The Tennessee legislature, or General Assembly, consists of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. These two bodies work with the governor to enact, amend, and repeal the laws of Tennessee. Some of the specific powers granted to the General Assembly by the state Constitution include: how the money comes in (levy and collection of taxes), how the money goes out (appropriation from state treasury), and the right to authorize counties and incorporated towns to levy taxes.

The Senate is composed of 33 members who are elected to four-year terms of office. The House of Representatives is composed of 99 members who are elected to two-year terms of office

A quorum of two-thirds of all the members to which a house is entitled is required to transact any business. Proposals can originate in either the Senate or House in the form of bills, resolutions, and joint resolutions. A bill is a proposed law and may be either general or local. A general bill has a statewide impact, and a local bill affects only a particular county or town named in the bill.

For a new law to be made, it must be considered and passed on three separate days (considerations) by both the House and Senate. After second consideration, general bills are referred to committee for review. That is where most of the work is done in determining if the bill should continue to the third and final vote. A constitutional majority is required for a new law to pass. This means it must receive at least 50 favorable votes in the House and 17 favorable votes in the Senate. Once a new law has been acted on favorably by the House and Senate, it is then sent to the Governor who can approve it by signing it, vetoing it, or letting it become a law without his signature. The legislature may override the Governor's veto with a constitutional majority.

The General Assembly generally meets between mid-January through July, depending on the length of the budget process.

To See A Chart of How A Bill Becomes a Law in Tennessee Click Here

To View Bills That Representative Yokley Has Sponsored or Co-Sponsored for the 2007-2008 Session click HERE