Step 1: How An Idea Becomes A Bill All legislation starts as an idea. Individuals or groups must persuade a Member of the Legislature to author a bill. The Member sends the idea and language for the bill to the Legislative Counsel's Office for drafting. After review, the bill is introduced either at the Senate Desk (for Senators) or the Assembly Desk (for Assembly members), assigned a number, and read for the first time.
Step 2: What To Do When Your Bill Goes To Policy Committee The bill is assigned to a policy committee after going to the Senate or Assembly Rules Committee. Bills cannot be heard for 30 days after introduction, allowing time for investigation and communication with legislators. The bill must appear in the Daily File for four days before a committee hearing, and it’s advisable to contact the author or legislator regarding the hearing date.
Step 3: What If Your Bill Goes To A Fiscal Committee? If the bill has fiscal implications, it will be heard in the Senate or Assembly Appropriations Committee. Supporters and opponents should present their arguments focusing on fiscal issues, reviewing analyses done by relevant departments. After passing the fiscal committee, the bill is read for the second time on the Floor.
Step 4: After Your Bill Passes The House Of Origin And Goes To The Second House The bill undergoes a Third Reading in the house of origin, where it is presented for passage. A majority vote is typically required (21 in the Senate, 41 in the Assembly). Bills can be amended at any stage, and if disagreements arise between the two houses, the bill goes to a conference committee for negotiation.
Step 5: You Can Still Act After Your Bill Goes To The Governor The Governor has 12 days to sign, approve without signing, or veto the bill. A veto can be overridden with a two-thirds vote in each house.

Members of the public can get involved in the legislative process in California in several ways: 1. Proposing Legislation: If you have an idea for a bill, you can persuade a Member of the Legislature to author it. This can be done as an individual or through a group. 2. Contacting Legislators: Once a bill is introduced, you can communicate your position on it by reaching out to your legislator. Meeting with your legislator or their District Office staff can help express your concerns and offer to collaborate on the issue. 3. Monitoring Bill Progress: You can track the progress of a bill to stay on top of important committee hearings and other developments 4. Testifying at Committee Hearings: If you're interested in expressing your opinion on a bill, you can appear at committee hearings and provide testimony. When doing so, introduce yourself and keep your remarks concise. 5. Aligning with Advocacy Groups: Identify and connect with groups or individuals who share your position on a bill. Collaboration can strengthen your voice when advocating for or against legislation. 6. Engaging After Committee Review: If a bill passes the committee stages, you can still influence it by communicating your preferences regarding any amendments that occur during the legislative process. 7. Contacting the Governor: Once a bill reaches the Governor, you can send a letter or make a call to express your stance on whether the bill should be signed, approved without a signature, or vetoed. 8. Utilizing Online Resources: A wealth of legislative information, including bills, amendments, and committee agendas, is available online. Use these resources to stay engaged and informed about ongoing legislative activity.

Tracking bills is hard, especially if you rely on state legislature websites, which are often hard to navigate. Thousands of bills get filed in California 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
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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.