Decoding what's in the sausage: sources and types of legislation

If you're going to be involved in working for or against legislation, it's a good idea to have a better understanding of legislation in general. 

In other words, "where does it come from?", "how does it get started?", and "what's with all those different letters in front of bill numbers and what do they mean?".

Where does it all come from?

Sources of ideas for legislation are boundless.  The first and most common source is from a member of of the body in question, (ex. Congress). Usually it's the result of the member’s campaign platform, or possibly of an expertise they may have in a certain policy area. Additionally, the constituents of a member, (either as individuals, political advocacy groups, associations, lobbyists, etc.), will often petition them to introduce legislation.

Legislative proposals can also originate from the executive branch in several ways. On the federal level, they will generally come in the form of a letter from a member of the President’s Cabinet or the head of an independent agency, or even from the President, proposing draft legislation to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate.  In some cases a draft of a bill may be the outcome of a study by a commission or committee designated by the President or one of is Cabinet members.

Long story short, they come from everywhere.  Which means they can come from you too.

Four Basic Types of Legislation

1. A Bill is a draft of a proposed law presented to a legislative body.  A bill that has been agreed to in identical form by both chambers of Congress becomes the law of the land only after it is signed by the President, or when a presidential veto is overridden by a two-thirds majority in each chamber.
2. A Joint Resolution, may originate either in the House or the Senate.  Joint resolutions become law in the same manner as bills with the exception of joint resolutions that are proposed amendments to the Constitution.  In this case, such resolutions must be approved by two-thirds of both chambers and then sent to the States for ratification.
3. A Concurrent Resolution, deals with matters affecting operations of both chambers.  Such resolutions are not legislative but are used merely for communicating facts, principles, opinions, and purposes of the two chambers.  For instance, it may be used to set the time for adjournment of a Congress.
4. A Simple Resolution, deals with matters affecting just one of the chambers.

When it comes to identifying such pieces of legislation, they are commonly assigned "numbers" based on their type, with a "bill" receiving an HR-1 or SR-1 (as in "House" or "Senate" bill 1), or JR-1, CR-1 and SR-1 for "joint", "concurrent" or "simple" resolution.

Simple information like this can make the difference between someone who stays frustrated or confused, vs. someone who knows what's going on and is better able to have an impact on it.

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Related:

•  The slow motion sausage factory: understanding the legislative process

You can get more information on effective lobbying in my "Grassroots Training Series".  Check it out!