A bill is someone’s proposal for a future law that is taken through a series of processes and reviews before it may become a law. Bills are meant to address specific concerns of the community or to enhance existing laws and policies. They can be either private or public in nature.
When writing a bill, select a topic that you are passionate about or knowledgeable about, preferably one that you can relate to your own experiences or those of others. This will make it easier to generate support for your Bill. When drafting a Bill, make sure to pay attention to details regarding implementation of the legislation. It is important to include a variety of effective dates, special instructions for agencies that will implement the law and other provisions that ensure a strong bill when it becomes a law.
Once the bill is passed by a committee it goes back to the full House or Senate for debate and amendments. Sometimes a bill will not get through this stage and die. The committee can also “ban” the bill at this point, preventing it from being heard again in the future.
After a thorough debate of the bill the Representatives will vote on whether or not it should be made into a law. A bill will only pass if it is supported by the majority of the House. This is done by using a Division Vote, whereby the Speaker asks the members that support the bill to stand and the members that oppose it to sit. The votes are recorded electronically.