HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW

1. A petition is filed in the Office of the Clerk by a member.

2. The petition is processed, printed, and referred to the appropriate committee.

3. A public hearing by committee is held on the bill, at which time interested parties may testify for or against the bill. The bill is then reported (favorably or adversely) into the branch where it originated.

4. The first reading takes place when the bill appears in the Journal of the appropriate branch identifying the action taken by the committee. This is the first informal reading.

5. In preparation for the second reading, the bill is sent to (1) the Steering and Policy committee of the appropriate branch (determines agenda) and (2) in the House, to the Rules committee, which sets the length of debate and terms for filing amendments. At the second reading, the clerk records the title and the bill is subject to debate and amendment before the full body. The member sponsoring the bill may offer an explanation and answer questions pertaining to the bill.

6. The bill is sent to the Committee on Bills in the Third Reading in the branch where it originated to be reviewed for technical accuracy. When released, the bill is open for debate and amendment on the floor. The bill is then passed on to be engrossed.

7. The bill is sent to the other branch, where it goes through the same procedure.

8. The bill is sent to the Legislative Engrossing Division to be placed on engrossment paper in accordance with the General Laws.

After the bill has been engrossed, it is sent to the House then to the Senate. The bill is always enacted in the House first and the Senate last, where it is then delivered to the Governor. The Governor has ten days to sign, veto, return with an amendment, or let the bill become law without a signature. A Governor’s veto may be overridden by a 2/3 vote of both branches.

Source: Levitan, Donald, Elwyn Mariner Your Massachusetts Government, 10th ed. Government Publications, Newtown Center, MA: 1984.