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In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State Constitution set in place a system of checks and balances. It consists of two bodies which need to cooperate with each other to make law. Those two bodies are (a)The House of Representatives(having 50 legislators), and (b) the Senate(with 203 Representatives.) These two together are called the General Assembly.
What if they can’t see eye to eye?
If the House and the Senate cannot agree on the lawmaking actions of the other, they must compromise through “amendments” to the proposed laws. Each year the Pennsylvania legislators study thousands of subjects so they can vote responsibly on each proposed law.
After they agree, is that the end of it?
No, after the General Assembly agrees on a proposed law, it must get the approval of the Governor, who heads the Executive Branch. This is the third check and balance. The Governor can reject a proposed law by using a veto, however, with enough votes the House and Senate together can override the Governor’s veto.
Can the individual citizen have any influence on the making of a law? Definitely! According to the Constitution, the people of Pennsylvania select Representatives and Senators to act on their behalf. If one of these elected officials has gone his or her own way and not represented the interests of their constituency, they can be voted out. Representatives serve a two-year elected term, and Senators serve for four years.
What is a bill?
A “bill” is the written version of what the lawmakers consider when determining whether to establish a new law or amend and existing one. Following are the steps that a bill goes through on its way to becoming a law, or fading into oblivion!
1. First, a group of legislators with similar interests discuss a new law. The ideas for various bills can come from individual legislators, private citizens, or even organizations. It is then turned over to legal experts who will write the proposal in proper “bill format.” These experts are found at the Legislative Reference Bureau*. The chief clerk at the Bureau names the new proposal and assigns a number to it. It is then copied and put into folders that are known as “bluebacks.”
* The Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) was formed in 1909. Bills penned before that time were written by House or Senate Clerks and by private attorneys.
2. Next is the actual Development of the bill. The Speaker of the House* assigns the bill to a Standing Committee. It is also copied and given out to the House members and at this point made available to the public. It will then be returned to the LRB to be made into an official bill. After that it is filed in the House Document Room and given a printers number. The bill is also entered into the Legislative Data Processing computer network.
* The Speaker of the House is a term that originated in the British House of Commons in 1258. It is the leader in the House who speaks for the people and to the Governor. The Speaker’s duties include selecting committee chair-people, interpreting and enforcing House rules(aka Parliamentary Procedure) and refers bills to committees. He would also sign all bills and joint resolutions passed by both the House and the Senate.
3. Scrutiny by Committee
After the Speaker refers the bill to a "Standing Committee"* for consideration it will be decided if the bill will go any further. Many bills stop at this stage of the process.
* Committees - The Standing Committee is one of 21 permanent committees organized by topics such as Appropriations, Judiciary, Insurance, Agriculture, etc. The four things the Standing Committee can do to a bill are (1) Table it or set it aside, (2) change or amend it, (3) defeat the bill or (4) accept the bill.
- Subcommittee - a committee that specializes to a greater degree than the Standing Committee. The bill would get more in-depth scrutiny here.
- Select Committees - an investigative team that studies particular problems or issues related to a bill.
- Conference Committees - A bipartisan House-Senate committee of six which attempts to settle differences over bills.
4. Peer Review
Both parties (majority and minority) meet in separate caucus* rooms. This is where they review the content of the proposed bill and decide whether to support or oppose it.
*Caucus —This term is taken from Algonquin Indian language and means “elder” or “counselor.” Three ways that caucuses have been used since 1788 are (1) Policy and strategy meeting of the party members, (2)referring to the party, Democrat or Republican, and (3) an informal coalition of members with similar interests.
5. On to the Floor! Next the bill is considered by the members of the House, on the House Floor on three separate days.
Day 1: The new bill makes it debut after it has gone through the committee process. Members begin to inform themselves on the contents of the bill.
Day 2: On this day the members prepare to discuss the bill.
Day 3: Debate about the bill and vote*.
* Voting is done by the “Electronic Rollcall.” This is done by the members from their seats. Each desk is equipped with voting buttons that are green for “yes” and red for “no.” The votes are totaled instantly and they are posted on either side of the the House on electronic voting boards.
6. If the bill is approved it moves to the Senate where it is examined in more committees, in caucus and by members on the Senate floor. Next, the Speaker of the House signs the House Bill and the President Pro Tempore* of the Senate signs it.
The President Pro Tempore is a Senator selected by the members to serve as the presiding officer of the Senate.
7. The bill then goes to the governor’s desk where it is reviewed and if approved, signed into law.
8. The bill is officially a law now, and is given an Act number.
As a citizen, you are entitled to get a copy of any bill. According to a brochure issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you may obtain a copy of a bill, by contacting your State Representative whose office and telephone number are listed with the Chief Clerk’s office.
Remember, communicate with your State Representatives so they can know what issues are of importance to the voters. Keep track of how the elected representatives vote on the bills, so you know whether they are voting with you, or against you!
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