Volume 9, Issue 2 Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities ~ Unlock the Waiting Lists! Campaign January 16, 2003 In this Issue Moving Forward responds to your surveys How a bill becomes law Advocacy Q & A Frequently used acronyms glossary Review of the Budget Process Important January Dates Arc of Georgia Legislative Day: January 15 Mental Health Day at the Capitol: January 15 Legislative Session begins: January 12 Please keep this issue for future reference. Brief Review of Survey Results In the final issue of Moving Forward of the Spring 2003 Georgia General Assembly, the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities disseminated a survey via mail and the internet. The survey resulted in quantitative and narrative data to help determine the future shape of the publication. A total of 140 individuals completed the survey. 83% reporting that Moving Forward is one of their primary sources of legislative information. 80% of respondents said Moving Forward is easy to read 20% who said Moving Forward is not easy to read asked for more explanation, or a brief synopsis of each bill and why it matters. Another recurring comment suggested a bold font to differentiate new items from old, or changes in bill status. As a result of the survey responses, Moving Forward is undergoing changes such as including a short summary of each bill the first time it appears. New legislation will appear in bold print so that it is easier to tell which items have recently been added. Legislation Tracker To remain active in a session, a bill must have passed either the House or the Senate by the 33rd legislative day. Due to the amount of time the budget received last year, time ran out on many bills before they could pass a chamber. Such bills will be revisited during the Spring 2004 General Assembly. The next issue will lists a summary of bills that are still active. At the third and final reading, there is a debate. Amendments (changes in the original bill), or even complete bill substitutions may be offered by the committee that studied the bill or by a member from the floor. Sometimes there may be several versions of one bill before the committee can agree. Parliamentary maneuvers are sometimes very confusing to spectators. These rules help to maintain order. For instance, when any subject is up for consideration, or under debate, no motion can be received. Assuming that a bill survives parliamentary maneuvers, the vote is taken. If a measure receives a majority of votes, it is passed and sent to the other chamber for consideration. Then the other chamber can either pass the bill or defeat it. If the legislation is amended (changed), it is returned for consideration by the originating chamber. When the House and Senate disagree about the amended portions, the presiding officers of each body appoint members to a conference committee which tries to find an acceptable compromise which must be approved by a majority of both houses. If the second chamber passes the bill without any changes, it is sent to the Governor who can sign it or veto it. If he signs it, it becomes law; if he vetoes it, the bill "dies" and would have to be reintroduced another year. Sometimes the Governor does not sign it or veto it, and 40 days after the end of the session the bill, unsigned, becomes law. All bills vetoed by the Governor are sent back to the presiding officer of the branch of the General Assembly where it originated with a list of reasons for the veto. The veto of the Governor can be overridden by two-thirds of the votes of the House and the Senate. When this happens, the bill becomes law. There is a special provision that any bills vetoed by the Governor after the adjournment of the General Assembly just before a gubernatorial general election are not subject to being overridden by the General Assembly. Every bill ever introduced becomes a permanent record in the Office of the Secretary of State. Taking Action: Advocacy Questions and Answers Who are my elected officials? If you are a registered voter, contact the Secretary of State's office, (404) 656-2881 or www.sos.state.ga.us then click on Poll Locator. If you are not registered to vote, shame on you! Get registered at your local library or call the Secretary of State's office and request a registration form. In the meantime, visit www.vote-smart.org to identify your legislators. How a Bill Becomes Law Any legislator in either chamber (House or Senate) can initiate a bill on any matter. The Constitution provides that all appropriations and revenue-raising bills MUST originate in the House. To introduce a bill, a member files it How can I take action on legislation? Form a relationship with your representatives and senators by calling, emailing, faxing, and scheduling meetings to tell them about how their decisions on the budget and laws affect the quality of life for you and your family. with the Clerk. Receive action alerts and updates. Send a blank email to ga- The bill is read to the chamber the next day at which advalert-subscribe@egroups.com to sign up. time each member has a printed copy on his/her desk to Moving Forward is published by the Governor's Council on study. When it is first read, the bill is referred to a Developmental Disabilities as a public information source. committee. On the next legislative day, the bill is read for Visit the Council's website for additional resources like fact the second time so it will be ready for action when it comes sheets to utilize in your advocacy efforts: www.gcdd.org out of the committee. The Arc of Georgia's Action Center is another great advocacy tool: www.arcga.org and click on Action Center. This site can help you write letters about issues you care about.