Any citizen can draft a federal bill, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation, which makes them the sponsor(s). There are four basic types of legislation:

Bills

Joint Resolutions

Legislation similar to a bill that has the force of law if

passed by both houses and signed by the President.

Concurrent Resolutions

Legislative action used to express the position of the

House or Senate. Does not have the force of law.

Simple Resolutions

A measure passed only in one house to express the

sentiment of that chamber. A simple resolution does

not have the force of law.

The official legislative process begins when a bill or resolution is numbered – H.R. signifies a House Bill and S. a Senate Bill.

The bill is then referred to a committee and printed by the Government Printing Office.

Referral to Committee: Bills are usually referred to stand committees in the House or Senate according to carefully defined

rules of procedure.

Committee Action: Once a bill reaches the appropriate committee it is placed on the committee’s calendar. A bill can be referred to a subcommittee or considered by the committee as a whole. It is at this point that a bill is examined carefully and its chances for passage are determined. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is the equivalent of killing it.

Subcommittee Review: Most bills are referred to subcommittees for study and hearings. Hearings provide the opportunity to put on record the views of the executive branch, experts, other public officials, supporters and opponents. Testimony can be in person or submitted in writing.

Mark Up: When the hearings re completed, the subcommittee may meet to “mark up” the bill that is to 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.

Committee Action to Report a Bill: After receiving a subcommittee’s report on a bill, the full committee can conduct further study and hearings, or it can vote on the subcommittee’s recommendations and any proposed amendments. The full committee then votes on its recommendation to the House or Senate. This procedure is called “ordering a bill reported.”

Publication of a Written Report: After a committee votes to have a bill reported, the chairman instructs staff to prepare a report on the bill. This report describes the intent and scope of the legislation, impact on existing laws and programs, position of the executive branch, and views of dissenting members.

Scheduling Floor 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.

Debate: When a bill reaches the floor of the House or Senate, there are rules or procedures governing the debate. These rules determine the conditions and amount of time allocated for debate.

Voting: After the debate and the approval of any amendments, the bill is passed or defeated by the members voting.

Referral to Other Chamber: Once a bill is passed by the House or Senate it is referred to the other chamber where it usually follows the same route though committee and floor action. This chamber may approve the bill as received, reject it, ignore it or change it.

Conference Committee Action: If only minor changes are made to a bill by the other chamber, it is common for the legislation to go back to the first chamber for concurrence. However, when the actions of the other chamber significantly alter the bill, a conference committee is formed to reconcile the differences. If the conferees are unable to reach agreement, the legislation dies. If agreement is reached, a conference report is prepared describing the committee member’s recommendations for changes. Both the House and the Senate must approve of the conference report.

Final Actions: After a bill has been approved by 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.

Overriding a 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.

TIPS ON WRITING CONGRESS

Your words are still the most powerful force for your House or Senate member to act on. Writing a letter about your concerns, issues, personal story and your desires is the best way to express yourself and get prompt action from your state representative and senator all the way to your Congressional delegation. They want to hear from you.

Some helpful suggestions will improve the effectiveness of the letter:

Your purpose for writing should be stated in the first paragraph

of your letter. If the letter pertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it…e.g., House Bill: H.B.___; Senate Bill: S.___.

If this is your personal story, make it brief and to the point, not a book. Staffers are reading these letters and you want their attention, long letters won’t do that. If your handwriting is poor, type the letter or get someone to type for you so it’s easier to read.

Be courteous, to the point and include key information, use examples if you have them to support your position. Be factual.

Send only one letter per issue you are concerned with. It is much more effective if you want your point to get across.

Make sure your name, address, zip code, (email address) and phone number is on your letter.

Addressing All Correspondence:

To a Senator:

The Honorable (full name)

United States Senate

Office Address

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator (last name):

To a Representative:

The Honorable (Full Name)

United States House of Representatives

Office Address

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative (Last Name):

If writing to a representative or a senator at the state level, follow the same rules.

When writing to the Chair of a Committee or the Speaker of the House, it is proper to address them as:

Dear Mr. Chairman or Madam Chairwoman: or Dear Mr. Speaker:

Sending E-Mail To Congress:

When addressing an e-mail to a member of Congress, follow the same suggestions as for a printed letter. For the subject line of your e-mail, identify your message by topic or bill number. The body of your message should use this format:

Your name

Address

City, State, ZIP

Dear (Title) (Last Name):

Start your message here.

When Representative or Senator is at Home:

While your Congressperson and Senators are at home within their district offices, you can still correspond and open channels of communication. Several ways you can get involved are:

Write letters, e-mail or phone the home offices using the same

rules as writing while they are in DC or at State offices.

Attend town hall meetings and introduce yourself and issue.

Schedule a personal meeting when they are available in the community.

Attend open functions where you will have the opportunity to meet your legislator directly.

Express your interest in the legislator’s work; get to know what committees they are on, what are the bills they have sponsored in the past that might relate to your issue.

If you are a member of an organization, support group, local chapter group, invite your legislator to speak and to meet with your members.

If your legislator has their office in your hometown, stop by, meet the staff and get to know them. They are there to work constituent needs, to draft legislation, work with the media, coordinating scheduling, etc.

Personal Visits to State Capitols and DC:

Meeting with a member of Congress or your state legislators is very effective. You want to convey a message about a specific issue or legislative matter. You will be visiting your State’s representative and their staff which will always make an impact. Easy rules to follow are:

Plan your visit carefully, be sure what it is you want to achieve; determine in advance which member or committee

staffs you need to meet with and make sure Congress and State offices are in session at the time of your visit.

Make an Appointment. When attempting to meet with a member, contact the Appointment Secretary or Scheduler.

Explain clearly the purpose and who you represent. It is easier for Congressional staff to arrange a meeting if they know what you wish to discuss and your relationship to the area or interests represented by the member.

Be Prompt and Patient. It is not uncommon for a Congressional member to be late, or to have a meeting interrupted due to the member’s crowded schedule and votes on the floor. If interruptions do occur, be flexible!

When the opportunity presents itself, continue your meeting with a staff person or make another appointment another day.

Be Prepared. Whenever possible, bring to the meeting information and materials supporting your issue and position.

Members are required to take positions on many different issues. In some instances, a member may lack important details about the issue your are concerned with. If there is a Bill that the member has not heard about, information not seen by the member or their staff it is therefore helpful to share with the information with the member and/or their staff.

Be Responsive. Be prepared to answer questions or provide additional information in the event the member expresses interest or asks questions.

Follow Up. Always send a thank-you letter that outlines the different points covered during the meeting and send along any additional information and materials requested.

While working with legislative staff, keep the following points in mind:

Remember who they are. Staff members will be key figures in developing policy that can affect your issues.

Be honest. Provide accurate, complete information so they can learn the issue and provide their assistance.

Do not hesitate to ask their advice. Ask for their opinions.

Do not attack ideas. Be prepared to offer alternative ideas or proposals.

Thank them. Send a brief note or letter thanking them for their time and always include any further information they have requested.

Telephone Calls:

Telephone calls are more effective when you call the legislator’s local offices to express your opinion. Calling the DC offices are also effective but remember, they are receiving calls constantly on every issue from all corners of their districts and state.

· Identify yourself, clearly state your name and why you are calling. Indicate that you are a constituent.

· Express your concern regarding a specific issue.

· Keep it brief. Limit your call to three to four minutes.

· Keep it focused. State your position clearly.

· Don’t be confrontational.

· Use written notes to help you stay on topic.

· Ask for a written reply and provide your mailing address.

· Be polite, abusive communications does not work.

· Always thank them for their time.

Visit www.hepcan.org to get more information regarding current federal and state legislation.

Hep C Advocate Network, Inc. (Hepcan) Is A 501 (C) (3) Non Profit Organization Educating The Nation About Hepatitis C And The People Who Live With It Everyday!

(You can support HepCAN with a donation of time or dollars by contacting the main office at HepCAN, 1821 Clinton, Longview, Texas 75604; Email hepcan1@aol.com; or go online at www.hepcan.org. All contributions to HepCAN are tax deductible according to IRS Rules.)

Roles of Congressional Staff:

Commonly used title and job functions of congressional staff member include the following:

Administrative Assistant (AA) or Chief of Staff (CoS): Reports directly to the member. They usually have overall responsibility for evaluating the political outcomes of various legislative proposals and constituent requests. The AA is usually the person in charge of overall supervision of key staff members.

Legislative Director (LD), Senior Legislative Assistant (Sr.LA) or Legislative Counsel (LC): The LD is usually the staff person who monitors the legislative schedule and makes recommendations regarding the pros and cons of particular issues. In some congressional offices there are several LA’s

and responsibilities are assigned to staff with particular expertise in specific areas. For example, depending on the responsibilities and interests of the member, an office may include a different LA for health issues, environmental matters, taxes, etc.

Press Secretary (Press) or Communications Director (Comm Dir.): The Press Secretary’s responsibility is to build and maintain open and effective lines of communication between the member, constituency and the general public. They are expected to know the benefits, demands and special requirements of both print and electronic medial.

Appointment Secretary (Appt.), Personal Secretary, or Scheduler (Sch): Usually responsible for allocating a member’s time among the many demands that arise from congressional responsibilities, staff requirements and constituent requests. The Appointment Secretary may also be responsible for travel arrangements, arranging speaking dates, visits to the district, etc.

Caseworker: This staff member usually is assigned to help with constituent requests by preparing replies for the member’s signature. The caseworker’s responsibilities may also include helping resolve problems constituents present in relation to federal agencies, e.g., Social Security and Medicare issues, veteran’s benefits, passports, etc. There are often several caseworkers in a congressional office.

Other Staff Titles: Executive Assistant, Legislative Correspondent, Executive Secretary, Office Manager, and Receptionist.