Marie Sullivan, Director of Governmental Relations
NOVEMBER 21, 2013

• Creates, amends or deletes a law
• State laws are recorded as “statutes” in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW)
• Only the state legislature can change an
RCW
– And only during session or a special session called by the Governor
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• Bills are only introduced by legislators
• The type of bill – HB or SB – is considered the House of Origin
• Identical bills are called “companion” bills
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• Joint memorials – jokingly called “letters to
Santa Claus”
– Directed at President, Congress, etc.
• Joint resolutions
– amendments to the State Constitution
– must be approved by Washington voters
• Concurrent resolutions
– usually legislative business e.g., setting cutoff dates, rules
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• Introduced by a legislator
– First reading is on the floor, typically title only
• Other legislators may sign on in support
• Bill is assigned to a policy committee or – if strictly a money-related bill – to a fiscal committee
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• A bill may be given a hearing at the discretion of the committee chair
• People testify in support or opposition of the bill or with concerns
• Courtesy hearings
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• Bill may be modified by an amendment or striking amendment
• A vote will be taken and recorded, and the bill moved forward
• “Subject to signature” requirements
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Third Hurdle: Fiscal or Rules Committees
• Fiscal committee – same hearing process
• Testimony is typically only on fiscal issues
• If substantial modifications, it could become a 2nd substitute
• When passes the fiscal committee – the bill is sent to Rules
• If no fiscal impact, bill is sent to Rules
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Third Hurdle (cont.): Rules Committee
• Led by the Speaker of the House or the
Lieutenant Governor
• Members “pull” bills
– White Sheet to the Green Sheet
– Green Sheet to the Floor
• If Rules committee votes to move forward, it goes to the Floor Calendar
• “Package Pull”
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Fourth Hurdle: Scheduled for a Vote on the Floor
• Leadership and/or committee chairs discuss bills
• Caucus presentations and discussions
• “Working the doors”
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• Sponsor of the bill prepares talking points and speaks in support of the bill on the floor
• Any Legislator in the House of Origin may offer amendments to the bill
• If amended on the floor, it becomes an
“engrossed” bill
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• During this entire process, there are
“cutoff dates” – dates by which a bill must have been moved forward to remain in consideration during the session
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Sixth Hurdle: Bill Introduced in Other “Chamber”
• Bill is assigned to a policy or fiscal committee
• The entire process begins anew
• Cutoff dates apply with a more compressed schedule
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Seventh Hurdle: Hearing and Vote in Opposite Chamber
• The bill must receive a hearing and be passed by a policy committee or fiscal committee - or both - if it has both a policy and fiscal impact
• Committee chairs negotiate bills, discuss amendments
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• Eighth Hurdle: Rules committee
• Ninth Hurdle: Getting scheduled for a full vote
• Tenth Hurdle: Voting by the full “chamber”
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• If the bill was changed, it has to return to its “House of Origin” for a vote to “concur” or “dispute” the changes that were made
• If bill is significant or controversial, it can be sent to a “Conference Committee”
– e.g., budget, complex, lots of changes made
• Bill is still subject to ever-shrinking cutoff dates
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• The bill requires full vote
• Placed on consent or dispute agenda
• Conference vote is up or down
• The bill must be signed by both the
President of the Senate (the Lieutenant
Governor) and the Speaker of the House
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• Governor action
– Deliver date determines when clock starts for some bills
• Unless there’s an emergency clause or specified “effective date,” the default effective date is 90 days after the end of the original session
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