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Question about parliamentary procedure

peter nap

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
13,551
Location
Valhalla
I just want to double check myself on a Bill

If a Senate bill comes over to the House, it is voted on by the House then. If the House recommends amendments it goes to committee but if not it is either dead or ready for the Governor.

Am I correct on that?
 

67GT390FB

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2007
Messages
860
Location
Richmond, Virginia, USA
I just want to double check myself on a Bill

If a Senate bill comes over to the House, it is voted on by the House then. If the House recommends amendments it goes to committee but if not it is either dead or ready for the Governor.

Am I correct on that?

peter i believe it goes to committee whether there are amendments or not.
 

TFred

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
7,750
Location
Most historic town in, Virginia, USA
Here's a good example of a bill from last year that went round and round and round.

Not sure we can describe it in plain language, but you can at least follow all the steps it went through:

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?121+sum+HB375

This was the parking lot bill.
I took a shot... this was a good example, it went through just about every change there is!

House:

Initial filing
Referred to committee and sub-committee
Passed out of both
Full House vote (twice)
Amended on floor
Full House vote third time.

Senate:

Referred to committee
Reported with substitute
Full Senate rejected committee substitute
Floor substitute - agreed to
Passed full Senate

House:

Full House rejected Senate substitute

Senate:

Full Senate insisted on substitute

Senate requests conference committee
House agrees to conference committee

Senate/House: both appoint members to committee

From here it's confusing, looks like Senate agreed, House substituted?

Bill passed House and Senate as HB375ER
Signed by both leaders.

Governor returns with recommendation
House and Senate both concur on Governor's recommendation

Signed again by both leaders, and finally Governor.
 

peter nap

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
13,551
Location
Valhalla
peter i believe it goes to committee whether there are amendments or not.

That's what I'm trying to figure out.
I've never seen one that was not referred to committee but I think it has to actually be referred there, not automatically go in.

The only hope for this is to keep it out of committee in the House or at least the Warehouse of death, and that means pressure on the Speaker I think.

Just trying to figure where to swat that Elephant with a stick.
 
Last edited:

t3a1s5

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2011
Messages
50
Location
Wyoming
I don't know how it is in Virginia, but in Wyoming the leadership of the chamber (Speaker of the House or President of the Senate) assigns bills to the committee of his choosing after the bill comes into the chamber.

They have the authority, for example, to assign a gun bill to the education committee if they wish. Choosing a particular committee assignment can make a huge difference in what happens to a bill.

I think what peter nap is having difficulty with is that in Robert's Rules of Order there must be a motion made to refer something to a committee. Legislatures' "rules of order" don't usually bear any resemblance to Robert's Rules of Order.

Here is a link that will lead you to the House and Senate rules of the General Assembly in Virginia

http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/...des/contentTemplate.php?tid=52&ctype=b&cid=90

And a link to a summary of the process of a bill becoming law.

http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/includes/contentTemplate.php?tid=52&ctype=b&cid=90
 
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