The General Assembly meets in regular session on the second Monday in January for no longer than 40 legislative (rather than calendar) days each year. Neither the House nor the Senate can adjourn during a regular session for longer than three days or meet in any place other than the state capitol without the other house's consent. The legislative session usually lasts from January until late March or early April. When the General Assembly is not sitting, legislative committees may still meet to discuss specific issues. In cases of emergency, the Governor can summon a special session of the Assembly. Days in special session do not count towards the 40-day constitutional limit.
Committees Both the House and Senate are organized into various legislative committees. All bills introduced in the General Assembly will be referred to at least one committee. Committee chairs usually come from the majority party. Committee chairs determine the business of the committee, including which bills get a hearing.
Rules of procedure, employees and interim committees Each house of the General Assembly may determine procedural rules governing its own employees. The General Assembly as a whole, or each house separately, has the ability to create interim committees. At the beginning of each two-year term, the House elects a
speaker, who is always from the majority party. Unlike in the federal
House of Representatives, the speaker usually presides over sittings of the House. There is also a speaker pro tempore, who presides in the absence of the speaker. The
Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is the
ex officio president of the State Senate. The lieutenant governor is elected for a four-year term in a statewide vote along with the governor. The lieutenant governor does not have the power to introduce legislation.
Oath of office Before taking office senators and representatives must swear (or affirm) an oath—stipulated by state law.
Legislative procedure A majority of the members to which each house is entitled constitutes a quorum to transact business. A smaller number may adjourn from day to day and compel the presence of its absent members. In order for a bill to become law, it must be passed by both chambers of the General Assembly, and receive the governor's signature. In each chamber, the number of votes required to pass a bill is determined according to the number of seats in the chamber, not merely the number of votes cast. Therefore, a bill must receive 91 votes in the House (a majority of its membership) and 29 votes in the Senate, regardless of the number of legislators voting. In the case of a tie, the presiding officer of each chamber may cast the deciding vote. Some motions require more than an absolute majority to pass. A resolution to amend the state constitution, for instance, requires a
two-thirds vote in both chambers (121 votes in the House and 38 votes in the Senate). All senators and representatives are entitled to introduce bills and resolutions. Bills are intended to have the force of law, while resolutions may or may not have any practical effect. Bills and resolutions are referred to a legislative committee by the presiding officer as soon as they are introduced. he presiding officer has discretion in referring a bill to any committee, although the chamber may vote to move a bill to a different committee. Committee chairs determine which bills will be heard in committee. Bills that do not get a committee hearing cannot proceed, and the majority of bills die in committee this way. Because most committee chairs are from the majority party, bills that are introduced by members of the majority are much more likely to be heard. The vast majority of legislation considered by the Assembly is introduced by the majority party. Committees will hear testimony from a bill's sponsor, as well as experts in the public and private sectors and concerned citizens. Members of the committee may ask questions of the sponsor. Committees usually amend bills under their consideration; an amended version of a bill is known as a "substitute." Once the committee is done debating, it will vote on the bill, as well as any proposed amendments. If the bill is approved, it is transmitted to the Committee on Rules. Both the House and Senate have a Rules committee. The House Committee on Rules meets early in the morning on most legislative days to determine which bills will get a floor vote that day. Power in House Rules is highly centralized, and the committee usually acts as a
rubber stamp for decisions already made by the chairperson, the speaker, and even the governor. The Senate Committee on Rules meets after each legislative day, to determine the agenda for the next legislative day. For the first 28 days in a legislative session, the House and Senate only consider legislation introduced by their own members. After the 28th day, bills passed by one chamber will "cross over" to the other, hence why the day is known as "Crossover Day." After Crossover Day, no new bills will be considered. If a bill, after having crossed over to the other chamber, is amended in committee on the floor, it will have to return to the original chamber for final approval. Further amendments may be made, and the bill will move back and forth until both chambers agree. If the two chambers cannot agree on the final version of a bill by the end of the session, the bill is not passed.
Vacancies Whenever a vacancy occurs in the General Assembly, an event that occurs whenever a member dies, resigns, or moves from the district from which he was elected, it is filled according to Georgia law and the Constitution. If the vacancy occurs anytime prior to the end of the legislative session in the second year of a term, the governor must issue a writ of special election within ten days of the vacancy occurring, and, if the vacancy occurs after the end of the legislative session in the second year of a term, then the governor may choose to issue a writ of special election. But, if the vacancy exists at the time that an extraordinary session is called, then the governor must issue a writ of special election within 2 days after the call for the extraordinary session, and, if the vacancy occurs after the call but before the special session has concluded, then the governor must issue a writ of special election within 5 days of the occurrence. In each case, the writ of special election must designate a day on which the election will be held, which must be no less than 30 days and no more than 60 days after the governor issues the writ.
Salaries Members of the General Assembly receive salaries provided by law, so long as that salary does not increase before the end of the term during which the increase becomes effective. Members of the Georgia General Assembly currently earn $17,000 a year.
Election and returns; disorderly conduct Each house holds the responsibility of judging the election, returns, and qualifications of its own members. Also, each house has the power to punish its own members for disorderly misconduct. Punishments for such conduct include: • censure • fine • imprisonment • expulsion However, no member may be expelled except upon a two-thirds vote of the house in which he or she sits.
Contempt When a person is guilty of contempt, the individual may be imprisoned if ordered by either the House or the Senate.
Elections by either house All elections of the General Assembly are to be recorded. The recorded vote then appears in the journal of each house.
Open meetings Sessions of the General Assembly, including committee meetings, are open to the public except when either house makes an exception.
Legislative history The General Assembly does not publish reports and does not keep bill files. Major legislation is discussed in detail in the
Peach Sheets, a student-written part of Georgia State University College of Law's Law Review. Recent
Peach Sheet articles are available in an online archive. Otherwise,
Peach Sheets articles should be included in the Georgia State Law Review databases on Lexis, Westlaw and HeinOnline. ==Composition==