Page 20 | KY | SUNDAY, JANUARY 6, 2008 courier-journal.com

How bills become law in Kentucky

Source: Courier-Journal research By Steve Reed, The Courier-Journal

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Rescuing a billIf a majority opposes holding a billin committee, they can vote to“discharge” it from the committeeand send it to the floor. But thisrarely happens.

To committeeOnce filed, a bill gets a number and is referredto a committee that handles similar topics. Ananti-pollution bill, for example, would go to theHouse Natural Resources and EnvironmentCommittee. A bill can be amended in committee. Help!

Bill graveyard

Troubled watersA bill can be assigned to a committee whose chairmanopposes it. The chairman can refuse to schedule the billfor a hearing — known as “stalling” it — or allow ahearing but refuse to call a vote.

FailPass

Adding baggageor gutting a billOpponents can try to avoid a floor voteby getting a bill referred to anothercommittee. Once on the floor, a billcan also be amended during floordebates, and legislators whooppose it can try tominimize its impact— known as“gutting” it — through anamendment. Otheramendments can improve a bill.

Bills can beheld “hostage”— set asideuntil the Senateor House actson billsconsidered apriority by theother chamber.

A bill will not become law if ... The governor vetoes the bill and the

House or Senate fails to override the veto.

A bill isintroducedBills are filed in theHouse or Senate.

BILL

BILLBILL

1 2

4

BILL

On to the other chamberWhen the Senate passes a bill that was introduced there, it thengoes to the House and is referred to a House committee, andvice versa. The bill goes through the same committee and floorvote procedures. In addition to the usual committee andfloor debate risks, bills that pass one chamber can run intogreater opposition once they go to the other side, especiallywhen the House and Senate are controlled bydifferent political parties.

BILL BILL

Bills on rare occasions canbe resurrected.

bill

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BILLBILL

OFFICEOF THE

GOVERNOR

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BILL

BILL

5

GovernorThe governor has 10 days toact on a bill after receiving it.

6Two versions

of the same bill

Pass

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n committee.

Adding baggageor gutting a billOpponents can try to avoid a floor voteby getting a bill referred to anothercommittee. Once on the floor, a billcan also be amended during floordebates, and legislators whooppose it can try tominimize its impact— known as“gutting” it — through anamendment. Otheramendments can improve a bill.

Bills can beheld “hostage”— set asideuntil the Senateor House actson billsconsidered apriority by theother chamber.

4 On to the other chamberWhen the Senate passes a bill that was introduced there, it thengoes to the House and is referred to a House committee, andvice versa. The bill goes through the same committee and floorvote procedures. In addition to the usual committee andfloor debate risks, bills that pass one chamber can run intogreater opposition once they go to the other side, especiallywhen the House and Senate are controlled bydifferent political parties.

BILL BILL

BILLBILLZUZZ

5

rr has 10 days toafter receiving it.

6Two versions

of the same bill

Pass

Final voteIf the House and Senateaccept the compromise,the bill passes and goesto the governor. If eitherchamber doesn’t like thecompromise, lawmakerscan reject it.

Floor voteWhen a committee passes a bill, it goesback to the House or Senate for a floordebate and vote, where a majority ofvoting members, in most cases, isenough to pass it —51 if all 100 Housemembersvote, or 20of 38 senators.

3A billbecomeslaw if thegovernor ...

Signs it. Allows it to

become lawwithout signing it.

Vetoes the bill butthe veto is overiddenby a vote by aconstitutionalmajority in eachchamber — 51 in theHouse, 20 in theSenate.

BILL

Fail

Pass

CompromiseIf the House and Senatepass different versions of

a bill, each chamberappoints members to a

conference committee towork out a compromise.The agreed-upon versionthen goes back to eachchamber for a final vote.

If theconferencecommittee

fails to reach acompromise,the bill dies.

Fail7