Legislative Tasks

In order for an agency or organization to function properly it must have policies and laws put in place. With out these policies the agency or organization would not be able to function at a proper level.

Legislative tasks are one of the most important parts of making a policy. There are several different tasks involved.

Task one: the group must provide a clear informative issue; they need to clearly describe the problem, and give the reasons why and what they need from legislation. This is a critical step because the general public and individual legislators need to know exactly what the interest group wants if they are to give legislative and public support. (Social Policy and Social Programs) Task two: is to prepare the pros and cons and
summarize what the problem is. This will help legislation understand the problem; what is causing it and what may help the situation.

Task three: in the legislative process is to create solutions for the social problemof concern, that is, a public policy, program design, or provision (benefit) that will plausiblycorrect the problem.
That is not a simple task to do well; actual legislative proposalsvary from excellent to simplistic and all the way to unbelievably simpleminded. (Social Policy and Social Programs) Task four: is to organize public support for their issue. In order to motivatelegislators to identify themselves with an issue and recruit other legislators as well, large scalepublic support is essential. Everything else pales into insignificance without it. (Social Policy and Social Programs) Task five: in the legislative process is to convince a legislator to "sign on" to the bill in the sense of turning the social problem analysis, prospective social program designfeatures, and position papers into a legislative proposal and officially introducing(sponsoring) it as a legislative bill. Although legislative staff personnel can be very helpfulin crafting the proposed bill, only a legislator can introduce a bill. After the bill is introduced,it will then be referred to a committee of the legislature for study andrecommendation. Committee assignment is critical. Supporters do well to have thosewith influence (usually other legislators) convince leadership making committee assignmentsto send it to an appropriate committee for study and recommendation. If leadershipis not supportive of the bill, it likely will be assigned to a committee known to be agraveyard for bills. Part of the study for a bill moving successfully through this task areais a legislative hearing on the bill. (Social Policy and Social Programs) Task six: in the legislative process is to organize appearances at the aforementioned committee hearings with regard to the bill. The purpose of the committee hearings is for committee members to ask questions, receive answers, and debate the merits of the bill. (Social Policy and
Social Programs)Seventh task: in the legislative process is to lobby legislators, other than the onewho introduced the bill, for their support when it is finally voted on by the whole (federal,state, or city) legislative body. Supporters need to turn out in strength. Lobbying ismost effective when it is coordinated, timed, and clear in what it wants legislators to votefor. Once again, the agenda is to show legislators why it is in their political interest to vote in a particular way on legislation. (Social Policy and Social Programs) If the bill is passed in to law there is one more task to perform last task: in the legislative process is lobbyingfor money (appropriations) to run the program that is contained in the legislation. (Social Policy and Social Programs)The judicial branch of government has the most important role in deciding what programs can be used to help serve clients. It can also stop programs at any given time.

Family and Children Services of Niagara INC., is influenced by the people of the community who may need help in many ways. The court systems play a major role in this organization by recommendations by judges for people to seek counseling, parenting services, seek employment and many other various services that this organization provides. The courts may order a person to seek a certain service that is provided by Family and Children INC, the councilors of the organization will have to report to the courts of the person 's progress, and weather or not the program is helping them. If the person does not follow the recommendations, that person can be required to serve jail time.

ReferencesFamily and Children Services of Niagara INC. http://niagarafamily.org/Social Policy and Social Programs (2005) A Method for the Practical Public Policy Analyst