The mere writing of a bill in language that will convey the exact meaning intended, and that will not involve undesirable and unexpected results, is a difficult matter that requires the skill of men trained for it.

LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAUS

In a number of states an attempt has been made to meet these natural difficulties by the establishment of legislative reference libraries, or bureaus, in charge of highly trained students who collect all available information relating to every possible subject of legislation, keep records of legislation in other states, and place the material in convenient form at the disposal of the legislators.  Sometimes they provide expert service in the writing of bills in the proper form.  It is said that such legislative reference bureaus have already greatly improved the quality of legislation in some of the states.

It would be impossible for a legislature, acting as a body, to give consideration to more than a small fraction of the bills that come before it.

It is said that it is not unusual for more than 2500 bills to be introduced at a single session.  Legislatures are in session from 40 to 90 days.  If the session were 60 days, and the working day 10 hours, there would be but 15 minutes for each of 2500 bills.  This time would be divided between the two houses.  Besides, a great deal of business must be transacted other than the consideration and passage of bills.

THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM OF LEGISLATION

To make possible the handling of all this work, each house is organized in standing committees.  As bills are introduced, they are referred to their appropriate committees, in which most of the work of lawmaking is done.  Most of the bills so referred are never reported back to the legislature at all, and those that are reported are in most cases acted upon by the legislature in accordance with the committees’ reports, with little general discussion.  The procedure followed in referring bills to committees and in considering them when they are reported back is determined by a complexity of rules that are confusing to the outsider and that cannot be explained in detail here.  But their declared purpose is to save time and to enable the legislative business to move smoothly.  The small committees can work to better advantage than the large body of men in either chamber.  The work is divided up so that the few members of each committee can concentrate their attention upon a few subjects and gain experience in handling special kinds of problems.

INVISIBLE GOVERNMENT