A brief but excellent explanation can be found at www.leginfo.ca.gov/guide.html#Appendix AA. An extremely thorough explanation can be found at www.leginfo.ca.gov/califleg.html. A chart can be found at www.leginfo.ca.gov/pdf/caleg9.pdf. The chart is followed by more historical detail.
Bills must follow a timeline. Be sure to look at www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset11text.asp to see the Legislative Calendar for bills. Generally a session begins in December and runs through September. Legislative sessions are 2 years, and bills must meet certain deadlines the first year in order to still remain viable during the second year (assuming the bill is not passed and signed or vetoed during the first year). Most bills are introduced at the beginning of the first year, but some new bills may be introduced at the beginning of the second year of a legislative session.
The current session began in December 2002 and will end around September 2004.
A bill is introduced by a Legislator and goes through two houses. If the Legislator is a State Assembly member, the bill is introduced in the State Assembly. If the Legislator is a State Senate Member, the bill is introduced in the State Senate. The bill goes through one or more policy committees and a fiscal committee. It then goes to the floor. If it is a Senate bill, it starts with the Senate committees and floor. Then it moves to the Assembly and repeats the process there. If it is an Assembly bill, it starts with the Assembly committees and floor. Then it moves to the Senate and repeats the process there.
A bill goes through committees. The leadership in each house assigns the bill to one or more policy committees. Most occupational safety and health bills will be heard by the Senate Labor & Industrial Relations committee and the Assembly Labor & Employment committee. These committees have regular meeting times, which may or may not change from one legislative year to the next. This is a link to the Senate committees: www.senate.ca.gov/~newsen/committees/committees.HTP. This is a link to the Assembly committees: www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset8text.asp.
In the 2002 - 2004 Legislative Session, the Senate Labor & Industrial Relations committee (L&IR) meets on the 2d and 4th Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. in Room 2040 of the State Capitol. The Staff for this committee is in Room 4035. The phone number for the staff is (916) 445-1237. The fax is (916) 327-5703
In the 2002 - 2004 Legislative Session, the Assembly Labor & Employment committee (L&E) meets on the 1st and 3d Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. in Room 447 of the State Capitol. The Staff for this committee is in 1020 N Street Room 155. The phone number for the staff is (916) 319-2091. The fax is (916) 319-2191.
After the occupational safety and health related bill gets through the policy committee, it may be required to go to a fiscal committee before it goes to the floor of its originating house.
In the 2002 - 2004 Legislative Session, the Senate Appropriations committee meets every Monday at 1:30 p.m in Room 4203 of the State Capitol. The Staff for this committee is in Room 2206. The phone number for the staff is (916) 445-3284. The fax is (916) 322-1786.
In the 2002 - 2004 Legislative Session, the Assembly Appropriations committee meets every Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. in Room 4202 of the State Capitol. The Staff for this committee is in Room 2114. The phone number for the staff is (916) 319-2081. The fax is (916) 319-2181.
A bill is voted upon by the members of each house. The floor votes occur after the bill is "read" several times. The public is not allowed on the floor of the houses.
The bill then goes to the Governor. If both houses approve a bill, it goes to the Governor. 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 two?thirds vote in both houses. Most enacted bills go into effect on the first day of January of the next year. Urgency bills and certain other measures take effect immediately after they are enacted into law.
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