This month marks the start of the two-year 2023-2024 NC General Assembly (NCGA). The first year in each 2 year cycle is considered the “long session.”
In the long session any lawmaker can introduce new legislation (draft bills). Often the “bill sponsor” will ask other lawmakers to co-sponsor the bill in hopes of improving the chances of getting it passed into law.
However, it is the House and Senate leadership that decides how a bill will progress (e.g., Sen Berger (Senate) and Rep Moore (House)). If leadership is favorable to a bill, it will be heard in appropriate committees and often gets changes made as it moves through various committees. If leadership is not favorable to a bill, it often lands in the “rules committee” where it is commonly understood to have no expectation of progressing.
Once bills pass the House or Senate, they go to the other chamber. Bills originating in the House are designated as “HB” along with a number; bills originating in the Senate are labeled as “SB” and a number. Lawmakers in the “other chamber” frequently make changes to the bill, including renaming it or making substantial changes to the original language within the bill, and even to its original intent. This can result in bills going back and forth between chambers or to a special committee to resolve.
If a bill passes both chambers, it goes to the Governor, who can sign the bill into law, take no action on the bill, or veto a bill. A vetoed bill is returned to the initiating house where members can vote to override the veto. At least three-fifths of the present and voting members must vote to override the veto. This veto override vote has to take place in both chambers. If both chambers have a three-fifths vote to override, it becomes law and is no longer called a bill.