After a bill is introduced into Congress (or your state legislature), it goes to a committee for consideration.  If committee members decide to proceed with the bill, they usually hold a public hearing.  At the hearing, testimony is given for and against it.  If you wish to have your students become familiar with committee hearing procedures, which are more formal that the procedures used for Youth Forums, the following simplified procedures will guide your efforts.

1.         Assign students to roles:

•  One student will serve as the chairperson of the committee.  The teacher may choose to serve as chairperson (or co‑chairperson) to facilitate the committee hearing.      

• One student should be assigned to serve as the author of the bill, presenting an overview of the legislation.  The author may choose others to serve as experts.  For example, one student might role-play a doctor who works in an emergency room treating victims of abuse, and one might role-play a crisis counselor. Each expert will testify before the committee. (Lessons using mock legislative hearings often include several expert witnesses roles.)

2.After students have had time to prepare, conduct the legislative committee hearing, using the simplified procedure described in the attached student handout.

 

 Mock_Legislative_Procedure.doc   Student Handout