HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW BILL IS INTRODUCED
COMMITTEE HEARINGS COMMITTEE HEARINGS IF PASSED (SENT TO OTHER HOUSE)
FLOOR ACTION
FLOOR ACTION RETURNED TO ORIGINAL HOUSE
IF PASSED WITH AMMENDMENTS IF PASSED WITHOUT AMMENDMENTS
BILL GOES TO GOVERNOR IF ORIGINAL HOUSE CONCURRS
passed out of one or more committees, approved by a simple majority of both houses, and signed by the governor. Laws ordinarily take effect on January 1 of the following year. Briefly, a bill progresses through the following steps: 1. A bill is introduced. 2. The bill is heard in one or more committees in its house of origin (either Senate or Assembly), including public testimony. 3. If the bill passes out of committee(s), it goes to the house floor for a vote. If it passes out of the house, it is sent to the other house for consideration following the same process described above. 4. If approved by both houses, the bill goes to the governor for signing. 5. The governor has three choices: sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without his or her signature, or veto it. A governor’s veto can be overridden by a twothirds vote in both houses. CMA monitors and protects physician interests: CMA’s powerful government relations team works tirelessly with legislators to educate
IF NOT VETOED
MOST BILLS BECOME LAW JAN. 1 OF THE NEXT YEAR
them on how legislation could enhance or threaten patients’ health or physicians’ ability to practice medicine. Their activities include reading and tracking bills and amendments, shaping bill language, meeting with legislators, testifying in committee, conducting research, and preparing policy papers and position letters. Every year, CMA not only supports and shapes the development of valuable health care policy, but the association also stops a number of harmful legislative proposals. For more information on CMA’s legislative advocacy, and how you can get involved, visit www.cmanet.org. CMA also publishes a “Legislative Hot List” during the legislative session, which provides a summary and the current status of CMA-sponsored bills, as well as the progress of other significant legislation. To subscribe, visit www.cmanet.org/newsletters.
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