Image of four students

From left to right: Kamilah Collazo, 18; Sevion Daniels, 18; Laraina Fernandez, 16; Genesis Salcedo Lima, 17

Bob Croslin/AP Content Services for Scholastic, Inc.

STANDARDS

NCSS: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions • Power, Authority, and Governance • Civic Ideals and Practices

Common Core: RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.3, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.5, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.2, WHST.6-8.4, WHST.6-8.9, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.3, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.5, RI.6-8.7, RI.6-8.9, W.6-8.2, W.6-8.4, W.6-8.9

Article Options

Presentation View
Teaching Resources

Lexile® measure

Standards

CIVICS

Could Their Bill Become a Law?

These four students wanted filing taxes and other real-world skills to be taught in high school. Follow along as they fight for their big idea in the Florida Legislature.

September 2025
By Lisa M. Herrington

Click here to take a Prereading Quiz before you read this article.

Question: How does this experience compare with what you know about how a bill can become a law?

Question: How does this experience compare with what you know about how a bill can become a law?

How a Bill Becomes a Law
Watch a video about the lawmaking process.

Eyecrave Productions/Getty Images

The state capitol in Tallahassee, Florida

Laraina Fernandez stood nervously before lawmakers in Tallahassee, Florida’s capital, this past spring. She and three of her classmates had dreamed up an idea for a new law, and Laraina, 16, was trying to persuade their state’s legislature to pass it.

The bill, called the Smart Living Act, would ensure that high school students in Florida are taught life skills in class—like how to create a résumé, change a tire, and file income taxes. “Those are things that students are going to have to rely on in their adult life after high school,” says Laraina, a student at Jefferson High School in Tampa, Florida.

Laraina and her classmates came up with the proposal as part of a bill-drafting competition. But they knew that just having an idea for a law wasn’t enough. So last fall they teamed up with Susan Valdés, the state representative for their district, to make it happen. Valdés agreed to sponsor their bill in the state House of Representatives—and to help the students navigate the process.

To become a state law, the bill would need approval from both chambers of Florida’s legislature: the House and the Senate. Then it would go to the governor for approval. Even with Valdés on their side, and Laraina’s testimony, the odds weren’t in their favor. Only a small fraction of bills are ultimately successful. What would it take to bring their law to life? Read on to find out. 

This past spring, Laraina Fernandez stood nervously before lawmakers in Tallahassee. That is Florida’s capital. She and three of her classmates had dreamed up an idea for a new law. Laraina, 16, was trying to persuade their state’s legislature to pass it.

The bill is called the Smart Living Act. It would ensure that high school classes in Florida teach students life skills. Such skills include how to create a résumé, change a tire, and file income taxes. “Those are things that students are going to have to rely on in their adult life after high school,” says Laraina. She is a student at Jefferson High School in Tampa, Florida.

Laraina and her classmates came up with the proposal as part of a bill-drafting competition. But they knew that just having an idea for a law was not enough. So last fall they teamed up with Susan Valdés to make it happen. Valdés is the state representative for their district. She agreed to sponsor their bill in the state House of Representatives. And she agreed to help the students navigate the process.

To become a state law, the bill would need approval from both chambers of Florida’s legislature: the House and the Senate. Then it would go to the governor for approval. Even with Valdés on their side, and Laraina’s testimony, the odds were not in their favor. Only a small fraction of bills are ultimately successful. What would it take to bring their law to life? Read on to find out.

Allison Kuhn

Representative Susan Valdés (center) sponsored the Jefferson students’ bill in late February 2025.

Step 1: Drafting the Bill

Laraina and her classmates knew what they wanted their bill to achieve. But its wording had to be precise and follow a specific format. To help, Valdés submitted their idea to the House Bill Drafting Service, a department in the legislature. The bill drafters worked with the teens to get the wording just so. “We went back and forth . . . a bunch of times just to make sure our bill was perfect and that everybody on the team was happy,” Laraina says.

Laraina and her classmates knew what they wanted their bill to achieve. But its wording had to be precise and follow a specific format. To help, Valdés submitted their idea to the House Bill Drafting Service. That is a department in their state’s legislature. The bill drafters worked with the teens to get the wording just so. “We went back and forth . . . a bunch of times just to make sure our bill was perfect and that everybody on the team was happy,” Laraina says.

“Seeing the bill submitted was the most amazing experience out of the whole process.”

—Sevion Daniels

At the same time, the teens met with an education policy expert to learn about potential life skills they could include in their bill. They ended up adding one more—learning how to apply for scholarships, grants, and loans to pay for college.

In late February, just before Florida’s regular legislative session began, Valdés and the students filed their bill in the House online. They hit the button together. High fives and cheering followed. “Seeing the bill submitted was the most amazing experience out of the whole process,” Sevion Daniels, 18, recalls. 

At the same time, the teens met with an education policy expert to learn about potential life skills they could include in their bill. They ended up adding one more—learning how to apply for scholarships, grants, and loans to pay for college.

In late February, Valdés and the students filed their bill in the House online. It was just before Florida’s regular legislative session began. They hit the button together. High fives and cheering followed. “Seeing the bill submitted was the most amazing experience out of the whole process,” Sevion Daniels, 18, recalls.

Step 2: Heading to Committee 

The bill’s first stop in the House was a subcommittee—the Careers and Workforce Subcommittee to be exact. The House is divided into groups of lawmakers who focus on different topics. Committees and subcommittees conduct hearings and gather more information about bills. Then they decide whether those bills should be scrapped, changed, or moved along for more House members to consider. 

Laraina and her classmate Genesis Salcedo Lima visited the state capitol in late March to address the Careers and Workforce Subcommittee on behalf of their bill. “We were so scared because we’re a couple of teenagers in front of this big group of adults,” Laraina recalls. Still, their efforts paid off—the subcommittee approved their bill.

The bill’s first stop in the House was a subcommittee. It was the Careers and Workforce Subcommittee to be exact. The House is divided into groups of lawmakers who focus on different topics. Committees and subcommittees conduct hearings and gather more information about bills. Then they decide whether those bills should be scrapped, changed, or moved along for more House members to consider.

Laraina and her classmate Genesis Salcedo Lima visited the state capitol in late March. They addressed the Careers and Workforce Subcommittee on behalf of their bill. “We were so scared because we’re a couple of teenagers in front of this big group of adults,” Laraina recalls. Still, their efforts paid off. The subcommittee approved their bill.

Step 3: Amending the Bill

The teens couldn’t focus only on the House, however. They needed someone to introduce their bill in the Senate so it could go through a similar committee process there. But the Senate sponsor they had found fell through. And if a bill doesn’t have a companion bill filed in the other chamber, it typically won’t advance.

Not ready to give up, Valdés and the teens tried a different strategy: adding their idea to HB 1255, a larger education bill that was already moving through both chambers of the legislature. Many lawmakers at the state and national level use this same technique to get smaller bills passed.

Valdés filed an amendment to HB 1255 to make it happen. This gave the teens’ idea a better chance of becoming law—but at a cost. Not all of the Smart Living Act was added, only the life skills related to financial management and applying for financial aid. “That was a way of compromising, of being able to get their voices heard,” Valdés explains.  

But the teens could not focus only on the House. They needed someone to introduce their bill in the Senate so it could go through a similar committee process there. But the Senate sponsor they had found fell through. And if a bill does not have a companion bill filed in the other chamber? It typically will not advance.

Valdés and the teens were not ready to give up. So they tried a different strategy. They added their idea to HB 1255, a larger education bill that was already moving through both chambers of the legislature. Many lawmakers at the state and national level use this same technique to get smaller bills passed.

Valdés filed an amendment to HB 1255 to make it happen. This gave the teens’ idea a better chance of becoming law. But there was a cost. Not all of the Smart Living Act was added. Only the life skills related to financial management and applying for financial aid were included. “That was a way of compromising, of being able to get their voices heard,” Valdés explains.

The Florida Channel

Genesis Salcedo Lima (left) and Laraina Fernandez testify in the Florida House in March 2025.

Step 4: Passing the Chambers

Success was not guaranteed though. The larger education bill still had to go through more committees in the House and Senate. After HB 1255 received approval from House committees, representatives voted on the legislation in late April. A bill needs to receive a majority of votes to pass. HB 1255 passed in the House with a vote of 86 to 27. 

But the Senate version of the bill was still in committee—and time was running out. The legislature typically meets for 60 days. Any bills not passed in that time fail. Plus, for a bill to become a law, both chambers must approve it with identical language. So to save time, the Senate adopted the House version of the bill. 

The Senate passed the bill, but with edits to some of the wording—requiring the bill to return to the House for another vote. The House made a few more changes to the Senate’s version before once again voting. This time, the bill passed the House unanimously. That final version bounced back to the Senate, which also approved it. 

Success was not guaranteed though. The larger education bill still had to go through more committees in the House and Senate. After HB 1255 received approval from House committees, representatives voted on the legislation in late April. A bill needs to receive a majority of votes to pass. HB 1255 passed in the House with a vote of 86 to 27.

But the Senate version of the bill was still in committee. And time was running out. The legislature typically meets for 60 days. Any bills not passed in that time fail. Plus, for a bill to become a law, both chambers must approve it with identical language. So to save time, the Senate adopted the House version of the bill.

The Senate passed the bill, but with edits to some of the wording. That required the bill to be returned to the House for another vote. The House made a few more changes to the Senate’s version before once again voting. This time, the bill passed the House unanimously. That final version bounced back to the Senate, which also approved it.

“The most surprising thing has been the impact that we made. I felt like I was creating history.”

—Kamilah Collazo

Step 5: Going to the Governor

Once the bill was passed by both chambers, it went to the governor. On May 30, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill.

With that, the education bill became law—including part of the students’ original Smart Living Act. As of this past July, Florida public schools must now teach high schoolers skills like how to manage their money and apply for scholarships.

For the students involved, the experience was a chance to shape legislation that will impact future generations. “I felt like I was creating history,” says Kamilah Collazo, 18.

Adds Sevion: “It’s very exciting to see our voices are being heard.”

Once the bill was passed by both chambers, it went to the governor. On May 30, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill.

With that, the education bill became law. It includes part of the students’ original Smart Living Act. As of this past July, Florida public schools must now teach high schoolers skills like how to manage their money and apply for scholarships.

For the students involved, the experience was a chance to shape legislation that will impact future generations. “I felt like I was creating history,” says Kamilah Collazo, 18.

Adds Sevion: “It’s very exciting to see our voices are being heard.”

YOUR TURN

Brainstorm a Bill

Think of an issue or challenge facing your state—and a law that could address it. What changes would your legislation make? Then write a short essay explaining your idea, including a name for your bill.

Think of an issue or challenge facing your state—and a law that could address it. What changes would your legislation make? Then write a short essay explaining your idea, including a name for your bill.

U.S. News
Teens, Government and Politics, Civics

Interactive Quiz for this article

Click the Google Classroom button below to share the Know the News quiz with your class.

Download .PDF
videos (1)
Skills Sheets (6)
Skills Sheets (6)
Skills Sheets (6)
Skills Sheets (6)
Skills Sheets (6)
Skills Sheets (6)
Lesson Plan (2)
Lesson Plan (2)
Article (1)
Leveled Articles (1)
Text-to-Speech