State Rep. Kathy Kennedy Op-ed: Legislative Process

Since I’m a new State Representative learning the state legislative process, I thought I would share how proposed legislation actually becomes law.

This year, 2019, is the long session running from January to June. Every legislator is permitted to propose individual bills to the committees of cognizance and also the General Assembly crafts a two-year state budget.

Although every legislator can propose a bill, the committees have discretion which bills they will raise for a public hearing. When committees are raising bills for public hearing, it permits the bill to get a public airing and legislators on the committee hear testimony from interested members of the general public.

To track specific pieces of legislation, all you have to do is visit the Connecticut General Assembly www.cga.ct.gov. Each day during the session a Bulletin in published which gives you the schedule. Public hearings on bills require 5 days notice for the public.

Anyone is permitted to testify on a bill whether they are in favor of the bill or opposed to the bill. You can either submit written testimony to the committee or testify in person. Every committee has different rules which will be in the Bulletin.

Read the legislative bulletin for the particular information on the sign-up process, for that day. The sign up sheet has space to print your name legibly, the bill(s) you are speaking on, and sometimes, whether you are for or against the bill. Sign up sheets are usually in place one hour before the hearing. Turn in written testimony before the hearing begins so committee staff can distribute to committee members.

After signing up to testify, wait your turn. Once they call your name go before the committee and indicate right away whether you support the bill, oppose it, or are offering suggestions to improve it. Then explain your reasoning. Follow this procedure for each bill you discuss. Keep your remarks short; 3-5 minutes is usually enough, but be sure not to exceed any announced time limits.

After the hearing process, the committee will schedule meetings for votes on the legislation. Not all the legislation which gets a public hearing ends up getting a final committee vote, especially if the bill received significant negative testimony in the public hearing.

Once the committee votes out a bill it moves to the floor of either the State Senate or House of Representatives depending if the bill is a House or Senate bill. The bill will appear on the calendar and then awaits debate. Keep in mind many bills pass one of the two chambers but don’t get out of both. Some bills sit on the calendar and just languish there until session ends. Any bills not acted upon by the end of the legislative session die and must go through the whole process in the next session.

Finally, if a bill passes both the House and Senate the bill moves to the governor’s desk for their signature.

If you have any questions, concerns or ideas please feel free to contact me by phone 1- (800) 842-1423 or email Kathy.Kennedy@housegop.ct.gov.