Just how does a bill become law? There are many steps involved in getting a bill passed through the House and signed into law. A bill must go through various committees and caucus reviews before being brought to a vote. These documents and steps help explain the intricate process of how a bill becomes law.
Step 1
An idea for legislation is created by a Member of the House of Representatives. The Member (sponsor) takes the idea to the Legislative Reference Bureau where they create a draft, known as a blueback.
House Floor by Office of PublicationsPennsylvania House of Representatives Archives
Step 2
The blueback is given to the Speaker of the House, where it is then assigned to a committee. It is given a printer's number to make it official before sending to all the Members of the House. It is then entered online for public view.
Step 3
The bill is then discussed in committee, if selected by the Chair. During this step, the committee may have a public hearing, information meeting, and further discussion to move the bill forward or not.
STEP 4: If a bill is successfully voted out of committee, its next stop is the House Floor. Before discussion on the House Floor, each caucus (party) meets privately to discuss the bill, also known as “caucusing.”
STEP 5: The bill is now brought to the House Floor. The bill is presented on the first day of consideration with no debate or vote. Fifteen days must pass before second consideration. On second consideration, the bill is possibly debated, and amendments may be offered. Third day of consideration is the most important, as a full 203 Member vote is taken to determine if the bill will go to the next step: the Senate. A simple majority of 102 votes is needed for the bill to pass.
Step 6
The bill then goes to the Senate where it goes through the same process as the House. If it does not pass any of the Senate stages, the bill “dies” or stops completely. If there are any amendments from the Senate, it then has to go back to the House for approval.
Bill Signing (20th Century) by Representative Robert GodshallPennsylvania House of Representatives Archives
Step 7
If the bill passes both the House and Senate, it heads to the Governor’s desk. The Governor can sign the bill into law or veto it, which stops the bill completely. If signed into law, it is given an Act number.
Memorabilia from the bill signing event
1976 Schoolhouse Rock's "I'm Just a Bill"
