Why It Matters: Each year, hundreds and sometimes thousands of pieces of legislation are introduced in each respective state during their legislative session, including numerous bills that will impact conservation and/or your right to partake in our time-honored traditions of hunting, fishing, trapping, and recreational shooting. Legislators are the backbone of the legislative process, so it is of upmost importance that they hear from you regarding bills that have the potential to impact you.
Highlights:
- The Mid-Atlantic Region for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) encompasses Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.
- Legislative Sessions can last anywhere from a few months (part-time) to a full year (full-time). For example, MD’s legislative session convenes in early January and adjourns in early April (90 days) while PA’s lasts for almost an entire year.
- To find out more about your states legislative session cycle or processes, you can visit your states official website for their General Assembly (DE, MD, PA, VA, WV), or a quick search on your preferred search engine.
Each state has a Legislature that is sometimes called a General Assembly that includes either a House of Representatives or Delegates and a Senate. Here is a brief example of the legislative process in Maryland. A bill that is introduced in the House is first read on the House Floor (first reading) to be heard by all members of the House. Once it has been heard, it assigned to its respective committee (bills that deal with hunting/fishing/trapping/conservation are typically heard in a committee for natural resources/the environment). The Committee is made up of certain elected officials to take a closer look at the legislation and take into consideration its impact on the state and research facts about its potential impacts. Committees typically accept written and/or oral testimony from the public for consideration, where potential amendments can be made. If the bill is voted out by that Committee, it goes to the House floor to be read again (second reading). Second reading is another place where the bill could potentially be amended. After second reading, the bill then goes to third reading, where it is voted upon by the House as a whole. If the bill passes the entire House Chamber, the bill then goes over to the Senate to repeat this entire process. If the bill then passes through all the steps in the Senate, it is then ready for the Governor. The Governor is given a certain amount of time when he or she must either sign the legislation into law or veto it. If the Governor does not do so by the state’s specified deadline, it automatically becomes enacted into law.
The best possible course of action for you to get involved in the legislative process is during the period when it is assigned to a specific committee. At this time, you can submit letters of support or opposition, and sign up to testify in person (some states allow virtual options) to give your comments on why you think the legislation is good or bad. Some committees have a formal process for submitting testimony, while others do not, so it is best to verify the process by calling your state representatives. It is also helpful to have a relationship with your elected official and let them know where you stand on certain issues.
CSF will continue to fight against legislation that may negatively impact your right to hunt, fish, trap, and/or recreational shoot and take action to support legislation that strengthens our outdoor heritage. CSF strongly encourages you to get out and vote as well as encourages you to get involved in the legislative process within your state. If you have any questions as far as the process of getting involved in DE, MD, PA, VA, WV, and Washington D.C., please contact Kaleigh Leager at kleager@congressionalsportsmen.org.
