How A Bill Becomes Law in Ohio
Any changes to our laws are called bills. The changes must be approved by both houses of the General Assembly. The bill is then signed or vetoed by the Governor. The Governor's veto may be overridden by the General Assembly. Bills can be introduced by any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate.Introduction of Bills
Upon its introduction, a bill is given a number (starting with 1 and running consecutively). From this point the bill will be identified only by the number and the author. For example, if the fifth bill introduced in the House is authored by Representative Doe, it becomes H.B. 5-Doe. If the fifth bill introduced in the Senate is authored by Senator Doakes, it becomes S.B. 5-Doakes.The Ohio Constitution requires that every bill must be "considered" by each house on at least three different days. The bill receives its first consideration when the Clerk advises the members, during a floor session, that the bill has been introduced into that house by reading a brief summary of the legislation. This summary is called the "title" of the bill.
In the House, the bill then goes to the Reference Committee which considers the form and substance of the bill and reports back to the house which standing committee the bill is assigned to for hearings. The reading of this report constitutes the second consideration of the bill. In the Senate, a regular order of business is provided for second consideration and at this time committee assignments are made by motions from the floor. In both houses, the bill is normally printed at this time.
Committee Hearings
A bill faces its first test when it is presented to a standing committee. Hearings by a standing committee on a bill's merits are the most important part of the legislative process; the fate of the bill is usually determined in committee.When a bill is scheduled for a hearing, its sponsor tells committee members why the bill's passage is needed and then calls witnesses to support his or her position. Opponents are also given an opportunity to testify against the bill, usually at the next committee meeting.
Following debate by committee members on the bill's merits, the bill may be recommended for passage as introduced or amended, tabled for later consideration, or defeated. This process is also known as "marking up". All committee meetings are open to the public.
Floor Debate
After a bill has been recommended for passage by a standing committee, the Rules Committee, acting as a calendar committee, decides which bills will be considered for passage during a floor session of the full body. On the date designated by the Rules Committee, the bill is called up for its third consideration. At this time the merits of the bill are debated on the floor. The bill may also be amended from the floor. A majority vote of all members is required to pass a bill, although certain bills require either a three-fifths or two-thirds vote for passage.In the House - because of its larger membership - an electronic roll call system is used and the members indicate their vote by means of a switch. The individual and total votes are shown on large indicator boards. In the Senate, the vote is taken by voice in answer to a roll call.
Following passage of a bill in the house of its origin, it is then sent to the other house where the same process is repeated. If the bill is amended in the second house, these amendments must be agreed upon by the house of origin before final enactment of the bill can occur. If agreement cannot be reached, a Conference Committee comprised of 3 members of each house is appointed to resolve the differences. Both houses must then agree to the recommendations of the Conference Committee's recommendations, both houses have in effect passed a bill in identical form.
After a bill has been passed by both houses, it is signed by the presiding officers of each house and is then presented to the Governor for his or her consideration. If the Governor approves the legislation, he or she signs it and it is filed with the Secretary of State. After the completion of this passage, the bill is called an act (law) and normally becomes effective 90 days after filing.
However, emergency bills and bills containing appropriations become effective immediately upon the Governor's signature.
If the Governor vetoes the measure, it is sent back to the house of origin. If three-fifths of the members of each house vote to pass the measure notwithstanding the Governor's objections, they have "overridden" the Governor's veto and it becomes law. If either house fails to muster the necessary votes, the Governor's veto stands and the bill does not become law.
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