Legislative Process: How a Bill Becomes a Bill
1. Drafting and Filing: The procedure starts when a member of the Senate and House of Representatives
of the Philippine Congress prepares a bill. A legislator, a committee, a government organization, or even
the president can put forth this measure.
2. First Reading: Depending on where it was filed, the measure is either introduced in the House of
Representatives or the Senate. The title and broad goals of the bill are read during the first reading, after
which it is forwarded to the appropriate committee for additional discussion.
3. Committee Review: A pertinent committee receives the bill, which it reviews and discusses in depth.
The committee has the authority to convene public hearings, assemble expert testimony, and alter the
legislation. Depending on how complicated the bill is, the procedure may take a while.
4. Second Reading: The measure is brought for the second reading after the committee's consideration.
The bill is discussed on the floor at this time, and other amendments may be proposed. The discussion is
concluded with a vote. The third reading will be held if the bill advances from this point.
5. Third Reading: A third reading of the legislation is followed by a vote. If it is approved by a majority of
the members, it is sent to the other house (the House of Representatives or the Senate), where it goes
through a similar procedure that includes committee scrutiny, second reading, and third reading. The
measure goes through a bicameral conference committee to resolve the discrepancies between the
versions passed by each house if the other house makes revisions.
6. Transmittal of the Approved Bill to the Senate: A bill is submitted to the opposite house after it has
been accepted in the house from which it originally came. It is forwarded to the Senate if it originated in
the House of Representatives, and the House of Representatives if it originated in the Senate.
7. Senate Action on Approved Bill of the House: The measure is referred to the appropriate Senate
committee, which examines it in-depth, conducts hearings, and, if required, proposes revisions. The bill
moves to the Senate floor for the second reading once the committee has reviewed it. Senators discuss
the bill's provisions at this point, and other amendments may be put up and considered. The measure
moves on to the third reading if it passes the second reading. A final vote is held, and the bill is said to
have passed the Senate if a majority of Senators participate.
8. Presidential Action on the Bill:
a. If the President signs the bill, it is given a RA number and sent back to the House from which it
originally came.
b. If the bill is vetoed, the same, together with a message detailing the veto's justification, is sent
back to the House from which it originally came.
9. Action on the Approved Bill: For publication and distribution to the implementing agencies, the bill is
copied, and copies are forwarded to the Official Gasette Office. The annual collection of Acts and
Resolutions then contains it.
10. Action on the Vetoed Bill: The Order of Business contains the message. The House and the Senate
will independently review the bill or the vetoed portions of the bill if the Congress decides to override
the veto. The measure or its vetoed items will become law if they are approved by a vote of two-thirds of
the members of each House.
Source: House of the Representatives Legislative Information. https://www.congress.gov.ph/legisinfo/?
v=process#APPROVED
