Representative Don Humason



HOW TO FILE A BILL By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. February 16, 2008 This week I received an email from a constituent and friend of mine named Laura. She wrote, “Don, I remember reading an article you wrote a while ago regarding steps to take in order to introduce a new bill. Would you supply me with those steps? Thank you.” What follows is my reply. I hope the information will be helpful to my readers as well. Hi Laura. Thanks for your email. I don't remember ever doing anything on how to file legislation. I do write an annual column about how to lobby the legislature like a pro. How to introduce a new bill? That is both a simple and complex matter. It also has a lot to do with timing. For example, we are currently in the second year of our two year legislative session. The deadline for filing timely legislation was December of 2006, although bills may be filed anytime. Then they are called late-filed bills and are much harder to move through the process. If I want to file legislation for the next two-year session that starts in January of 2009, I would need to file the bills by December 2008. Typically, if a constituent has an idea for a law they contact their legislator to talk about it. The legislator can try to see if there are any bills currently filed that would do the same thing, or look into whether legislation has been filed in the past or whether there may already be a general law or regulation on the topic. The constituent may write the bill language themselves or ask the legislator to assist. Representatives can go to the House Counsel for help on drafting bills correctly and legally. Once the language is drafted the legislator can file the bill with the House Clerk electronically. The Clerk assigns the bill a docket number. Because any bill filed now would technically be a late-filed bill, the legislator would need to petition the Rules Committee to get the bill released and given a House bill number. Then the bill would be assigned to the appropriate legislative committee, based on the topic of the bill and what it pertains to. Most legislative committees have already held public hearings on many of the bills assigned to them, but it might be possible to have the bill heard during a hearing for late bills. If the bill was approved by the committee with an "ought to pass" recommendation, it would next go to the full House of Representatives for debate and a vote. If it passed the House it would then need to go over to the Senate for their deliberation. Getting bills passed is intentionally a long and deliberative process. Sometimes it can seem painfully slow and very frustrating. For more information on the legislative process go to these two links http://www.mass.gov/legis/drafting.htm and http://www.mass.gov/legis/lawmkng.htm. Think about what you would like to do, then get in touch with me so we can talk it over. My District Office is 64 Noble Street, 568-1366. Thank you. Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us
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HOW TO FILE A BILL

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

February 16, 2008

This week I received an email from a constituent and friend of mine named Laura. She wrote, “Don, I remember reading an article you wrote a while ago regarding steps to take in order to introduce a new bill. Would you supply me with those steps? Thank you.”

What follows is my reply. I hope the information will be helpful to my readers as well.

Hi Laura. Thanks for your email. I don't remember ever doing anything on how to file legislation. I do write an annual column about how to lobby the legislature like a pro.

How to introduce a new bill? That is both a simple and complex matter. It also has a lot to do with timing. For example, we are currently in the second year of our two year legislative session. The deadline for filing timely legislation was December of 2006, although bills may be filed anytime. Then they are called late-filed bills and are much harder to move through the process.

If I want to file legislation for the next two-year session that starts in January of 2009, I would need to file the bills by December 2008.

Typically, if a constituent has an idea for a law they contact their legislator to talk about it. The legislator can try to see if there are any bills currently filed that would do the same thing, or look into whether legislation has been filed in the past or whether there may already be a general law or regulation on the topic.

The constituent may write the bill language themselves or ask the legislator to assist. Representatives can go to the House Counsel for help on drafting bills correctly and legally.

Once the language is drafted the legislator can file the bill with the House Clerk electronically. The Clerk assigns the bill a docket number. Because any bill filed now would technically be a late-filed bill, the legislator would need to petition the Rules Committee to get the bill released and given a House bill number.

Then the bill would be assigned to the appropriate legislative committee, based on the topic of the bill and what it pertains to. Most legislative committees have already held public hearings on many of the bills assigned to them, but it might be possible to have the bill heard during a hearing for late bills.

If the bill was approved by the committee with an "ought to pass" recommendation, it would next go to the full House of Representatives for debate and a vote. If it passed the House it would then need to go over to the Senate for their deliberation.

Getting bills passed is intentionally a long and deliberative process. Sometimes it can seem painfully slow and very frustrating.

For more information on the legislative process go to these two links http://www.mass.gov/legis/drafting.htm and http://www.mass.gov/legis/lawmkng.htm.

Think about what you would like to do, then get in touch with me so we can talk it over. My District Office is 64 Noble Street, 568-1366. Thank you.

Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group