| Wisconsin Legislature | U. S. Congress | School Board Member Role |
Introducing
a Bill | Only individual legislators or legislative committees may draft and introduce legislation. There are three basic types: bills, joint resolutions and simple resolutions. A bill is introduced when the chief clerk of the author's house assigns it a number and records the introduction for the house journal. A.B. signifies an Assembly Bill and S.B. a Senate Bill. | Anyone may draft a bill; however, only members of Congress can introduce legislation. There are four basic types: bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and simple resolutions. The official legislative process begins when a bill or resolution is numbered and referred to a committee and printed by the Government Printing Office. H.R. signifies a House bill and S. a Senate bill. | School board members can initiate bills by bringing ideas to legislators and can provide information for legislators as they research proposals. Board members are asked at times by the WASB to build support for bills by soliciting their legislators to co-sponsor bills. |
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| Referral to Committee | The presiding officer refers the proposal to the appropriate standing committee for review. Generally, bills that appropriate money, provide for revenue or relate to taxation are referred to the Joint Committee on Finance before they can be enacted into law. | With few exceptions, bills are referred to standing committees in the House or Senate according to carefully delineated rules of procedure. | At the state level, leadership has more discretion over where to send a particular bill. Board members can request that a bill be sent to a committee that may be more supportive of school board concerns. |
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| Committee Action | The chairperson of the standing committee decides whether to hold a public hearing and/or call an executive session to allow the committee to vote on a proposal. If a vote is held, the committee can recommend passage of the bill as originally introduced, passage with amendments or rejection. If the result is a tie vote, the committee can report the bill without recommendations. | When a bill reaches a committee, it is placed on the committee's calendar by the chairperson. A bill can be referred to a subcommittee or considered by the committee as a whole. | Board members serve a vital role by encouraging committee chairs to hold hearings and by providing testimony, either in person or in writing, regarding a bill's impact on their districts. |
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| Amendments | Amendments may be offered at any time by the author, the standing committee reviewing the bill or by any member of the legislature until the bill receives its third reading. An amendment may be "simple," which makes changes within the bill, or a "substitute amendment," which completely replaces the original bill. | When the hearings are completed, the subcommittee may meet to "mark up" the bill, that is, make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the full committee. If a subcommittee votes not to report legislation to the full committee, the bill dies. | Board members can work to ensure that favorable amendments are introduced and adopted, and work to defeat amendments that would be detrimental to school board interests. |
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| Scheduling Floor Action | If the bill is reported out of committee, it is sent to the Assembly Rules Committee or the Senate Organization Committee to be scheduled for floor action. Not all bills sent to these committees get scheduled for further action. | After a bill is reported back to the chamber where it originated, it is placed in chronological order on the calendar. In the House there are several different legislative calendars, and the Speaker and majority leader largely determine if, when and in what order bills come up. In the Senate there is only one legislative calendar. | Board members can contact leadership to advocate for or against the scheduling of a bill for floor action. |
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| Debate | When a bill reaches the floor of the Assembly or Senate, there are rules or procedures governing the debate on legislation. These rules determine the conditions and amount of time allocated for general debate. | When a bill reaches the floor of the House or Senate, there are rules or procedures governing the debate on legislation. These rules determine the conditions and amount of time allocated for general debate. | Board members can add to the debate by providing legislators with supporting or opposing arguments. |
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| Voting | After the debate and approval of any amendments, the bill can be indefinitely postponed, returned to committee or passed by a majority of the members. | After the debate and the approval of any amendments, the bill is passed or defeated by the members voting. | Board members should communicate with their legislators to ensure passage (or failure) of the bill and any amendments. |
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| Referral to Other Chamber | After a bill is passed by the first house, it is referred to the other chamber where it usually follows the same route through committee and floor action. The second chamber may approve the bill, reject it or change it. If changes are made, either the original chamber can approve the changes or a conference committee reconciles the differences. | After a bill is passed by the first house, it is referred to the other chamber where it usually follows the same route through committee and floor action. This chamber may approve the bill, reject it or change it. If changes are made, either the original chamber can approve the changes or a conference committee reconciles the differences. | Board members will need to repeat the same advocacy process over again - same game, different players. |
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| Final Actions | Bills are not sent to the office of the governor immediately following passage, but are presented when the governor calls for them. The governor has six days (excluding Sundays) in which to act on a bill by: 1) signing it; 2) vetoing it in whole or, if an appropriation bill, in part; or 3) failing to sign it within six days, in which case it becomes law without the governor's signature. Partial veto of words or numbers within a bill is permitted for bills which contain an appropriation. | After a bill has been approved by both the House and Senate in identical form, it is sent to the President. If the President approves of the legislation he signs it and it becomes law. Or, the President can take no action for ten days, while Congress is in session, and it automatically becomes law. If the President opposes the bill he can veto it; or, if he takes no action after the Congress has adjourned its second session, it is a "pocket veto" and the legislation dies. | Board members need to communicate their support or opposition to legislation that reaches the governor or President's desk. |
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| Overriding a Veto | If the governor vetoes a bill, in whole or part, the vetoed parts must be returned to the house of origin with the governor's written objections. A vetoed bill or part of a bill can become law despite the governor's objections, but it requires a two-thirds vote in each house to override the veto. | If the President vetoes a bill, Congress may attempt to override the veto. This requires a two-thirds roll call vote of the members who are present in sufficient numbers for a quorum. | Board members can again play a vital role by advocating for or against a veto override. |
