DID IT PASS A look at legislation in

DID IT PASS? A look at legislation in the Florida Legislature

What does the Constitution say about bills becoming laws? Article III, Section 7 Any bill may originate in either house and after passage in one may be amended in the other. It shall be read in each house on three separate days, unless this rule is waived by two-thirds vote; provided the publication of its title in the journal of a house shall satisfy the requirement for the first reading in that house. On each reading, it shall be read by title only, unless one-third of the members present desire it read in full. On final passage, the vote of each member voting shall be entered on the journal. Passage of a bill shall require a majority vote in each house. Each bill and joint resolution passed in both houses shall be signed by the presiding officers of the respective houses and by the secretary of the senate and the clerk of the house of representatives during the session or as soon as practicable after its adjournment sine die.

How a Bill Becomes a Bill… Bill: a written proposal for a new law, discussed and voted upon by the members of a legislative body In a nutshell – A bill is an idea Where does it come from? A citizen, group, or legislator What are some things you would like to see laws made about?

Let’s follow a Bill! An environmental group is concerned about the amount of air pollution in the state of Florida. This group has been in contact with Representative Johnson in the Florida House of Representatives* about creating a policy to help reduce the amount of air pollution by limiting the amount of fumes that can be emitted from vehicles in Florida. * Bills can start in the Florida House of Representatives or in the Florida Senate. This is just an example of a bill starting in the Florida House of Representatives.

Okay…so we have an idea for a bill. What now? A staff member for the Florida House of Representatives called a “Bill Drafter”, writes the Bill. When the Representative approves the final version and wording of the bill, it is given a bill number (example: HB 100)

Our Bill in the drafting phase… All motor vehicles operated on public roads in the state of Florida must be inspected annually for safety and emissions standards to be set by the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles. 1) All motorized vehicles must undergo yearly inspections 2) Vehicle registrations on vehicles not meeting emissions standards will be suspended until the vehicle meets set standards. H 100 B

1 st Reading by publication in the Journal According to Article III of the Florida Constitution, all bills must be read 3 times before they are voted on. The first reading, is not really a reading… The 1 st Reading is published in the House (or Senate) Journal with the bill number, the name of the sponsor, and a description of the bill known as the title (this is a summary of the bill). The bill is sent to one or more councils/committees who will review the bill. Councils/Committees specialize in areas like education, environment, criminal justice, agriculture, and many more.

st 1 Reading of Our Bill House Journal HB 100: Motorized Vehicle Inspections By Representative Johnson Motorized Vehicle Inspections; All motor vehicles must undergo annual inspections to meet emissions and safety n standards. portatio s n the Tra fety to eferred ighway Sa R and H ttee and the tal mi ubcom Environmen. S on ion mittee nservat Co Com on and ati Preserv

Council or Committee Meeting The Chair of the Council/Committee can decide which bills are going to be heard. If a bill is not placed on the agenda to be heard, it is said to have “died in committee” (or council). If a bill is heard and voted to move along, it is placed on the calendar for a 2 nd Reading. Note: Staff of the legislature or specific committees will submit an analysis of the bill where they look at the cost of proposed policy, whether or not the policy violates the Constitution, and how it impacts current policy. Of the 804 bills filed in 2009, 483 bills died in committee, never being heard.

Our Bill in Committee… Calendar Great Bill! Love the idea. HB 100: Motorized Vehicle Inspections By Representative Johnson Motorized Vehicle Inspections; All motor vehicles must undergo annual inspections to meet emissions and safety standards. I’ll vote for that! I’m on board!

2 nd Reading on the Floor by consideration of the Special Order Calendar The Rules and Calendar Council will determine if the Bill moves onto the floor for a 2 nd Reading. Bills that are moved to the floor, are placed on a “Special Order Calendar”. Once it is on the “Special Order Calendar”, the bill is explained, questions are answered about the bill, and amendments, or changes, are considered.

Our Bill in the 1) 2) nd 2 Reading… All motor vehicles operated on public roads in the state of Florida must be inspected annually for safety and emissions standards to be set by the Department of Motor Vehicles. All motorized vehicles must undergo yearly inspections Vehicle registrations on vehicles not meeting emissions standards will be suspended until the vehicle meets set standards. Can it be done bi-annually? Is there going to be an inspection fee? How much is this going to cost to implement? Can it be changed to apply only to cars 10 years old or older?

3 rd Reading on the Floor by consideration of the Third Reading Calendar The 3 rd Reading of a bill is the final reading before it is voted on. The bill is explained again, questions may be asked, and amendments can be made*. *Amendments are only considered by a 2/3 vote. The bill with then be debated on the floor and the bill sponsor will make closing arguments on the bill. The bill is then voted on.

HB 100 in the Thank you Rep. Johnson. Everyone to your polling Yea stations. And we will open the board for voting! 100 1) 2) 3) 4) rd 3 Reading Nay 20 HB 100 passes with a All motor vehicles with a manufacturing date 10 years prior to the majority. Florida must current year operated on public roads in the state of. Send it to be the Senate for inspected bi-annually, or every 2 years, for safety and emissions consideration! standards to be set by the Department of Motor Vehicles. All motorized vehicles with a manufacturing date 10 years prior to the current year must undergo bi-annual inspections Any vehicle operated on public roads in Florida must be inspected bi-annually. Vehicle registrations on vehicles not meeting emissions standards will be suspended until the vehicle meets set standards. Inspection fees will be combined with existing state registration fees.

Senate Consideration Because our bill started in the House, it has to go to the Senate for consideration. Remember, according to Article III, all bills must be read 3 times. This includes reading in both chambers of the Florida Legislature. The Senate can do a few things: Vote to pass the bill without amendments and send it back to the house. Refer the bill to a committee for consideration Defeat the bill on the Senate floor Further amend the bill and pass it; bill returns to the House …do nothing with the bill…

Our Bill in the Senate for Currently HB 100 Consideration… Our Bill has been through has no proposed Yea Time for the bill 38 amendments. to go to a vote! 1) 2) 3) Nay 2 the three readings as required by Article III in the Florida Constitution. All motor vehicles with a manufacturing date 10 years prior to the current year operated on public roads in the state of Florida must be inspected bi-annually, or every 2 years, for safety and emissions standards to be set by the Department of Motor Vehicles. All motorized vehicles with a manufacturing date 10 years prior to the current year must undergo bi-annual inspections Any vehicle operated on public roads in Florida must be inspected bi-annually. HB 100 Passes with Vehicle registrations on vehicles not meeting emissions standards will be suspended until the vehicle meets set standards. Senate Companion Bill SB 42. 4) Inspection fees will be combined with existing state registration

Return to the House Once the bill is returned to the House, the following measures can be taken: If there are no amendments made by the Senate, the bill is put in its final form – the “enrolled” version If there amendments made by the Senate, the House will review the amendments and possibly make changes The bill is known as an “engrossed” bill if amendments have been made. The bill will either be abandoned because of the amount of “back and forth” or the House and Senate may agree to create a committee of both Representatives and Senators to work out the details of the bill.

What happens before it goes to the Governor? A bill must be “enrolled”, meaning that it has passed both houses of the legislature in identical form and has been converted into an act for presentation to the Governor. SB 42 HB 100

Our Bill Back in the House! HB 100/SB 42 - Enrolled 1) 2) 3) 4) All motor vehicles with a manufacturing date 10 years prior to the current year operated on public roads in the state of Florida must be inspected bi-annually, or every 2 years, for safety and emissions standards to be set by the Department of Motor Vehicles. All motorized vehicles with a manufacturing date 10 years prior to the current year must undergo bi-annual inspections Any vehicle operated on public roads in Florida must be inspected bi-annually. Vehicle registrations on vehicles not meeting emissions standards will be suspended until the vehicle meets set standards. Inspection fees will be combined with existing state registration fees.

Consideration by the Governor Final actions of the Governor: Sign the bill into law Allow the bill to become a law without a signature* Veto the bill The legislature can override a veto by a 2/3 vote of the legislature during the next session. If the bill is received while Legislature is in session… …the Governor has 7 days to consider the bill. If the bill is received while Legislature is not in session… …the Governor has 15 days to consider the bill. *If the bill is not vetoed within the above time frame(s), the bill becomes law.

Do you think the following bills became law in the state of Florida? On your worksheet, guess whether the proposed bills passed or failed in the 2011 Florida Legislature.

Makes barking tree frog the state amphibian for Florida. (SB 502/HB 645) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS www. discoverlife. org FAIL

Bicycle helmets worn by riders under 16 in Florida must meet federal safety requirements. (SB 118/HB 981) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Makes it illegal for a candidate to falsely claim military service when running for election in Florida. (SB 330) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Requires Florida school boards to prohibit students from wearing clothes that shows their underwear or body parts, and impose punishment up to in-school suspension. (HB 61/SB 228) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Requires booster seats in Florida for children between 4 and 7 years old who are shorter than 4 feet 9 inches. (SB 238/HB 11) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Requires Florida schools to observe Veterans Day as a holiday and not hold classes. (SB 1062/HB 375) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Allows restricted use of commercial advertisements on school buses in Florida. (SB 1124/HB 109) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Expands online school offerings in Florida and requires incoming Florida high school students take at least one online course before graduating. (SB 1620/HB 7197) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Limits ability of doctors to dispense prescription drugs in Florida. Establishes stiff penalties for illegal dispensing in Florida. (SB 818/HB 7095) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Allows for development of resort casinos in up to five areas of the state of Florida. (SB 2050/HB 1415) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

A concealed weapon permit holder in Florida who accidentally shows a gun would no longer be subject to penalty. (SB 234) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Dogs found as part of an animalfighting ring won’t be automatically classified as dangerous in Florida. (SB 722/HB 4075) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Imposes harsher penalties on adults who violate house party laws in Florida. (SB 746/HB 105) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Prohibits Florida’s local governments from regulating firearms. (HB 45) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Requires Florida High School Athletic Association to remove athletes showing signs of a concussion during a game or practice until they receive clearance from a certain physician. (SB 730/HB 301) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL

Requires drug screening for adult welfare recipients in the state of Florida. (HB 353) To see the Bill History, click here! PASS FAIL