[NFBMT-Parents] 2019 Bills

[BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER]

Here we go, fellow Montana Federationists.

We are now at the beginning of the road to getting some bills passed in this
new legislature.  Having not been on this ride in Montana before, I am
excited and intimidated at the same time.  But this is farther than I have
ever gotten before regarding presenting bills before the Legislature, and I
am looking forward to learning the process., We did get some bills passed in
years past, but I was not in on the process.  I think our current President
was, though, so it is good to have at least one among us who is one step
ahead.

What has happened so far:  We by chance stumbled on the fact that the
deadline for submitting ideas for bills to bring before the legislature was
last Wednesday, and we just happened to hit it.  We do not yet have bill
numbers, but we have ideas submitted.  See below.  They begin with an LC
number.  Now we are looking for sponsors.  This is where you come in.  We
need sponsors from either party, and from either the Senate or the house of
Representatives.

Let me first explain how an idea becomes a bill and a bill becomes a law.
>From the Montana Legislature web Site:
HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW
The following 23-step description provides a narrative detail of how a bill
becomes law.
Step 1. Introduction. Bill is filed for introduction with Secretary of Senate
or Chief Clerk of House.

Step 2. First reading. Bill's title is posted, and bill is ordered printed on
white paper.

Step 3. Committee reference. Bill is referred to proper committee by Senate
President or House Speaker. Referral is posted.

Step 4. Committee consideration. Committee holds public hearing on bill, then
discusses it. May vote to amend bill.

Step 5. Committee report. Committee reports its recommendation that bill "do
pass", "do pass as amended", or "do not pass".

Step 6. Placed on calendar. Simple "do pass" and "do not pass" reports are
printed as such in journal. Text of amendments reported by committee is
printed in full. Bills receiving favorable reports are printed on yellow
paper in first house (tan paper in second house), incorporating any reported
amendments, and are placed on calendar for second reading. Bills with "do not
pass" reports are not placed on second-reading calendar unless a motion is
made to that effect and passed. If "do not pass" report is adopted, bill
drops out of further consideration.

Step 7. Second reading. Entire body debates bill as "Committee of the Whole".
Amendments may be offered and voted on. Bill defeated here drops out of
further consideration.

Step 8. Placed on third-reading calendar. Bill approved by C of the Whole is
ordered printed on blue paper in first house (salmon paper in second house),
incorporating all amendments made up to that point. (This is known as an
"engrossed" bill.)

Step 9. Third reading. Bill subjected to simple "yes" or "no" vote by entire
body, in which (by constitutional requirement) each member's vote must be
recorded and printed in journal. No amendments may be considered. Bill
defeated here drops out of further consideration.

Step 10. Transmittal to other house. Same as Step 1 introduction, except
other house works with blue copy.

Step 11. First reading. Summary of title and history is posted.

Step 12. Committee reference. See Step 3.

Step 13. Committee consideration. See Step 4.

Step 14. Committee report. Second-house committee phrases a favorable report
as "be concurred in" or "be concurred in, as amended".  Unfavorable report is
"be not concurred in".

Step 15. Placed on calendar. Same as Step 6, except that instead of a
yellow-paper copy, bill is prepared for second reading with committee
amendments to blue copy included in bill and printed on tan paper. Bill with
unfavorable report is not placed on calendar unless committee recommendation
is reversed by full body.

Step 16. Second reading. Same as Step 7.

Step 17. Placed on third-reading calendar. Same as Step 8, except reference
bill is reprinted on salmon-colored paper and includes all amendments made in
second house.

Step 18. Third reading. Same as Step 9.

Step 19. Bill passed by both houses in identical form. Enrolled and sent to
Governor.

Step 20. Bill passed by both houses in differing forms: Second house returns
bill to house of origin approved with amendments, sent with message
requesting concurrence in amendments. Question is voted in c of the Whole,
e.g., "Shall the (Senate) amendments to (House) Bill No.     be concurred
in?" If vote in house of origin is in favor of concurrence, bill is enrolled.
If a motion is made and adopted that amendments not be concurred in,
originating house will usually request a conference committee (or it may send
a message to second house asking it to recede from its amendments). If a
conference is sought, a motion is made to authorize Senate President or House
Speaker to appoint a conference committee (regular or free) to meet with a
like committee from other house to resolve differences. (Regular conference
committees may consider only disputed amendments; free conference committees
may revise any part of bill.)This action, if approved, is communicated to
second house in a message, and second house then appoints a conference
committee in same manner.

Step 21. Conference committee reports. If conferees settle differences, each
contingent reports to its parent body that bill be further amended in some
fashion or that house recede from amendments and that bill then be approved.
Amendments adopted by conference committees are printed on green (House) or
pink (Senate) paper. Adoption of conference committee report means house
approves bill as conferees recommend.  If conferees cannot settle
differences, they report their disagreement and either body may ask that a
new conference committee be appointed.

Step 22. Enrolling. Bill is checked for accuracy and printed. Correctly
enrolled bill is delivered to presiding officer of house in which bill
originated.  After being signed and recorded in journal, bill is transmitted
to other house where same procedure is followed.

Step 23. Governor's desk. Governor either signs or vetoes bill or allows it
to become law without his or her signature. Legislature may vote to override
a veto if it has not adjourned or may be polled under certain circumstances
if it has adjourned. (Refer to Montana Constitution, Article VI, section 10.)

Whew!

We have submitted five ideas.  The legislator who submitted them is Mary
Caferro, Democrat, house District 81.  Here is the list of our ideas, their
LC numbers, and when they were received.

LC2761 12/05/2018 Draft Request Received: Prohibition of subminimum wages for
workers with disabilities
LC2762 12/05/2018 Draft Request Received: Establishment of accessible
electronic alternative for mail voting
LC2763 12/05/2018 Draft Request Received Provide that ballots for voters with
disabilities be same form used by all
LC2764 12/05/2018 Draft Request Received: Establish penalties for malicious
or negligent injury or death of service animal
LC2765 12/05/2018 Draft Request Received: Protect rights of blind parents in
family law

Here are the five legislative priorities for 2019 contained on our
legislative fact sheet.

We support legislation that:
.	Prohibits the payment of sub-minimum wages to workers with
disabilities, and prioritizes the procurement of jobs in the community with
comparable wages and benefits for Montanans with disabilities.
.	Establishes an accessible electronic voting system that conforms with
web accessibility and voting privacy standards as an option when elections
are conducted by mail.
.	Assures that the ballots used by blind voters are of the same size
and content as ballots used by all other citizens in order to comply with
private voting rights.
.	Adopts civil and criminal penalties for actions and/or negligence
which results in the death of or harm to guide dogs or other service animals
used by Montanans with disabilities.
.	Affirms that the parental rights of blind parents will be upheld and
protected when visitation, custody, foster care, or adoption is determined to
be otherwise in the best interest of the child.

Joy Breslauer, First Vice President
National Federation of the Blind of Montana
Web Site: http://www.nfbofmt.org

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