Idea Generation: Ideas for bills can come from various sources such as constituents, interest groups, government agencies, interim studies, and the Governor.
Bill Drafting: An author requests the bill to be researched and drafted.
Filing: The bill is filed electronically with the Clerk and assigned a number.
Introduction: The bill is introduced and undergoes First and Second Readings.
Committee Review: The Speaker assigns the bill to committee(s) for consideration. It can be reported as "do pass" or "do pass as amended." If reported as "do not pass," the process stops.
General Order: The bill moves to General Order and is available for scheduling on the Floor Agenda.
Floor Consideration: The bill is scheduled for debate, possible amendments, and voting. If passed, it moves forward.
Senate Review: If passed, the bill is engrossed and goes through a similar process in the Senate. It may either pass or fail.
Amendments Handling: If the Senate makes amendments, the House must concur; otherwise, a conference committee may be formed to resolve disagreements.
Governor's Action: Once both houses agree, the bill is enrolled and sent to the Governor, who can sign it, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature.
Veto Process: If the Governor vetoes the bill, the legislature can attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds vote.
Effective Date: The law takes effect either immediately, on a specified date, or 90 days after adjournment unless specified otherwise.
Notes:
Failure of a measure under certain conditions may prevent similar bills from being considered during the same session.
Final passage in the House typically requires 51 votes, while the Senate requires 25 votes.
The Governor has five days to act on a bill; if no action is taken, it becomes law on its effective date.
How can a member of the public get involved in the legislative process in Oklahoma?
A member of the public can get involved in the legislative process in Oklahoma in several ways:
1. Submitting Ideas: Citizens can propose ideas for legislation. These can come from individuals, interest groups, or community organizations.
2. Contacting Legislators: People can reach out to their elected representatives to discuss issues they care about or to advocate for specific bills. Engaging in conversations or attending town hall meetings can help influence legislative priorities.
3. Participating in Committees: Public involvement in committee meetings, where bills are discussed and debated, can also provide an opportunity to voice opinions. Many committees allow for public comments on proposed legislation.
4. Researching and Following Legislation: By staying informed about bills and legislative sessions, individuals are better equipped to participate in advocacy efforts, whether it's supporting or opposing specific measures.
5. Advocating through Interest Groups: Joining or collaborating with interest groups or non-profit organizations that align with specific legislative goals can amplify a citizen’s voice and provide resources for advocacy.
6. Attending Legislative Sessions: People can attend sessions in person when bills are being read and debated to show support for or opposition to legislation.
7. Using Online Platforms: Engaging with government websites and platforms dedicated to legislative bill tracking can be another avenue. This includes staying up to date on issues that are relevant to you and taking action at the right time.
How can FastDemocracy help me with that?
Tracking bills is hard, especially if you rely on state legislature websites, which are often hard to navigate. Thousands of bills get filed in Oklahoma 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.
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.
How do I find my local Oklahoma Senator and Representative?
You can use the Find Your Legislators tool to find them, see their voting records, and contact them.
Schools; requiring certain amount of funds to be allocated from the School Security Revolving Fund, subject to availability. Effective date. Emergency.
School safety; creating the School Access for Emergency Response Act; definitions; grant program; grant selection committee; revolving fund; effective date.
Schools; requiring students beginning certain school year to complete a computer science unit to graduate with standard diploma. Effective date. Emergency.
Schools; requiring district policies prohibiting student cell phone and personal electronic device use under certain circumstances; effective date; emergency.
Wages; creating the Oklahoma Earned Wages Access Services Act; allowing an earned wage access services provider to provide certain services. Effective date.