Arizona Bill Tracking And State Guide

1. Filing the Bill: The bill is filed for introduction by a legislator, either with the House Chief Clerk (for House bills) or the Senate Secretary (for Senate bills). 2. Introduction: The bill is introduced, also known as the "First Reading." 3. Committee Referral: The bill is referred to standing committee(s) for scrutiny. 4. Committee Review: Committees meet to take testimony and vote on whether to recommend the bill for approval or amendments. 5. Reporting: The committee's recommendations are read as "committee reports" to the House or Senate. 6. Consent Calendar: If there are no amendments, the bill may be placed on the "consent calendar" to avoid debate. 7. Whole House/Senate Discussion: The whole House or Senate discusses the bill. Members can propose amendments during "Committee of the Whole" (COW). 8. Motion to Pass: After amendments, the principal sponsor motions for the COW to recommend passing the bill. 9. Engrossment: If passed, the bill is reprinted with any approved amendments. 10. Third Reading: The bill undergoes a "Third Reading" and, if passed, moves to the second house. 11. Repeat Process in Second House: Steps 1 through 10 are repeated in the second house. 12. Governor's Review: If the second house does not amend it, the bill goes to the governor. 13. Amendments from Second House: If amended, the house of origin must vote to accept the changes. 14. Final Reading: If accepted, a "Final Reading" occurs before it goes to the governor. 15. Conference Committee: If rejected, a conference committee resolves differences between houses. 16. Conference Committee Recommendation: The committee recommends one version of the bill. 17. Final Approval: Both houses must approve the conference committee's report. 18. Sending to Governor: Once approved, the bill is sent to the governor. 19. Governor's Action: The governor has a deadline to sign or veto the bill; if no action is taken, it automatically becomes law.

Members of the public can get involved in the legislative process in Arizona in several ways: 1. Attend Public Hearings: Public hearings are held during the committee stages of a bill. Members of the public can attend these hearings to listen to discussions and provide their testimony or opinions on the bill. 2. Contact Legislators: Citizens can communicate directly with their elected representatives to express their views on specific bills, suggest changes, or advocate for a particular legislative agenda. This can be done through emails, phone calls, or even in-person meetings. 3. Stay Informed: Individuals can follow the progress of bills of interest. Understanding which bills are being discussed and their implications can help citizens participate more effectively. 4. Participate in Advocacy Groups: Joining advocacy groups or organizations that align with specific interests (e.g., education, health care, environment) can amplify an individual's voice in the legislative process. These groups often organize actions like letter writing campaigns or rallies. 5. Engage in Special Sessions: If the Governor calls a Special Session, citizens can follow the legislative activities during this time to stay informed and express their opinions about the issues being addressed. 6. Testify in Committees: If citizens feel strongly about a bill, they may have the opportunity to testify in legislative committee meetings, either in support or opposition to the proposed legislation.

Tracking bills is hard, especially if you rely on state legislature websites, which are often hard to navigate. Thousands of bills get filed in Arizona every year (and about 180,000 bills nationwide). If you want to be an effective advocate, you need to know where legislation of interest stands, and act quickly.

FastDemocracy's free version allows you to track an unlimited number of bills - no strings attached. We'll send you a daily or weekly email on your priority bills and give you tools to research bills and legislators.

FastDemocracy Professional is for anyone who tracks bills in a professional capacity. It features

• real-time bill, amendment and hearing alerts
• automated reporting
• team collaboration
• bill tagging for clients and stakeholders
• bill similarity detection
• ...and much more

1. Sign up here for a free FastDemocracy account.

2. Head to Tracked Topics to select issue areas you care about.

3. Use the search bar on top if you're looking for something specific.

4. Click "Track Bill" for any legislation you'd like to monitor a bit closer. That's how you add it to your Tracked Bills. You can also click on a bill to learn more, see the bill summary, most recent actions, votes, news and tweets. You can also contact legislators or share your bills on social media.

5. You can track an unlimited number of bills for free and we'll send you a daily or weekly email if your tracked legislation moves.

6. Do you need real-time alerts, outreach tools, bill lists, and professional functions? Then FastDemocracy Professional is the right fit for you.

7. Track bills on your smartphone using our free mobile app.

You can use the Find Your Legislators tool to find them, see their voting records, and contact them.