Every year, the tobacco industry spends millions on lobbyists to protect their profits and influence. However, understanding how the legislative process works is power. Getting involved makes change possible.
Here’s how Oklahoma’s legislative process works, and how you can fight Big Tobacco.
How a Bill Becomes a Law
Ideas for bills come from many different areas, like interest groups, government agencies, the Governor1 or even constituents. Once a legislator decides to move forward with an idea, they request it to be researched and drafted, then file it with the Clerk. The bill gets assigned a number and begins its journey:
- Introduction: A legislator writes a bill and files it in either the House of Representatives or Senate. In Oklahoma, more than 3,000 bills were written and filed last year.2
- Committee Assignment & Review: Different committees handle different types of bills. Once the bill is filed, it is assigned to the appropriate committee for review, such as Education, Health, Revenue, etc. That committee decides whether or not the bill is worth pursuing. Many bills do not make it past this step.
- General Order: Bills that pass their committees move here, and the Floor Leader schedules them for a floor vote.
- Floor Consideration: Here, the bill is explained, debated, possibly amended and voted on by the full House or Senate. Whichever chamber wrote and filed the bill is the first chamber to debate and vote.
- Second Chamber: If the bill passes its chamber of origin, it’s sent to the other chamber for consideration. It goes through the same process.
- Conference Committee: The bill returns to the chamber it started in. If the second chamber didn’t make any amendments, it moves on to the Governor. If there are new amendments or changes to the original text, the first chamber can either agree and pass it along or request a conference committee for discussion.
- Final Reading: Once both chambers agree on the final version, they vote on and pass the bill.
- Governor’s Desk: The Governor has several options once a bill lands on their desk. They can:
- Sign it into law
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- Let it become law without signing.
- Veto it*
- Bill Passage: Laws and policies go into effect at this point. The starting date is specified in the bill.
*If the Governor vetoes a law, the Legislature can override it with a two-thirds vote.
Legislative Session Timeline
Oklahoma’s Legislature begins every year on the first Monday of February and ends at 5 p.m. on the last Friday in May, and if you want to take action, timing matters. Here’s a breakdown of the timeline.
MID-JANUARY |
Deadline for most bills to be introduced |
EARLY FEBRUARY |
Session begins |
EARLY MARCH |
Bills must pass out of committees in their house of origin |
LATE MARCH |
Bills must pass their first chamber |
LATE APRIL |
Bills must pass out of committees in the opposite chamber |
EARLY MAY |
Bills must pass their second chamber |
LATE MAY |
Session ends |
Success Story: 24/7 Smoke-Free School Policy in Oklahoma
Oklahoma had a legislative win against tobacco in 2015 with the 24/7 Tobacco-Free Schools Act. The state law requires that K-12 schools be tobacco free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The original bill (SB 674) followed all the steps above. It was first requested by the American Cancer Society.
While this is a state law, it is up to individual school districts to enforce the ruling. If you’re part of a campus that does not enforce 24/7 Tobacco-Free Schools, download this outline to learn more.
What You Can Do
- Vote! Support lawmakers who prioritize public health, then hold them accountable once they hold the position.
- Contact Your Legislators. Find your state representative and senator here. Share how tobacco has affected your family or community. Let them know why you care about certain bills. Be specific about what you’re asking and why they should care; it’s what you elected them to do.
- Track Bills Online. Stay up –to date on the bills you care about. You can check the Oklahoma State Legislature website in while in session for factual, unbiased information.
- Attend Hearings. Committee meetings are open to the public. Your presence can make a difference and help you better understand the process.
- Get Involved. Visit our take action page to see how you can work at the local- and state-level to make a tobacco-free difference in your community.