1. An Idea Emerges: - Laws begin as ideas proposed by Council members to improve the lives of residents and the operations of businesses in the District. 2. A Written Document is Produced: - These ideas are drafted to ensure clarity and consistency. 3. A Bill is Born: - A Council member files the written document with the Secretary to the Council, officially turning it into a Bill. 4. Other Entities May Introduce a Bill: - The Mayor and independent agencies can also introduce bills through the Council's Chairman. 5. THE BILL’S PATH: - The Bill is assigned to a committee with expertise over the subject matter. - If the committee does not review the Bill within the 2-year session, it dies. - If reviewed, the committee conducts hearings, may amend the Bill, and can vote to report it out of committee for Council consideration. 6. Committee of the Whole: - The Bill is then discussed by the Committee of the Whole, which includes all Council members. - It is placed on the agenda for the next legislative meeting. 7. Becoming Law: - At the legislative meeting, the Bill is discussed and may be amended. - If approved by majority vote, it goes for a second reading at the next meeting. - If approved again, it is sent to the Mayor for consideration: - The Mayor can sign it, let it become law without signature, or veto it. - If vetoed, the Council needs a two-thirds majority to override the veto. 8. Final Steps to Enactment: - After approval (or override), the Bill must undergo a 30-day congressional review (60 days for criminal legislation). - If Congress disapproves, the Bill does not become law; otherwise, it is assigned a law number. 9. SPECIAL LEGISLATION: - Emergency Legislation: Can be enacted quickly without a second reading and bypassing congressional review, lasting no longer than 90 days. - Temporary Legislation: Similar to emergency legislation but can last up to 225 days, requiring a second reading and congressional review. 10. Resolutions: - Used for non-law legislative duties, effective after one reading, and do not require mayoral or congressional review.

A member of the public can get involved in the legislative process in the District of Columbia by providing testimony during committee hearings. When a bill is reviewed by a committee, the committee typically conducts a hearing to receive testimonies from residents and government officials both in support of and against the bill. This is a key opportunity for citizens to express their opinions, contribute to discussions, and influence the legislative process. Additionally, interested individuals can follow the legislative activities, attend Council meetings, and engage with their elected officials to express their views on legislative matters that affect them.

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

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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.

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