Step 1
Proposed Bill
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Step 2
Bill is sent to the clerk of the
House of the sponsoring
legislator for numbering.
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Step 3
Bill title, number and sponsors
are printed in the House and
Senate Journals.
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Step 4
Bill is sent to the appropriate joint standing committee of the
General Assembly, depending
on the bill's subject matter.
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Step 5
Committee may:
1) have the bill drafted in legal
language;
2) combine it with other bills
and have it drafted as a
committee bill;
3) refer the bill to another
committee;
4) take no action so the bill fails.
The committee may also write a
new "raised" bill.
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Step 6
Committee holds public
hearings for the public,
state agency representatives and legislators on all bills it wishes
to consider.
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Step 7 
Committee may report the bill
favorably, defeat the bill or issue
no report (bill fails).
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Step 8
Bill requiring action by another
committee is referred to that
committee. For example, a bill
requiring expenditures is referred
to the Appropriations Committee.
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Step 9
After leaving the last committee,
the bill is sent to the Legislative
Commissioners' Office to be
checked for constitutionality and consistency with other law.
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Step 10
The Office of Fiscal Analysis adds
an estimate of the bill's cost.
The Office of Legislative Research
adds a 'plain English' explanation
of the bill.
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Step 11
Clerk assigns the bill a calender
number.
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Step 12
Final Printing of the bill.
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Step 13
Debate and amendments in the
house of origin. House may send
the bill to another committee
before voting.
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Step 14
Vote on bill.
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Step 15
A 'yes' vote sends the bill to the
other house for placement on
their calendar.
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Step 16
Other house votes on the bill.
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Step 17
If amended by second house,
bill is returned to first house for concurrence.
If House and Senate cannot agree, the bill is sent to a joint conference committee.
If not amended, bill is sent to the
governor.
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Step 18
If the conference committee reaches
an agreement, a report is sent to
both houses.
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Step 19
If one or both houses reject the
changes, the bill fails.
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Step 20tep 20
If both houses pass the bill,
it is sent to the governor.
The Governor can:
1) sign the bill
2) veto it, or
3) take no action
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Step 21
If the Governor vetoes, the bill is returned to the house in which it
originated.
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Step 22
Vetoed bills can be reconsidered
by both houses.
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Step 23
The bill becomes law if:
1) The Governor signs it,
2) The Governor fails to sign within
5 days during the legislative
session, or 15 days after
adjournment;
3) The vetoed bill is re-passed by
a 2/3 vote of the elected
membership.
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