1. Idea Generation: Ideas for bills can come from various sources including constituents, the Governor, government agencies, legislative committees, study commissions, and interest groups. Each bill must have a sponsor who is a legislator. 2. Drafting: The Department of Legislative Services drafts bills to meet constitutional standards, typically starting in mid-April after the legislative session ends. 3. Introduction: Bills can be filed with the Secretary of the Senate or Chief Clerk of the House. A bill filed before the session begins is called a prefiled bill. 4. First Reading: A bill is introduced during the session and assigned to a standing committee for review. The earlier a bill is introduced, the higher the chance of passage. 5. Committee Review: The assigned committee holds a public hearing to discuss the bill. Testimony from supporters and opponents is heard, and amendments may be made. The committee then votes on the bill, providing a report on its action. 6. Chamber Approval: After passing through the committee, the bill returns to the floor of its original chamber for further debate and voting. 7. Crossover8. Final Approval: If both chambers pass the bill, it is sent to the Governor for signature. The Governor can sign it into law, let it become law without a signature, or veto it. 9. Becoming Law: If the Governor signs the bill or takes no action, it becomes law. Budget bills do not require the Governor's signature and become law automatically after passage

Members of the public can get involved in the legislative process in Maryland through several ways: 1. Testimony at Public Hearings: Each bill or joint resolution assigned to a committee has a public hearing where members of the public can testify for or against the proposed legislation. Interested individuals can attend these hearings to share their views. 2. Contacting Legislators: Public members can reach out to their elected representatives to express their opinions, suggest ideas for bills, or advocate for certain issues. Legislative ideas often come from constituents. 3. Engaging with Committees: Citizens can follow the work of legislative committees. By attending committee meetings and hearings, they can stay informed about the legislative process and the bills being discussed. 4. Participating in Task Forces or Study Commissions: Some legislative proposals arise from study commissions or task forces. Public members may have opportunities to participate in these groups, providing input on specific issues. 5. Providing Feedback via Organizations: Collaborating with special interest groups, lobbyists, or professional associations can amplify public voices and help advocate for specific legislative changes.

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