Center for Self Advocacy Leadership

Partnership for People with DisabilitiesVirginia Commonwealth University

The Partnership for People with Disabilities is a university center for excellence in developmental disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, veteran’s status, political affiliation or disability. If alternative formats of this document are needed, please contact the Partnership for People with Disabilities at 804/828-3876 or 800/828-1120 (TDD Relay).

This project is funded by grant number 90DN0226 from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, US Department of Health and Human Services. The contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and you should not infer endorsement by the Federal government. Please include this disclaimer when copying or using all or any part of the materials in dissemination activities.

www.VirginiaSelfAdvocacy.org

The Virginia General Assembly

The Virginia General Assembly is the oldest in the country ~ established in 1619.

The 1776 Virginia Constitution gave us the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia.

The Virginia General Assembly

The House of Delegates has 100 members The “Speaker of the House” presides over the House of

Delegates

The Senate has 40 members. The Lt. Governor presides over the Senate

The Virginia General Assembly

All members of the General Assembly are elected by voters who live in their districts.

Members of the House of Delegates serve a 2 year term

Members of the Senate serve a 4 year term

The Virginia General Assembly

The General Assembly Delegates and Senators write laws approve the state budget impose taxes elect judges and confirm Governor appointed positions.

How Bills Become Law

A Delegate or Senator has an idea for a “Bill,” usually from a citizen.

A Bill is a document which:

1.) changes the current law,

2.) adds new law, or

3.) gets rid of existing law.

How Bills Become Law

The idea for a law is given to the Division of Legislative Services who write the idea into a Bill.

The Bill is then assigned by the Delegate or Senator who had the idea (he or she is called a patron), introduced, and printed.

Division of Legislative Services

The Division of Legislative Services works with the Virginia general Assembly by:conducting research; drafting Billsproviding staff support to all General

Assembly committees and subcommitteesevaluating whether the Bill is legal

How Bills Become Law

The Bill is “referred” to an appropriate House and or Senate committee.

Members of the committee talk about the Bill and decide what action to take.

Citizens can talk at the committee meetings about the Bill.

How Bills Become Law First Reading:

The bill title is printed in the Calendar or is read by the Clerk, and the bill moves on to second reading

Second Reading: The next day the Bill is printed in the Calendar. The Clerk reads

the Bill a second time. If members of the House or the Senate want to debate the Bill, they can at this point. They can even change (or “amend”) the Bill.

A Bill that passes this second reading with or without any changes is “engrossed” and the Bill is printed in its final form for passage.

How Bills Become Law

Third Reading: The next day, the engrossed Bill appears in the

Calendar on third reading. The Bill is read a third time by the Clerk. Members of the House of Delegates or Senate vote and the Bill either passes or fails.

Communication: When a Bill is passed, it is sent to the other body –

the House or the Senate – letting them know that the Bill has passed.

How Bills Become Law

When a Bill that has passed is given to the other body – the House or the Senate – it goes through the same process The Bill is printed in the Calendar or is read by the

Clerk. The Bill is sent to a committee The Bill is read a second and a third time A vote is taken and the Bill is either passed or failed.

How Bills Become Law

Sometimes the Senate or the House may disagree with the Bill they received.

If this happens, conference committee meeting is held with usually 3 members from the House and 3 members of the Senate to work out differences.

How Bills Become Law

After a Bill is passed by both the House and the Senate, the Bill is printed as an “enrolled” Bill, reviewed one more time, and signed by the Presiding Officer of the House and the Senate.

The Bill is then sent to the Governor for his/her approval. After the Bill is signed by the Governor, it is sent to the Clerk of the House (Keeper of the Rolls of the Commonwealth) and is given a “chapter number.” All chapters are bound as the “Acts of Assembly.”

How Bills Become Law

Bills that become law are usually effective the first day of July following closure of the regular General Assembly session.

In Virginia, our General Assembly has what are called long and short term sessions A long term session runs begins the 2nd week in January and run

about 60 days – long term sessions run in even numbered years A short term session begins the 2nd week of January and usually

runs about 46 days – short term sessions run in odd numbered years

How Bills Become Law

Legislative Website: http://house.state.va.us

Constituent Viewpoint Toll Free Hotline (during Session only) 1-800-889-0229