Legislation sets out a legal framework within which business operates. It provides certainty as to rights and obligations and minimises the risk of unintended costs and consequences. However, it cannot work in isolation, and is best informed by genuine consultation.
The legislative process begins when an individual or group persuades a Member of the Legislature to author a bill. The legislator then sends the idea and the language for the bill to the Legislative Counsel’s Office, where it is drafted into an actual bill. The bill is then returned to the legislator for their review. The legislator may choose to amend the bill at this stage.
A bill is then numbered, and its presiding officer refers it to the appropriate committee(s) based on its subject matter. The committee(s) study the bill and hold public hearings if necessary. Bills that affect the state budget are usually also sent to a fiscal committee.
Once a bill has been reported out of committee, the presiding officers of the House and Senate schedule it for consideration on their respective floors. If the bill is amended in the House, it must be sent to the Senate for concurrence in those amendments. The presiding officers of the House and Senate appoint members to a conference committee to resolve differences between the two versions of the bill.
Once a bill is agreed to by both houses, it becomes an Act of the Legislature. The executive can then sign the bill into law, or reject it with a veto message that explains why.