State Legislative Law

The Georgia General Assembly convenes at the State Capitol each January. For 40 days, legislators discuss, debate, and vote on new laws - laws that might affect your business. Clients come to us when they are working with legislators on a bill and need legal assistance to achieve the right result.

In working on those matters, we have drafted legislation or amendments to existing Georgia statutes to change or clarify the law and, more importantly, ameliorate the client’s problem. We may also appear at public hearings on a client's behalf to explain the law as it stands and the desired effect of the proposed legislation. Numerous pieces of legislation that we have drafted through the years have been introduced in the Georgia General Assembly and gone on to become law.

The Georgia legislative process

Legislator brings an idea for a new law or revision to current law to the Office of Legislative Counsel.
Attorney from Office of Legislative Counsel advises legislator of legal issues and drafts bill.
Legislator introduces bill in legislator's chamber - the House or the Senate.
Bill is formally introduced to the chamber, read for the required number of times, and assigned to a standing committee.
Bill is debated by the committee. Interested legislators may speak about bill, and public hearings may be held for controversial ones.
Committee takes final action by recommending that bill pass as-is, recommending that bill pass with changes, recommending that bill not pass, or holding bill.
Bill is read in the chamber again only after a favorable committee report.
After a bill has been read in the chamber for the third time, then the members vote.
If bill is approved, it is sent to the other chamber for vote.
If bill passes both chambers, it is sent to the governor for signature or veto.