13. If the second house did amend it, the house of origin votes on whether to accept the
second-house version of the bill.
14. If the house of origin accepts the second house’s changes, it votes on the bill again (it’s
called “Final Reading”), and if the bill passes, it goes to the governor. This second vote
is required because the house of origin never has voted on this version of the bill.
15. If the house of origin rejects the second house’s changes, its presiding officer (speaker in
the House, president in the Senate) appoints a few members, usually including the
principal sponsor, to a committee to meet with a few members from the second house
appointed by that house’s presiding officer and resolve the differences. This is called a
conference committee.
16. The conference committee usually recommends approval of one of three versions of the
bill: 1) As it passed its house of origin, 2) As it passed the second house, or—and this is
common—3) With new amendments that create a version of the bill that neither house
has voted on.
17. The conference report (the version of the bill recommended by the conference
committee) is submitted to both houses. A voice vote in each house and then a final vote
in at least one house must approve it: If the conference committee recommended the
House version, then the Senate must vote a final time (because it never voted on the
House version); if it recommends the Senate version then the House must vote a final
time; and if it recommends a brand-new version, both houses must vote a final time.
18. After approval of the conference report and all required final votes, the bill is sent to the
Governor by its house of origin.
19. The Governor must act on the bill by a prescribed deadline. If the Governor does not
sign the bill into law or veto it, the bill is filed into law automatically.
