Our democracy works best when
citizens are actively involved in the political process.
As legislators, we know first hand
that the legislative process is complicated and can seem confusing.
Here is an overview of how the process works in the General
Assembly.
The General Assembly 
The General Assembly is made up of
two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are
120 members of the House who each represent a house district. I
represent House District 49, which covers all of Franklin County as
well as portions of Halifax and Nash Counties. The regular long
session begins in January of each odd-numbered year. We then
reconvene for the short session in the next even year. This year
the short session will begin on May 13. During session, we meet
Monday-Thursday.
Committees
Each session the Speaker of the
House appoints members of the House to serve on legislative
committees. These committees consider different subject matters.
Legislators can serve on several committees. For example, during my
third term, I serve as Chair of the House Environment and Natural
Resources Committee; Vice-chair of the House Appropriations –
Transportation Committee; Vice-chair of the House Local Government
II Committee; and as a member of three other House Committees: the
Agribusiness and Agricultural Economy Committee; the Commerce, Small
Business and Entrepreneurship Committee; and the Transportation
Committee.
Bills and Laws
The First Reading
As a Representative, it is my job to
pass laws to benefit the state and its residents. When there are
ideas for a new law, I can draft a bill to introduce in the House of
Representatives. Senators introduce their bills in the Senate. The
bill is first filed in the Principal Clerk’s office, where it is
assigned a number. The bill sponsor will then introduce that bill
during a full session of the chamber. The Reading Clerk reads the
name of the sponsor, the bill, and the bill number for the first
reading.
The Speaker then assigns the bill to
a committee for review. The members of the committee debate the
merits of the bill and can make changes to it. If the committee
approves the bill, it is put on the House calendar. The committee
can also decide to assign the bill to a subcommittee or refer it to
another committee.
The Second and Third Readings
When the bill is brought before the
body, the bill sponsor will explain the bill. Other members are
allowed to ask questions and debate the merits of the bill at this
time. After the legislators have debated the bill, they take a vote
in favor or against the bill. If a majority of the legislators vote
in favor of the bill, it has passed its second reading. The bill
then goes to its third and final reading for a final vote.
Legislators may also debate the bill at the third reading.
The Second House and Concurrence
Amendments
If a bill passes its third reading
in the chamber in which it was introduced, it then goes to the other
chamber for approval and must go through the same approval process
again. The bill can sit unheard or be voted down at any stage of
this process. Members of the other chamber often suggest changes to
the original version of the bill they receive. If the amended bill
is approved, it returns to the originating chamber for review. The
members of that chamber then decide whether to agree or disagree
with these changes. If both chambers agree on the final version of
the bill, the bill is enrolled and eligible to be signed into law.
If the first chamber does not favor the changes, the presiding
officer of each chamber – the Speaker in the House of
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore in the Senate --
appoints a conference committee to work out a compromise. If one of
the bodies rejects the changes suggested by the conference
committee, the presiding officers appoint new members who will try
again to find a solution. If this fails, the bill dies.
Enrollment and Ratification
If the bill passes both chambers, it
is enrolled. A full copy of the bill and its amendments will be
presented to the presiding officers and the Governor to be signed.
When the bill has been signed by everyone who needs to sign it, it
is now a law and is considered ratified.
Veto and Publication
The Governor has the authority to
veto some types of legislation. The Governor has 30 days after a
session has adjourned to act on a bill. If the Governor decides to
veto a bill after adjournment, he or she must call the General
Assembly to reconvene. This is not necessary if a majority of
members in both chambers sign a statement saying that it is not
necessary to reconvene.
If a bill is vetoed, it is sent to
the chamber where it was introduced. That chamber can override the
veto if three-fifths of the present and voting members decide to do
so. It must then be sent to the other chamber, which must also have
a three-fifths majority before it can become a law.
When a bill becomes a law, it is
enrolled as a chapter in the Session Laws of North Carolina.
For More Information
Thank you for taking the time to
learn more about our legislative process. If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact me. You may go to the
my House Member web page, which is provided by the
General Assembly, to learn about the bills I introduce, my voting
record, and my committee service.
You can listen to each day’s committee meetings and press
conferences on the General Assembly’s website at
www.ncleg.net. Once on
the site, select “audio,” and then make your selection –
Appropriations Committee Room or Press Conference Room. You can also
use the website to look up bills, view lawmaker biographies and
access other information.
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