You might have seen Georgia's State Capitol building in Atlanta.

It's the one with the shiny gold dome on top.

You might have also heard words like legislator, or General Assembly, but what do those actually mean?

And what really happens inside that building?

Well, that's where the state's lawmakers or legislators come together to make laws.

All activities of state government are based on laws.

Before a restaurant can serve food, or before a new road or bridge gets built, there has to be a law that says it can happen.

Laws affect all of us in big and small ways.

In Georgia, you're required to stay in school until a certain age because a law says so.

You can't drive until a certain age, and even then, only undefined rules because of a law.

Many of the things you can and can't do are based on your age and laws made by lawmakers, but where do these laws actually come from?

Who writes them?

And do all states have the same ones?

(upbeat music) Laws start as ideas.

Anyone can come up with one, but turning an idea into an official law, well, that job belongs to a group called the legislature.

Every US state has its own legislature, and each one makes laws for its own state.

That's why laws can be different in Georgia than they are in Florida or Alabama.

In Georgia, our state legislature is called the General Assembly.

It's made up of elected officials called legislators, and they're the ones who help make or enact laws for our state.

Each year, starting on the second Monday in January, the General assembly meets for 40 work days at the Capitol Building, in Atlanta.

A legislator's job includes working on committees, writing and passing laws, approving Georgia's yearly budget, deciding on constitutional changes that may go on the ballot and redistricting or redrawing voting districts every 10 years.

Georgia's legislative branch consists of two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Both chambers have similar responsibilities, but the qualifications to hold a position are a little different in each chamber.

To run for Georgia State Senate, you must be at least 25 years old, live in Georgia for at least two years, live in your district for at least one year, and be a US citizen.

To run for the House of Representatives.

You must be at least 21 years old, live in Georgia for at least two years, live in your district for at least one year, and be a US citizen.

Senators and representatives serve two year terms and elections happen every even numbered year in November.

Once elected these lawmakers join committees, or smaller groups that focus on different topics like transportation, finance, education, or agriculture.

Think of it like dividing up roles in a group project so everything gets done.

There are four different types of committees in the General Assembly.

Standing committees are permanent committees that meet every legislative session.

Ad hoc committees are temporary ones that are created to address a specific issue or task.

Joint committees are those made up of members of both the House and Senate, and conference Committees are created to help settle differences when the House and Senate don't agree on the details of a bill.

A bill is a draft of a law that could become official if lawmakers approve it.

Committees can approve, change or kill a bill, but before a bill can officially become a law, it has to pass through many stages.

Remember, it all starts with an idea.

That idea could be based on something voters care about or something the governor suggests.

Then the idea is written into a bill.

The bill then gets formally introduced with a first reading where the title is read aloud to the House or Senate.

After that, it gets a second reading in the House of Representatives and is assigned to a specific committee, and that's when the members of that committee get to work.

The committee looks closely at the bill, asks questions, debates, and decides what to do next.

The committee can approve the bill as it is, make changes, and approve it, or reject it completely.

If the committee passes the bill, the next step is the third reading, then the full chamber that the bill was first introduced to debates and votes on it.

If it passes there, the bill moves to the other chamber to repeat the process.

This is where things might get a little complicated.

If the second chamber changes the bill, it has to go back to the first chamber for approval.

If they don't agree, a conference committee works out a compromise.

If both sides agree on the final version, the bill is sent to the governor.

This is the last step of the legislative process.

When the governor receives a bill, they have 40 days to decide what to do with it, and that decision comes down to three options.

The governor could sign the bill into law, veto the bill, or do nothing.

If the governor vetoes the bill, it can still become law if two thirds of both chambers vote to override the veto.

If the governor does nothing with the bill after the 40 days have expired, it becomes law.

While the General Assembly typically passes several bills during its 40 day legislative session.

There's only one it must pass the appropriations bill, aka, the state's budget.

That's because it takes money to run schools, fix roads, and provide public services.

The money Georgia uses to pay for these things comes from two sources, tax revenue and non-tax revenue.

Tax revenue include things like individual income taxes, corporate income taxes, insurance premium taxes, general sales taxes, property taxes, excise taxes, and estate and inheritance taxes.

Not all of Georgia's income comes from taxes though, some non-tax revenues include entrance fees to state parks, settlement programs, and the state lottery, which generates 5% of the state's revenue per year, making it one of Georgia's largest sources of income.

Just like other bills, the budget has to be approved by both chambers of the General Assembly and signed by the governor.

The decisions made at the Capitol affect our daily lives, from the roads you ride on, to the schools you attend.

Even if you're not old enough to vote yet, you can still learn who represents you.

So here's your challenge.

Find out who your state senator and representative are.

What committees do they serve on?

What bills have they helped to pass or stop?

Understanding how laws are made helps you be an informed citizen, and that's a big part of living in a strong democracy.

(upbeat music) (graphics whooshing)