HB1697

A member of the Senate or the House introduces a bill, which is assigned a unique identifying number (e.g., "H.B. ___" for House bills and "S.B. ___" for Senate bills). If not enacted, it must be reintroduced in the next General Assembly with a new number.

The bill goes to the appropriate committee, which holds hearings to gather expert opinions and determine the need for the legislation.

The committee may make amendments to the bill. If approved, a committee report endorsing the bill is issued.

The bill is debated and can be further amended. The debate transcripts are accessible online for public viewing.

If the bill passes in the first chamber, it moves to the second chamber for a similar review process. If both chambers approve, it goes to the governor.

The governor can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action (resulting in an automatic law after 60 days). The type of veto can be total or amendatory. Once signed, the bill becomes a Public Act and is assigned a Public Act number.