SS8CG2: Qualifications of the Georgia General Assembly and How a Bill Becomes a Law

    Qualifications for GA General Assembly

      The Georgia General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state of Georgia. It is a bicameral legislature, meaning it has two houses:

• GA House of Representatives
• GA State Senate

     The main things that a legislator does is create laws, approve governor appointments, and create a state budget. How do you get the job of a legislator? There are not many requirements.
     For Senate, you must be at least 25 years old, been a citizen of Georgia for two years, and live in the district you are running for at least a year.
     For the House, you must be at least 21 years old, been a citizen of Georgia for two years, and live in the district for at least one year.
     The terms last two years, and you can run for unlimited amounts of terms.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

     The steps for a bill to become a law is something you will just have to know the order for. But, luckily, it is a rather simple process.

Georgia Capitol Building

     Here are the steps in order. I will go into further detail about each step later on in the post.

1. Bill introduced to House/Senate
2. Bill given to a committee to review
3. Committee votes on bill
4. House/Senate debates bill and votes
5. Bill goes to next chamber
6. Bill given to the other chamber's respective committee
7. Bill is debated in other chamber and then voted on
8. Bill goes to Governor
9. Governor passes, vetoes, or does nothing

Georgia House Chamber

     Keep in mind that the bill can die at any of these respective points. Also keep in mind that either chamber can introduce a bill, but both have to pass it in order for it to go to the governor.
     When a bill goes to a committee, the committee specializes in bills of a certain type. For instance, a bill on longer school hours would be given to a committee on education, while a bill on poll lanes would go to a transportation committee. You wouldn't give a bill to a committee that didn't know the topic! A committee is there to research the bill to see if it is a good idea or not, and what it will do for the specific field it is passing for. If a committee doesn't like it, then the bill stops there.
     The committees of either house can change the bill to where they like it. But once this happens, the other house that has already voted has to vote on the modified bill. If the other house does not like the modified bill, it dies.
     Whenever it is time for the chamber to vote, they must first debate on the bill. This is where the assemblymen can state their opinions and persuade others to pass/deny the bill. In order for the bill to pass in the chamber, it must have a majority of people voting for it. For a bill to pass in the Senate, it must have a majority-minimum of 29, since that is half of the 56 members plus one for it. For the senate, it must have a majority-minimum of 91 of the 180 voting for it.


Governor Nathan Deal (2011-)

Georgia Senate House Chamber

    Once it passes the houses, it goes to the governor. What does he do? There are several options he can do. He can do nothing, which will make it pass, he can veto or line-item veto, or he can pass it.

     There are special steps for whenever a governor vetoes. But just what is a veto? A veto is whenever a governor does not like a bill, so he denies it. There is also a special type called a line-item veto, which means he can veto certain parts of the bill he doesn't like. The process of a vetoed bill goes like this:


Lt. Governor Casey Cagle (2007-)

1. Governor vetoes/line-item vetoes a bill
2. Bill goes to the first chamber for a two thirds majority (Senate: minimum of 38, House: minimum of 60)
3. Bill goes to other chamber for a two-thirds majority
4. If bill passes in both houses, it is a law

     It may seem complicated, but it is really easy. Just remember this for the order: committee, floor, committee, floor. And besides, line-item vetoes don't happen all too much, so no need to fret.