A member of the House can initiate a bill on any matter. The Constitution provides that all appropriations and revenue-raising bills MUST originate in the House.

To introduce a bill, a member files it with the Clerk of the House not later than one hour after adjournment in order that it may be introduced and read the following day.

The bill is read to the House the next day at which time each member has a printed copy on his desk to study. When it is first read, the bill is referred to a committee by the Speaker. On the next legislative day, the bill is read for the second time so it will be ready for action by the House when it is reported to the House by the committee.

At the third and final reading, there is a debate. Amendments (definition), or even complete substitutions, may be offered by the committee that studied the bill or by a member from the floor.

Parliamentary maneuvers are sometimes exceedingly confusing to spectators. Actually, these parliamentary rules enable the House to operate in an orderly manner. For instance, when any subject is before the House for consideration, or under debate, no motion can be received, except the following in this order of precedence:

First - A motion to adjourn
Second - A motion to lay on table
Third - A motion for the previous question
Fourth - A motion to adjourn to a time definite
Fifth - A motion to indefinitely postpone
Sixth - A motion to postpone to a day certain
Seventh - A motion to commit
Eighth - A motion to amend
Ninth - A motion to print

Assuming that a bill survives parliamentary maneuvers, the vote is taken. If a measure receives a majority, which is 91 votes, it is passed and sent to the Senate for consideration.

The Senate can either pass the bill or defeat it. If passed unamended, the bill is sent to the Governor, who can sign it into law or veto it.

If the legislation is amended in the Senate, it is returned for consideration by the House. When the House and Senate disagree about the amended portions, the presiding officers of each body appoint members to a conference committee which tries to find an acceptable compromise which must be approved by a majority of both houses.

All bills vetoed by the Governor are sent back to the presiding officer of the branch of the General Assembly where it originated with a list of reasons for the veto. The veto of the Governor can be overridden by two-thirds of the votes of the House and the Senate. When this happens, the bill becomes law.

There is a special provision that any bills vetoed by the Governor after the adjournment of the General Assembly just before a gubernatorial general election are not subject to being overridden by the General Assembly.

All bills – those passed and approved by the Governor, those on which the veto of the Governor is overridden and those on which no final action is taken – become permanent records in the Office of the Secretary of State.

*All information derived from Georgia's General Assembly home page.