Lung Action Network
of Washington & Idaho

Introduction  |  Our Public Policy
The Legislative Process   |   Glossary of Terms
The Legislative Process  |  Grassroots Advocacy

The Legislative Process

The Make-up of the Legislature

The Washington State Legislature represents 49 legislative districts and is divided into two houses or chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each legislative district has one Senator, serving a four-year term, and two Representatives serving two-year terms. The Senate and House of Representatives meet for a designated period of time each year to create new laws, change existing laws, and enact budgets for the state.

Each legislative cycle is two years long. Regular sessions, mandated by the State Constitution, begin the second Monday in January each year. An odd-numbered year (e.g., 1995) has a 105-day session and includes the development and passage of the budget. The session in an even-numbered year, (e.g., 1996) is 60 days long. Therefore, if a bill does not become law during the regular session in an odd-numbered year it is not necessarily "dead." At the end of the session, all unpassed bills are returned to the house of origin. For example, a House bill in committee in the Senate when session ends is returned to the House. At the start of the next session, be it a special session or the next regular session, bills from the previous session are reintroduced at the same point in the cycle they were left when the session ended.

Extraordinary (special) sessions are called by the governor to address specific issues, usually the budget. There can be any number of extraordinary sessions within the two-year cycle, and they can last no more than 30 days.

The Process
The members of the House and Senate offer legislation, or bills, for consideration. The ideas for legislation come from a number of places. They are often reflective of issues that have a high public profile, such as youth violence or health care. Legislation can also reflect an issue that is specific to a member's particular district, or that is of personal or political interest to him/her.

Once a member introduces a bill, the legislative process begins. The process has a number of specific steps. A bill can be introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, and if the bill makes it through all the steps in the chamber in which it was introduced, it goes to the other chamber and goes through the same steps there. Each step is identified and explained below.

Introduction or First Reading
After a bill is filed by a legislator, it is read on the "floor" of the legislator's chamber and referred to the appropriate committee. Leadership determines to which policy committee bills will be referred; this is usually determined by the bill's subject matter. If a bill requires a funding appropriation or raises revenue, it must go to a fiscal committee for review, after review by a policy committee.
Committee Action
The chair of each committee works with leadership and caucus staff to schedule bills to be heard by the committee. Committees hold three kinds of meetings: (1) work sessions, where issues are determined and reviewed; (2) public hearings, where testimony from interested parties is taken; and (3) executive sessions, where the committee decides how it will report the bill to the whole house. Not all bills get scheduled for hearing before the committee. The committee has a limited amount of time to review bills, so a good number of bills never get any further than committee assignment.

Bills can be reported in several fashions, the most usual being "do pass" (pass the bill just as it is), "do pass as amended" (pass the bill as amended by the committee), and "do pass substitute" (the committee offers a different version to take the place of the original bill). The committee members sign a "majority" report; those members who disagree with the majority sign a "minority" report. Not all bills coming out of committee have minority reports.

The committee report on a bill that has passed the committee is read in open session of the House or Senate (depending on in which body it was introduced). The bill is then referred to the Rules Committee in that body.

Rules Committee
The Rules Committee is made up of members from both parties. Each member on the committee gets to select two or three bills that will move on to the next step in the process following Rules. Which bills a member selects may be the result of a party caucus (see glossary), an appeal from another member, or the member's own strong feeling about a particular piece of legislation. Selected bills get placed on the second reading calendar for debate before the entire body. The Rules Committee is also a place were many bills end their progress in the process.
Second Reading
It is on second reading that the chamber discusses the merits of the legislation. It is here, too, where any member can offer an amendment to the bill. Most bills that continue in the process have the second reading within a few weeks of committee action.
Third Reading
Each bill must be read on the rostrum three times before final passage. Third reading is where the roll call vote on final passage is taken. If the bill finally passes, it continues in the process. If the bill fails on final passage, it goes no further.

After completing the process in the house of origination, the bill goes through the same process in the other house.

If a bill has been amended in the second house, it is returned to the first house (where it originated) with the amendments attached so that the first house can decide whether or not it wishes to agree with the changes the second house made. In controversial matters, the body may decide to reconsider a vote that was taken. In that case, the body has 24 hours to take another vote and decide whether it will change its mind.

If the bill passes third reading in the second house and the second house did not amend the bill, the bill has passed the Legislature.

If the first house disagrees with the second house, it can ask the second house to recede from the amendments. If the second house recedes, the bill has passed the Legislature. If the two houses cannot resolve their differences, one of them can ask for a conference committee. Members from each house meet to discuss the differences. If they agree on what is to be done, the conference committee makes a report. If both houses adopt the conference committee report, the bill has passed the Legislature. If one house does not adopt the conference committee report (whether by vote or inaction), the bill has not passed.

Enrolling
Once a bill has finally passed the Legislature, it is enrolled. A certificate proclaiming that it has passed is attached and, if necessary, the amendments from the second house or conference committee are incorporated into the body of the bill. The bill is signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate and is sent to the Governor for his or her action.
Governor's actions
The Governor reviews the bill and may decide to sign it, veto part of it, or veto all of it. If the Governor vetoes part or all of it, the Legislature may vote to override the veto (this happens very rarely). If the governor does not act on a bill after the allotted number of days, it is regarded as signed. From the Governor's desk, bills go to the Secretary of State, who assigns a session law chapter number.

The Legislative Process  |  Grassroots Advocacy

Grassroots Advocacy

Your Legislative Contacts

Each of these officials is making decisions that affect the issues that are important to the volunteers of the American Lung Association® of Washington. Our Action Alerts will keep you updated with who is making decisions right now that affect your lung health. These links allow you to find out who your specific legislators are and how to contact them.

Find your elected officials, enter your 5 or 9 digit zip code at lungaction.org.

Within Washington State:
Toll-free Legislative Hotline:
1-800-562-6000    (TDD: 1-800-635-9993)
This number allows you to leave messages for specific legislators in your district and the Governor. You may also request copies of bills that are being presented to your representatives.
Notes about the Hotline:
  • Although it is most effective to place phone calls directly to legislators' offices, you may choose to use the toll-free Hotline when calling to either support or oppose specific legislation
  • To use this number, you must know your legislative district number or the names or your specific legislators and your bill in question. You will be required to give your name and address. Please remember: you may only address 3 bills and ask them to respond to your request!

Washington State Legislature
These links will send you to the web site of the Washington State Legislature:

Governor
Information under development.

    At The Federal Level:
    U.S. House of Representatives
    These links will send you to the web site of the United States House of Representatives:

    U.S. Senate
    These links will send you to the web site of the United States Senate:

    President
    Information under development.

    How to Contact Your Legislator

    Personal contact between a constituent and legislator is the most effective way to influence legislation. There are many ways to contact your legislator, each requiring different levels of time commitment. The least intensive is a telephone call; the most intensive is a visit to Olympia or the district office.

    Visits
    Personal visits are the most effective way to influence legislation. Taking the time to have a face-to-face visit with a legislator is time consuming, but it also has the greatest impact. The same rules apply for a visit as for any other type of communication: be prepared, thorough, concise and friendly.
    Telephone Calls
    A telephone call is a quick and effective way to communicate your opinion to your legislator. Make sure that you are clear and to the point in your discussion with the member, his/her staff person, or when leaving a message. Click here to link to the Washington State Legislature's contact information for members of the Washington State House of Representatives and Senate.

    In any communication with a legislator, please ask that they provide you with a written response to your request.

    Letters and Email
    If you choose to write a letter to your legislator to express your opinion on an issue, be sure the letter is legible, includes your name and address, and clearly states your reasons for supporting or opposing a bill. Clearly identify the bill number or description of the issue you are concerned about. Take the opportunity to give the legislator personal examples and information about the effect a particular piece of legislation will have on you, your family, neighbors, or community. Be concise.
    When Will We Call On You?
    As a member of the Lung Action Network you will receive periodic Action Alerts, as action is needed. These Action Alerts will give you background information on specific pieces of legislation, and ask you to contact your legislator urging support of or opposition to the legislation that affects the issues of the American Lung Association® of Washington, such as, air quality and tobacco control. You will also receive Legislative activity summaries and a year-end wrap-up on legislation relating to American Lung Association® of Washington issues.

    The Legislative Process  |  Grassroots Advocacy