree on every issue, you can still build a positive relationship in the long run.
The best way to get to know your legislators on a personal basis is to spend time with them when the Legislature is not meeting. Arrange a meeting during the months between sessions when they are home.
Your legislators are also your neighbors. You share many of the same interests and concerns, so make a strong effort to build on the common ground you both hold. Take the time to find out who they are as people.
You can contact your legislators in a number of ways:
Personal visit. Call the office, introduce yourself, tell the legislator or the legislative assistant what you would like to discuss, and make an appointment for a visit. Use the Member Rosters to find the phone numbers. If you plan a visit, be prepared for your discussion. Know what you want to say, be factual, and make your comments as brief and specific as you can. If you do not know something, be willing to admit it and offer to follow up with more information later, which is also an avenue for further discussion.
Attend a Town Hall Meeting. Most legislators conduct periodic town hall meetings at various locations in their district. This is a good opportunity to meet your legislator and to express your views and concerns in an informal setting.
Write a letter. Express your views and request the member's attention through the mail. Make your letters brief, to the point, clear, and formal. Include your mailing address and phone number so the legislator knows where to respond. Use the Member Rosters to find the mailing addresses.
Send an e-mail message. Like letters, e-mails should be brief, to the point, clear, and formal. Include your name and mailing address, as well as your e-mail address, and let the legislator know how you'd prefer to be contacted. Use the Member E-mail Address list to find the e-mail addresses for legislators.
Call the toll-free Legislative Hotline. You can call the toll-free Hotline at 1.800.562.6000 to leave a message on any issue.
Testify before a commitee. Make your views and positions known by testifying before a committee that is having public hearings on an issue or bill.
Get to Know Legislative Staff
Legislators rely heavily on professional staff for information gathering and analysis. You can play an equally supportive role by making sure staff are aware of the perspective your personal knowledge and experience can provide.
Legislative staff work on a wide range of issues. They always appreciate new sources of clear and accurate information, and they can provide you with the most current information they have.
Network with Other Citizens
Much of the information you need to be effective in the legislative process can be obtained from other concerned and active citizens. Most interest areas are represented by informal citizen groups, if not formal membership organizations.
Find out whether there are groups that share your concerns and establish a network. A group of concerned citizens can be much more effective working together, rather than as separate individuals trying to accomplish the same goal.
Key Points to Remember
Regardless of how frequently you contact your legislators, you will be far more effective if you follow these points:
House and Senate Member Rosters – http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rosters/ -various ways to find the representatives you may need to look up.
How a Bill Becomes a Law
For more information, see Legislative Process Overview, Reed’s Parliamentary Rules, and Students' Page.
Overview of the Legislative Process
Prefiling | First Reading | Committee Action | Rules Committee | Rules Review/Rules White | Rules Consideration/Rules Green | Calendars/Bill Report Books | Second Reading | Third Reading | Concurrence, Dispute, and Conference | Enrolling | Governor's Actions | Carryover
The Washington State Legislature is made up of two houses (or chambers), the Senate and the House of Representatives. Washington has 49 legislative districts, each of which elects a Senator and two Representatives. Senators serve four-year terms and Representatives serve two-year terms. The Senate and House of Representatives meet in session each year to create new laws, change existing laws, and enact budgets for the State.
The legislative cycle is two years long. Within that two-year cycle, there are two kinds of legislative sessions: regular sessions and extraordinary, or special, sessions. Regular sessions are mandated by the State Constitution and begin the second Monday in January each year. In the odd-numbered year, for example, 2005, the regular session is 105 days; in the even-numbered year, for example, 2006, it is 60 days. Extraordinary sessions are called by the Governor to address specific issues, usually the budget. There can be any number of extraordinary sessions within the two-year cycle, and they can last no more than 30 days. To see the legislative calendar for the most recent session, go to the Cut-off Calendar on the Agendas, Schedules, and Calendars page.
The members of the House and Senate offer legislation, or bills, for consideration. The ideas for bills come from a number of places: something has happened in the last year that inspires new legislation (for instance, the change in people's perception of crime gave rise to the youth violence bills that were offered during the 1994 Session), a member wishes to address an issue that is specific to his or her district, the Legislature decides to tackle a major issue (such as regulatory reform), changes in technology dictate a change in the State's laws, etc.
Once a member introduces a bill, the legislative process begins. The process has a number of specific steps. If the bill makes it through all the steps in the chamber in which it was introduced (the "first house"), it goes to the other chamber (or "second house") and goes through the same steps there. Each step is identified and explained below.
Prefiling: Members can prefile bills for introduction in the month before session begins. Prefiled bills are officially introduced the first day of the session.
Introduction, or First Reading: The first thing that happens to bills on the "floor" is introduction and referral to committee. This is also referred to as the bill's first reading. (Bills must have three readings in each house in order to pass the Legislature.)
Leadership determines to which committees bills will be referred; this is usually determined by the bill's subject matter. Bills that require an appropriation or that raise revenue must also go to a fiscal committee for review.
To see which bills will be introduced for the upcoming legislative day, go to the Agendas, Schedules, and Calendars - http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Calendar.aspx page and display House Introductions or Senate Introductions.
Committee Action: The chair of each committee works with leadership and staff to schedule bills to be heard by the committee. Committees hold three kinds of meetings: (1) work sessions, where issues are determined and reviewed; (2) public hearings, where testimony from interested parties is taken; and (3) executive sessions, where the committee decides how it will report the bill to the whole house. Not all bills get scheduled for hearing, so a good number of bills never get any further than committee.
Bills can be reported in several fashions, the most usual being do pass (pass the bill just as it is), do pass as amended (pass the bill as amended by the committee), and do pass substitute (the committee offers a different version to take the place of the original bill). The members on the prevailing side sign the "majority" report; those members who disagree with the majority sign the "minority" report. Not all bills coming out of committee have minority reports. To see a list of bills reported out of House or Senate committee each day, go to Standing Committee Reports. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/BillInfo/outofcommittee.aspx
As a bill moves through the committee process, the staff prepares the "bill report." The bill report includes a legislative history of the bill, background on the issue, a summary of the legislation, the names of those who testified on the bill, and a summary of the testimony for and against the bill. The bill report is edited as the bill moves through the process. When the bill moves to the opposite house, that house prepares a bill report as well. A bill that has finally passed the Legislature would have House, Senate, and Final bill reports.
At the start of the session, both houses agree on dates by which bills have to be reported out of committee in order to be eligible for further consideration by the Legislature. There is a "cut-off" date for bills to be out of committee in the first house and one for bills to be out of committee in the second house.
Rules Committee: Once a bill has been reported by the appropriate committee(s), the floor acts on the committee report and then passes the bill to the Rules Committee. Usually, the floor adopts the committee's recommendation.
The Rules Committee is where leadership exercises the most control over the process. The Rules Committee is made up of members from both parties. Each member on the committee gets to select two or three bills that will move on to the next step in the process. Which bills a member selects could be the result of a party caucus, or another member approaching that member, or a piece of legislation about which the member feels strongly.
Rules Review /Rules White: The first step in the Rules Committee process is called Rules Review in the House and Rules White in the Senate (the report that lists the bills in this step in the Senate is printed on white paper). Rules Committee members review the bills and decide whether or not to move them on to the next step.
Rules Consideration /Rules Green: The next step is called Rules Consideration in the House and Rules Green in the Senate (the report is printed on green paper). Sometimes bills skip this step and go to the calendar for second reading. It is another step that allows leadership to control the process.
Calendars/Bill Report Books: The Rules Committee decides which bills will be scheduled for second reading. Those bills that will probably require some debate are placed on the regular calendar. Those that are probably not controversial may be placed on the suspension calendar in the House, the consent calendar in the Senate. The Rules Committee also decides whether a bill will be placed on the regular calendar or the suspension/consent calendar.
Each house prepares documents that list the bills scheduled to be heard on the floor. The House prepares "bill report books" (containing an order of contents and the bill report of each bill on the calendar) and "floor calendars" (a list of the bills, a brief description for each, and the committee action on each). The Senate prepares "calendars" (with an order of contents and the bill report of each bill), and "flash calendars" (the list with the brief descriptions and committee actions). The Senate flash calendar lists only those bills that were "pulled" from Rules at the last Rules Committee meeting. To see which bills are on the calendar in either house, go to House Floor Activity Report or Senate Floor Activity Report.
Second Reading: It is on second reading that the chamber discusses the merits of the legislation. It is here, too, where members can offer amendments to the bill. Most bills that get this far get their second reading in the couple of weeks following the committee cut-off.
If a bill has been amended in committee or on the floor in the first house, it is ordered engrossed. Engrossing a bill means incorporating the amendments into the body of the bill so that the second house gets one document. If a bill has been amended in the second house, it is returned to the first house with the amendments attached so that the first house can decide whether or not it wishes to agree with the changes the second house made.
Third Reading: Third reading is where the roll call vote on final passage is taken. If the bill finally passes, it continues in the process. If the bill fails on final passage, it goes no further. Under certain circumstances, the chamber may decide to reconsider the vote that was taken; in that case, the chamber has twenty-four hours to make a motion to reconsider the bill.
If the bill passes third reading in the second house and the second house did not amend the bill, the bill has passed the Legislature.
At the start of the session, both houses agree on "cut-off" dates by which bills have to be finally passed out of the first house and finally passed out of the second house.
Concurrence, Dispute, and Conference Committees: If the bill has been amended by the second house, the first house has to decide whether it will concur in the amendments or not. Leadership decides which bills returned from the second house will be discussed and places those bills on the concurrence calendar (House) or concurring calendar (Senate). If the first house concurs in the amendments, the bill has passed the Legislature.
If the first house disagrees with the second house, it can ask the second house to recede from the amendments. If the second house recedes, the bill has passed the Legislature.
If the two houses cannot resolve their differences, one of them can ask for a conference committee. Members from each house meet to discuss the differences. If they agree on what is to be done, the conference committee makes a report. Both houses must adopt the conference committee report for the bill to pass the Legislature. If one house does not adopt the conference committee report (whether by vote or inaction), the bill has not passed. The House Floor Activity Report and the Senate Floor Activity Report list the bills on the concurrence, dispute, and conference calendars.
Enrolling: Once a bill has finally passed the Legislature, it is enrolled. A certificate proclaiming that it has passed is attached and, if necessary, the amendments from the second house or conference committee are incorporated into the body of the bill. The bill is signed by the Speaker of the House, the Chief Clerk of the House, the President of the Senate, and the Secretary of the Senate and is sent to the Governor for his or her action.
Governor's actions: The Governor reviews the bill. The Governor may decide to sign it, veto part of it, or veto all of it. If the Governor vetoes part or all of it, the Legislature may vote to override the veto. (That happens rarely.) If the governor does not act on a bill after the allotted number of days, it is as if it was signed. From the Governor's desk, bills go to the Secretary of State who assigns a session law chapter number. The Chapter to Bill Table (available on the Bill/Law Cross Reference page) lists the bills that have passed the Legislature, the chapter numbers assigned by the Secretary of State, vetoes, short descriptions, and the effective dates.
Carryover: The Legislature works within the framework of a two-year cycle. For instance, the 2005-06 Session is the 59th Session of the Legislature. There will be a least two regular sessions, a "long" session in 2005 (105 days) and a "short" session in 2006 (60 days). There could also be any number of special sessions, none of which can last longer than 30 days.
Therefore, just because a bill did not make it all the way through during the regular session in the odd-numbered year (for example, 2005) does not mean it is "dead." At the end of the session, all bills in the second house are returned to the first house; so a House bill in committee in the Senate when session ends is returned to the House. At the start of the next session, be it a special session or the next regular session, bills from the previous session are reintroduced and retained in their present position.
"Carryover" bills can be taken up again in subsequent sessions during the biennium. The Legislature has a lot of latitude with these bills. The first house can place the bill on the calendar for third reading and send it right back to the second house, or it can make the bill go to committee and through the whole process again.
This is in addition to the new bills introduced during the current session. This procedure can make it difficult to keep track of bills during a special session or the second regular session. If a bill does not make it through the process by the end of the two-year cycle, it is "dead."
Reed’s Parliamentary Rules
http://www.leg.wa.gov/LawsAndAgencyRules/ReedsRules/Pages/default.aspx
A Manual of General Parliamentary Law with suggestions for special rules Thomas Brackett Reed
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
1889-1891 and 1895-1899
Preface It should be understood at once that this Manual has nothing to do with the political differences which have existed as to the rules of the House of Representatives, except so far as any treatise would incidentally refer to them.
The object of this book is to present the rules of general parliamentary law in such a way that the system can be comprehended by persons who may be called upon to preside over meetings of deliberative bodies, and by those who may desire to participate in the proceedings. The aim has been to so explain each motion that it may be understood by itself and also in its relations to other motions. Paragraphs also have been inserted to show the changes made in general parliamentary law by the rules and usages of the United States House of Representatives. This, it was thought, would be useful to enable those who desired so to do to comprehend, in a general way, the practice of that body.
Forms and suggestions have been added. If it should seem to anyone versed in parliamentary law that many of the forms are too simple to need printing, the author ventures to suggest that a beginner does not know the simpler things, and needs them the most.
If the student has once fixed in his mind the idea that parliamentary law is not a series of arbitrary rules, but a plain, consistent system, founded on common sense, and sanctioned by the experience of mankind, he will have gone far toward understanding it. That this little volume will complete his education is too much to expect, but that it will aid and assist the learner is the hope of the author.
THOMAS B. REED
Chpt I: Introduction
Chpt II: Preliminary Propositions
Chpt III: Organization
Chpt IV: Necessary Officers and Their Duties
Chpt V: Rights and Duties of Members
Chpt VI: Rules and Orders
Chpt VII: Committees
Chpt VIII: Conduct of Business Disposal of the Main Question
Chpt IX: Conduct of Business, Continued; Amendments
Chpt X: Conduct of Business, continued
Chpt XI: Recapitulation and Classification of Motions
Chpt XII: Motions for Reconsideration
Chpt XIII: Debate and Decorum
Chpt XIV: Methods of Voting
Chpt XV: Proceedings between Coordinate Branches of a Legislature
Chpt XVI: Order of Business
Chpt XVII: Special Rules
Chpt XVIII: Forms
Chpt XIX: United States House of Representatives -- Methods of Business
Index
How to Read a Bill– See PDF
How to Testify in Committee
Click Legislative Meeting Schedules and Calendars - http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Calendar.aspx for individual committee agendas and daily and weekly meeting schedules.
"Open" Legislature
WashingtonState has one of the most open legislatures in the country. A bill has a public hearing before Senate and House committees before being considered on the floor of the House and Senate. Your opportunity to testify comes at the committee hearings. If you cannot appear before a committee, contact your legislator making your position on a bill known. You can do so by writing a letter, sending an e-mail, calling the legislator's Olympia office, or by calling the Legislative Hotline at 800.562.6000.
Senate Committees usually meet in hearing rooms in the JohnA.CherbergBuilding and
House Committees usually meet in the John L. O'Brien Building. Both buildings are adjacent to the LegislativeBuilding in Olympia.
Committee Hearings
Legislative hearings are conducted informally. They are not judicial proceedings and the rules are somewhat relaxed. Anyone can testify; you do not need formal training.
To find out when a hearing is scheduled:
Click Schedules of committee hearings to obtain electronic copy of the weekly and daily schedules.
Go to the LegislativeInformationCenter, 106 LegislativeBuilding, to get paper copies.
Call the toll-free Legislative Hotline number (1.800.562.6000).
Inquire in person or by phone in the Legislative Information Center 106 Legislative Building (360-786-7573).
Subscribe to the Legislature's Committee E-mail Notification Service (Listserv).
The LegislativeInformationCenter also has copies of bills for distribution. Be sure to ask for any pending amendments or substitutes to particular bills. Notices of interim committee hearings are sent out by committees between legislative sessions and are available via the Legislature's Committee E-mail Notification Service (Listserv).
Before the Hearing
Are You a Lobbyist?
Generally, if you are testifying on a bill or issues and represent only yourself, you will not be required to register as a lobbyist.
A Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) brochure outlines guidelines on this subject:
You do not have to register and report if you:
Prepare Your Remarks. Time is usually limited, so be brief and direct. Written testimony should not be read at committee hearings. Committee staff will distribute copies of written testimony to members of the committee if you bring a sufficient number -- one for each member. Writing your comments in outline form will be helpful when you speak, and you should summarize your written testimony.
Avoid Duplication. If other persons will be offering similar testimony at the hearing, try to coordinate your testimony and avoid duplication. Well organized testimony is the most effective.
At the Meeting
Be punctual; usually there is only one public hearing at which testimony is taken on a particular bill.
Locate the sign-up sheet near the entrance of the hearing room and write your name, address, and whether you favor or oppose the bill.
Check to see if copies of proposed amendments or substitute bills are available.
Take your written materials to the committee staff for distribution.
Talk to the committee staff if you are going to be using the presentation equipment.
How the Meeting Is Conducted
Be present at the beginning of the hearing. The committee chair will open the hearing on a particular bill. Frequently, opening comments will be made by the bill's sponsor or by committee staff. Sometimes, however, the chair will ask for testimony from proponents and opponents immediately.
The chair will organize the hearing to ensure
Making Your Remarks
http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/pages/visitingthelegislature.aspx
Your legislators welcome your involvement in the process and hope you'll take the opportunity to participate.
Find Your Legislator http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx this is where you type in your address and it will pull up what (state) legislative district you are in and who your two house representatives are and one senator. You can also click on (Federal) congressional to find out who your federal level representatives are.
Glossary of Legislative Terms self explanatory. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/glossary.aspx
A Citizen's Guide to Effective Legislative Participation
http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/EffectiveParticipation.aspx
The Legislative Process
Every year the Legislature meets to engage in the process of public decision making. The objective is to reach consensus on a wide range of issues affecting every citizen and the future prosperity of WashingtonState. The process involves cooperation to make critical decisions in everyone's best interests.
We have chosen representatives to carry out the difficult task of determining which laws and policies will best serve these interests. However, to effectively perform their job, legislators rely heavily on input from many different sources.
They receive a great deal of technical information from their staffs, state agency personnel and professional lobbyists. Yet, much of what they actually decide depends on the views, interests and preferences of the citizens who elect them.
This is precisely how the legislative process was designed to work. It is based on a close, open and positive relationship between elected officials and the citizens whom they represent.
You can actively participate in the legislative process in a variety of ways. Select the method that allows the fullest expression of your personal interest and commitment, but follow some basic steps.
Know How the Process Works
For your individual participation to be most effective, a basic understanding of the whole legislative picture is essential. If there is something you do not understand about the process, ask someone who can provide an answer. Here are some resources:
Call the LegislativeInformationCenter at 360.786.7573.
Call your legislator's office.
Read the How a Bill Becomes a Law page.
Learn how to read a bill.
Read the Legislative Overview page.
Listen to or watch broadcasts of committee hearings to see how they are conducted. All committee hearings are broadcast live in streaming audio over our internet website and many hearings are televised live on TVW. ****This is a site you will want to check out****
Make Yourself the Expert
Before you address an issue, do some homework. Know the whole issue: who it affects, what others feel about it, how it will influence future trends, and any other information you are able to gather. Thorough research allows you to present your viewpoint with confidence and credibility, and, combined with your personal experience, is the most effective information you can provide.
Get to Know Your Legislators
To make a difference in the legislative process, you must develop a relationship with your legislators. Keep in mind that you can work effectively with someone, regardless of the personal opinions either of you may hold. Although you are unlikely to agree on every issue, you can still build a positive relationship in the long run.
The best way to get to know your legislators on a personal basis is to spend time with them when the Legislature is not meeting. Arrange a meeting during the months between sessions when they are home.
Your legislators are also your neighbors. You share many of the same interests and concerns, so make a strong effort to build on the common ground you both hold. Take the time to find out who they are as people.
You can contact your legislators in a number of ways:
Personal visit. Call the office, introduce yourself, tell the legislator or the legislative assistant what you would like to discuss, and make an appointment for a visit. Use the Member Rosters to find the phone numbers. If you plan a visit, be prepared for your discussion. Know what you want to say, be factual, and make your comments as brief and specific as you can. If you do not know something, be willing to admit it and offer to follow up with more information later, which is also an avenue for further discussion.
Attend a Town Hall Meeting. Most legislators conduct periodic town hall meetings at various locations in their district. This is a good opportunity to meet your legislator and to express your views and concerns in an informal setting.
Write a letter. Express your views and request the member's attention through the mail. Make your letters brief, to the point, clear, and formal. Include your mailing address and phone number so the legislator knows where to respond. Use the Member Rosters to find the mailing addresses.
Send an e-mail message. Like letters, e-mails should be brief, to the point, clear, and formal. Include your name and mailing address, as well as your e-mail address, and let the legislator know how you'd prefer to be contacted. Use the Member E-mail Address list to find the e-mail addresses for legislators.
Call the toll-free Legislative Hotline. You can call the toll-free Hotline at 1.800.562.6000 to leave a message on any issue.
Testify before a commitee. Make your views and positions known by testifying before a committee that is having public hearings on an issue or bill.
Get to Know Legislative Staff
Legislators rely heavily on professional staff for information gathering and analysis. You can play an equally supportive role by making sure staff are aware of the perspective your personal knowledge and experience can provide.
Legislative staff work on a wide range of issues. They always appreciate new sources of clear and accurate information, and they can provide you with the most current information they have.
Network with Other Citizens
Much of the information you need to be effective in the legislative process can be obtained from other concerned and active citizens. Most interest areas are represented by informal citizen groups, if not formal membership organizations.
Find out whether there are groups that share your concerns and establish a network. A group of concerned citizens can be much more effective working together, rather than as separate individuals trying to accomplish the same goal.
Key Points to Remember
Regardless of how frequently you contact your legislators, you will be far more effective if you follow these points:
- Be well prepared for your discussions.
- Provide a written statement with all verbal presentations.
- Make letters and e-mail formal, specific, and concise.
- Don't berate or argue with your legislator when you disagree. Simply thank the member for the time spent with you and express a desire for further discussion.
House and Senate Member Rosters – http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rosters/ -various ways to find the representatives you may need to look up.
How a Bill Becomes a Law
For more information, see Legislative Process Overview, Reed’s Parliamentary Rules, and Students' Page.
- A bill may be introduced in either the Senate or House of Representatives by a member.
- It is referred to a committee for a hearing. The committee studies the bill and may hold public hearings on it. It can then pass, reject, or take no action on the bill.
- The committee report on the passed bill is read in open session of the House or Senate, and the bill is then referred to the Rules Committee.
- The Rules Committee can either place the bill on the second reading calendar for debate before the entire body, or take no action.
- At the second reading, a bill is subject to debate and amendment before being placed on the third reading calendar for final passage.
- After passing one house, the bill goes through the same procedure in the other house.
- If amendments are made in the other house, the first house must approve the changes.
- When the bill is accepted in both houses, it is signed by the respective leaders and sent to the governor.
- The governor signs the bill into law or may veto all or part of it. If the governor fails to act on the bill, it may become law without a signature.
Overview of the Legislative Process
Prefiling | First Reading | Committee Action | Rules Committee | Rules Review/Rules White | Rules Consideration/Rules Green | Calendars/Bill Report Books | Second Reading | Third Reading | Concurrence, Dispute, and Conference | Enrolling | Governor's Actions | Carryover
The Washington State Legislature is made up of two houses (or chambers), the Senate and the House of Representatives. Washington has 49 legislative districts, each of which elects a Senator and two Representatives. Senators serve four-year terms and Representatives serve two-year terms. The Senate and House of Representatives meet in session each year to create new laws, change existing laws, and enact budgets for the State.
The legislative cycle is two years long. Within that two-year cycle, there are two kinds of legislative sessions: regular sessions and extraordinary, or special, sessions. Regular sessions are mandated by the State Constitution and begin the second Monday in January each year. In the odd-numbered year, for example, 2005, the regular session is 105 days; in the even-numbered year, for example, 2006, it is 60 days. Extraordinary sessions are called by the Governor to address specific issues, usually the budget. There can be any number of extraordinary sessions within the two-year cycle, and they can last no more than 30 days. To see the legislative calendar for the most recent session, go to the Cut-off Calendar on the Agendas, Schedules, and Calendars page.
The members of the House and Senate offer legislation, or bills, for consideration. The ideas for bills come from a number of places: something has happened in the last year that inspires new legislation (for instance, the change in people's perception of crime gave rise to the youth violence bills that were offered during the 1994 Session), a member wishes to address an issue that is specific to his or her district, the Legislature decides to tackle a major issue (such as regulatory reform), changes in technology dictate a change in the State's laws, etc.
Once a member introduces a bill, the legislative process begins. The process has a number of specific steps. If the bill makes it through all the steps in the chamber in which it was introduced (the "first house"), it goes to the other chamber (or "second house") and goes through the same steps there. Each step is identified and explained below.
Prefiling: Members can prefile bills for introduction in the month before session begins. Prefiled bills are officially introduced the first day of the session.
Introduction, or First Reading: The first thing that happens to bills on the "floor" is introduction and referral to committee. This is also referred to as the bill's first reading. (Bills must have three readings in each house in order to pass the Legislature.)
Leadership determines to which committees bills will be referred; this is usually determined by the bill's subject matter. Bills that require an appropriation or that raise revenue must also go to a fiscal committee for review.
To see which bills will be introduced for the upcoming legislative day, go to the Agendas, Schedules, and Calendars - http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Calendar.aspx page and display House Introductions or Senate Introductions.
Committee Action: The chair of each committee works with leadership and staff to schedule bills to be heard by the committee. Committees hold three kinds of meetings: (1) work sessions, where issues are determined and reviewed; (2) public hearings, where testimony from interested parties is taken; and (3) executive sessions, where the committee decides how it will report the bill to the whole house. Not all bills get scheduled for hearing, so a good number of bills never get any further than committee.
Bills can be reported in several fashions, the most usual being do pass (pass the bill just as it is), do pass as amended (pass the bill as amended by the committee), and do pass substitute (the committee offers a different version to take the place of the original bill). The members on the prevailing side sign the "majority" report; those members who disagree with the majority sign the "minority" report. Not all bills coming out of committee have minority reports. To see a list of bills reported out of House or Senate committee each day, go to Standing Committee Reports. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/BillInfo/outofcommittee.aspx
As a bill moves through the committee process, the staff prepares the "bill report." The bill report includes a legislative history of the bill, background on the issue, a summary of the legislation, the names of those who testified on the bill, and a summary of the testimony for and against the bill. The bill report is edited as the bill moves through the process. When the bill moves to the opposite house, that house prepares a bill report as well. A bill that has finally passed the Legislature would have House, Senate, and Final bill reports.
At the start of the session, both houses agree on dates by which bills have to be reported out of committee in order to be eligible for further consideration by the Legislature. There is a "cut-off" date for bills to be out of committee in the first house and one for bills to be out of committee in the second house.
Rules Committee: Once a bill has been reported by the appropriate committee(s), the floor acts on the committee report and then passes the bill to the Rules Committee. Usually, the floor adopts the committee's recommendation.
The Rules Committee is where leadership exercises the most control over the process. The Rules Committee is made up of members from both parties. Each member on the committee gets to select two or three bills that will move on to the next step in the process. Which bills a member selects could be the result of a party caucus, or another member approaching that member, or a piece of legislation about which the member feels strongly.
Rules Review /Rules White: The first step in the Rules Committee process is called Rules Review in the House and Rules White in the Senate (the report that lists the bills in this step in the Senate is printed on white paper). Rules Committee members review the bills and decide whether or not to move them on to the next step.
Rules Consideration /Rules Green: The next step is called Rules Consideration in the House and Rules Green in the Senate (the report is printed on green paper). Sometimes bills skip this step and go to the calendar for second reading. It is another step that allows leadership to control the process.
Calendars/Bill Report Books: The Rules Committee decides which bills will be scheduled for second reading. Those bills that will probably require some debate are placed on the regular calendar. Those that are probably not controversial may be placed on the suspension calendar in the House, the consent calendar in the Senate. The Rules Committee also decides whether a bill will be placed on the regular calendar or the suspension/consent calendar.
Each house prepares documents that list the bills scheduled to be heard on the floor. The House prepares "bill report books" (containing an order of contents and the bill report of each bill on the calendar) and "floor calendars" (a list of the bills, a brief description for each, and the committee action on each). The Senate prepares "calendars" (with an order of contents and the bill report of each bill), and "flash calendars" (the list with the brief descriptions and committee actions). The Senate flash calendar lists only those bills that were "pulled" from Rules at the last Rules Committee meeting. To see which bills are on the calendar in either house, go to House Floor Activity Report or Senate Floor Activity Report.
Second Reading: It is on second reading that the chamber discusses the merits of the legislation. It is here, too, where members can offer amendments to the bill. Most bills that get this far get their second reading in the couple of weeks following the committee cut-off.
If a bill has been amended in committee or on the floor in the first house, it is ordered engrossed. Engrossing a bill means incorporating the amendments into the body of the bill so that the second house gets one document. If a bill has been amended in the second house, it is returned to the first house with the amendments attached so that the first house can decide whether or not it wishes to agree with the changes the second house made.
Third Reading: Third reading is where the roll call vote on final passage is taken. If the bill finally passes, it continues in the process. If the bill fails on final passage, it goes no further. Under certain circumstances, the chamber may decide to reconsider the vote that was taken; in that case, the chamber has twenty-four hours to make a motion to reconsider the bill.
If the bill passes third reading in the second house and the second house did not amend the bill, the bill has passed the Legislature.
At the start of the session, both houses agree on "cut-off" dates by which bills have to be finally passed out of the first house and finally passed out of the second house.
Concurrence, Dispute, and Conference Committees: If the bill has been amended by the second house, the first house has to decide whether it will concur in the amendments or not. Leadership decides which bills returned from the second house will be discussed and places those bills on the concurrence calendar (House) or concurring calendar (Senate). If the first house concurs in the amendments, the bill has passed the Legislature.
If the first house disagrees with the second house, it can ask the second house to recede from the amendments. If the second house recedes, the bill has passed the Legislature.
If the two houses cannot resolve their differences, one of them can ask for a conference committee. Members from each house meet to discuss the differences. If they agree on what is to be done, the conference committee makes a report. Both houses must adopt the conference committee report for the bill to pass the Legislature. If one house does not adopt the conference committee report (whether by vote or inaction), the bill has not passed. The House Floor Activity Report and the Senate Floor Activity Report list the bills on the concurrence, dispute, and conference calendars.
Enrolling: Once a bill has finally passed the Legislature, it is enrolled. A certificate proclaiming that it has passed is attached and, if necessary, the amendments from the second house or conference committee are incorporated into the body of the bill. The bill is signed by the Speaker of the House, the Chief Clerk of the House, the President of the Senate, and the Secretary of the Senate and is sent to the Governor for his or her action.
Governor's actions: The Governor reviews the bill. The Governor may decide to sign it, veto part of it, or veto all of it. If the Governor vetoes part or all of it, the Legislature may vote to override the veto. (That happens rarely.) If the governor does not act on a bill after the allotted number of days, it is as if it was signed. From the Governor's desk, bills go to the Secretary of State who assigns a session law chapter number. The Chapter to Bill Table (available on the Bill/Law Cross Reference page) lists the bills that have passed the Legislature, the chapter numbers assigned by the Secretary of State, vetoes, short descriptions, and the effective dates.
Carryover: The Legislature works within the framework of a two-year cycle. For instance, the 2005-06 Session is the 59th Session of the Legislature. There will be a least two regular sessions, a "long" session in 2005 (105 days) and a "short" session in 2006 (60 days). There could also be any number of special sessions, none of which can last longer than 30 days.
Therefore, just because a bill did not make it all the way through during the regular session in the odd-numbered year (for example, 2005) does not mean it is "dead." At the end of the session, all bills in the second house are returned to the first house; so a House bill in committee in the Senate when session ends is returned to the House. At the start of the next session, be it a special session or the next regular session, bills from the previous session are reintroduced and retained in their present position.
"Carryover" bills can be taken up again in subsequent sessions during the biennium. The Legislature has a lot of latitude with these bills. The first house can place the bill on the calendar for third reading and send it right back to the second house, or it can make the bill go to committee and through the whole process again.
This is in addition to the new bills introduced during the current session. This procedure can make it difficult to keep track of bills during a special session or the second regular session. If a bill does not make it through the process by the end of the two-year cycle, it is "dead."
Reed’s Parliamentary Rules
http://www.leg.wa.gov/LawsAndAgencyRules/ReedsRules/Pages/default.aspx
A Manual of General Parliamentary Law with suggestions for special rules Thomas Brackett Reed
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
1889-1891 and 1895-1899
Preface It should be understood at once that this Manual has nothing to do with the political differences which have existed as to the rules of the House of Representatives, except so far as any treatise would incidentally refer to them.
The object of this book is to present the rules of general parliamentary law in such a way that the system can be comprehended by persons who may be called upon to preside over meetings of deliberative bodies, and by those who may desire to participate in the proceedings. The aim has been to so explain each motion that it may be understood by itself and also in its relations to other motions. Paragraphs also have been inserted to show the changes made in general parliamentary law by the rules and usages of the United States House of Representatives. This, it was thought, would be useful to enable those who desired so to do to comprehend, in a general way, the practice of that body.
Forms and suggestions have been added. If it should seem to anyone versed in parliamentary law that many of the forms are too simple to need printing, the author ventures to suggest that a beginner does not know the simpler things, and needs them the most.
If the student has once fixed in his mind the idea that parliamentary law is not a series of arbitrary rules, but a plain, consistent system, founded on common sense, and sanctioned by the experience of mankind, he will have gone far toward understanding it. That this little volume will complete his education is too much to expect, but that it will aid and assist the learner is the hope of the author.
THOMAS B. REED
Chpt I: Introduction
Chpt II: Preliminary Propositions
Chpt III: Organization
Chpt IV: Necessary Officers and Their Duties
Chpt V: Rights and Duties of Members
Chpt VI: Rules and Orders
Chpt VII: Committees
Chpt VIII: Conduct of Business Disposal of the Main Question
Chpt IX: Conduct of Business, Continued; Amendments
Chpt X: Conduct of Business, continued
Chpt XI: Recapitulation and Classification of Motions
Chpt XII: Motions for Reconsideration
Chpt XIII: Debate and Decorum
Chpt XIV: Methods of Voting
Chpt XV: Proceedings between Coordinate Branches of a Legislature
Chpt XVI: Order of Business
Chpt XVII: Special Rules
Chpt XVIII: Forms
Chpt XIX: United States House of Representatives -- Methods of Business
Index
How to Read a Bill– See PDF
How to Testify in Committee
Click Legislative Meeting Schedules and Calendars - http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Calendar.aspx for individual committee agendas and daily and weekly meeting schedules.
"Open" Legislature
WashingtonState has one of the most open legislatures in the country. A bill has a public hearing before Senate and House committees before being considered on the floor of the House and Senate. Your opportunity to testify comes at the committee hearings. If you cannot appear before a committee, contact your legislator making your position on a bill known. You can do so by writing a letter, sending an e-mail, calling the legislator's Olympia office, or by calling the Legislative Hotline at 800.562.6000.
Senate Committees usually meet in hearing rooms in the JohnA.CherbergBuilding and
House Committees usually meet in the John L. O'Brien Building. Both buildings are adjacent to the LegislativeBuilding in Olympia.
Committee Hearings
Legislative hearings are conducted informally. They are not judicial proceedings and the rules are somewhat relaxed. Anyone can testify; you do not need formal training.
To find out when a hearing is scheduled:
Click Schedules of committee hearings to obtain electronic copy of the weekly and daily schedules.
Go to the LegislativeInformationCenter, 106 LegislativeBuilding, to get paper copies.
Call the toll-free Legislative Hotline number (1.800.562.6000).
Inquire in person or by phone in the Legislative Information Center 106 Legislative Building (360-786-7573).
Subscribe to the Legislature's Committee E-mail Notification Service (Listserv).
The LegislativeInformationCenter also has copies of bills for distribution. Be sure to ask for any pending amendments or substitutes to particular bills. Notices of interim committee hearings are sent out by committees between legislative sessions and are available via the Legislature's Committee E-mail Notification Service (Listserv).
Before the Hearing
Are You a Lobbyist?
Generally, if you are testifying on a bill or issues and represent only yourself, you will not be required to register as a lobbyist.
A Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) brochure outlines guidelines on this subject:
You do not have to register and report if you:
- appear only before public meetings of legislative committees or state agencies, or
- do not receive pay, expenses or other consideration for lobbying and make no expenditure for on behalf of a legislator, elected official or state employee in connection with lobbying, or
- restrict your lobbying to four days during any three-month period and spend no more than $15 for or on behalf of a legislator, elected official or state employee.
Prepare Your Remarks. Time is usually limited, so be brief and direct. Written testimony should not be read at committee hearings. Committee staff will distribute copies of written testimony to members of the committee if you bring a sufficient number -- one for each member. Writing your comments in outline form will be helpful when you speak, and you should summarize your written testimony.
Avoid Duplication. If other persons will be offering similar testimony at the hearing, try to coordinate your testimony and avoid duplication. Well organized testimony is the most effective.
At the Meeting
Be punctual; usually there is only one public hearing at which testimony is taken on a particular bill.
Locate the sign-up sheet near the entrance of the hearing room and write your name, address, and whether you favor or oppose the bill.
Check to see if copies of proposed amendments or substitute bills are available.
Take your written materials to the committee staff for distribution.
Talk to the committee staff if you are going to be using the presentation equipment.
How the Meeting Is Conducted
Be present at the beginning of the hearing. The committee chair will open the hearing on a particular bill. Frequently, opening comments will be made by the bill's sponsor or by committee staff. Sometimes, however, the chair will ask for testimony from proponents and opponents immediately.
The chair will organize the hearing to ensure
- that the committee members hear relevant information,
- that interested persons are given the opportunity to express their positions, and
- that the hearing does not exceed the time available.
Making Your Remarks
- Begin by introducing yourself to the chair and committee members and stating your purpose. For example,
"Mr. or Madam Chair and members of the committee, I am John Doe from Spokane. I am here representing myself. I support this bill because . . ." - In your opening remarks, make it clear whether you are representing other citizens or a separate group.
- Be brief and be sure your remarks are clear. Avoid being too technical and do not repeat previously made remarks. You do not need to be nervous or worried about how you present your testimony.
- Be prepared for questions and comments from committee members. These are designed to gain additional information, but don't answer if you are not sure of the answer. Tell the members you will send a written answer to the committee, and then follow through.
- Restrict yourself to your testimony. Abstain from other overt demonstrations such as clapping, cheering, booing, etc.
