The Journey Of A Bill To Law In Philippines

The process of a bill becoming a law in the Philippines involves multiple steps and can take up to 12 steps. It begins with a member of Congress drafting a bill, which is then filed in the chamber they are a member of. The bill undergoes three readings and committee consideration in that chamber. If approved, it moves to the other chamber for the same process. If differences arise, a bicameral conference committee is formed to reconcile the two versions. Once approved by both chambers, the bill is sent to the President, who can sign it into law, veto it, or do nothing and let it become law.

Bills must be drafted by a legislator and filed in the chamber they are a member of

The legislative process to pass a bill into law in the Philippines involves several steps. It begins with a member of Congress, known as a legislator, drafting a bill. This is the first step in the process, and it is crucial as it sets the foundation for the rest of the bill's journey to becoming a law.

Once a legislator has drafted a bill, the next step is to file it in the chamber they are a member of. This can be either the Senate or the House of Representatives, also known as the lower house. This step is important because it determines the initial path that the bill will take through the legislative process.

The legislator will file the bill with the appropriate office, either the Office of the Secretary in the Senate or the Bills and Index Service in the House of Representatives. This step involves assigning a number to the bill and recording its title, author, and/or sponsor. This information will be read on the floor during the First Reading of the bill.

After the bill is filed and recorded, it will undergo its First Reading. During this stage, the bill is formally introduced and referred to the appropriate committee for study and recommendation. This committee will evaluate the bill, conduct public hearings, make recommendations, and transmit their findings to the Plenary Session for further action.

The committee evaluation stage is crucial as it determines the necessity of conducting public hearings. If the committee finds it necessary, they will schedule hearings and invite experts and stakeholders from various sectors to provide input and insights on the proposed legislation. If public hearings are deemed unnecessary, the committee will schedule internal discussions on the bill.

Based on the results of the public hearings or committee discussions, the committee may introduce amendments, consolidate similar bills, or propose a substitute bill. They will then prepare a committee report detailing their findings, recommendations, and any proposed changes to the original bill.

This report is essential as it forms the basis for the next steps in the legislative process, including the Second and Third Readings of the bill. The report is registered and numbered before being included in the Order of Business and referred to the Committee on Rules to schedule the bill for its Second Reading.

In summary, the drafting and filing of a bill by a legislator in their respective chamber are the initial and critical steps in the legislative process. These steps set the bill on its path to becoming a law, with further actions including committee evaluations, readings, and votes determining its ultimate fate.

Bills must go through three readings in both the House of Representatives and the Senate

The legislative process to pass a bill into law in the Philippines involves up to 12 steps. It begins with a member of Congress drafting a bill. The bill then goes through three readings in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The three readings must be done on separate days. Printed copies of the bill in its final form should be distributed to the Members of the house three days before its passage. However, the requirements of printing and reading on separate days are not necessary when the President certifies the urgency of the bill's immediate enactment to address a public calamity or emergency.

In the first reading, the number and title of the bill are read. The bill is then sent to the proper Committee for study and recommendation.

In the second reading, the bill is read in full, along with any amendments proposed by the Committee. The bill is then subject to debates and further amendments. After any amendments, the bill is voted upon.

If the bill is approved after the second reading, it goes to the third reading, where it is voted on again.

After the three readings in the first house, the bill is transmitted to the second house, where the same process of three readings is followed. If the second house introduces amendments, the bill is sent back to the first house. If the first house agrees to the amendments, the bill is authenticated and transmitted to the President. If the first house does not agree to the amendments, the differences are settled by the Conference Committees of both houses.

Bills can be amended or approved during the three readings

In the Philippines, bills are proposed legislative measures introduced by a member or members of Congress for enactment into law. They are subject to three readings, which must be done on separate days, and printed copies of the bill in its final form should be distributed to the Members of the house three days before its passage.

During the first reading, the number and title of the bill are read. The bill is then sent to the proper Committee for study and recommendation.

In the second reading, the bill is read in full, along with any amendments proposed by the Committee. The bill is then subject to debates and further amendments. After any amendments, the bill is voted upon. If the bill is approved after the second reading, it proceeds to the third reading, where it is voted upon again.

Amendments may be offered at both the committee and floor action stages, and the bill that emerges from the second chamber may differ significantly from the version passed by the first. In such cases, a common procedure is for the chamber that acts last to bring up the other chamber's bill, substitute its own version, and then send the numbered bill to a conference committee to resolve all differences.

After the three readings in the first house, the bill is transmitted to the second house, where the same process of three readings is followed. If the second house introduces amendments, the bill is sent back to the first house. If the first house agrees to the amendments, the bill is authenticated and transmitted to the President. However, if the first house does not agree to the amendments, the differences are settled by the Conference Committees of both houses.

The Conference Committee provides a report or recommendation, which is then approved by both houses. The bill is then authenticated and transmitted to the President.

The President has three options: he can sign the bill, making it a law; he can choose not to act on the bill within 30 days, in which case it becomes a law as if he had signed it; or he can veto the bill. If the President vetoes the bill, he returns it to the first house, and if 2/3 of the Members of both the first and second houses agree to pass the bill, it becomes a law without requiring the President's signature.

If approved differently, a conference committee reconciles the versions

In the Philippines, a bill must be passed by both houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, before it can be presented to the President. Once one chamber passes a bill, it is sent to the other chamber. If the second chamber disagrees with the bill, it may decide to amend it and send an alternative version back to the first chamber. This back-and-forth trading of proposals is called amendment exchange or ping-pong.

If the two chambers cannot agree on a bill, a conference committee may be formed. A conference committee is a temporary committee made up of members from each house of Congress, known as conferees who try to negotiate a compromise, drawing on elements of the competing proposals. If a proposal is agreed upon by a majority of conferees from each house, it is embodied in a conference report. The conference report is then considered and voted on by each chamber. If both chambers agree to the report without changes, the bill can move to the next step in becoming law.

The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or do nothing

In the Philippines, the President has three options when it comes to signing a bill into law: signing the bill, vetoing it, or doing nothing. Each of these options has distinct implications for the bill's progression.

Firstly, the President can sign the bill, thereby enacting it into law. This is the most straightforward route to a bill becoming law.

Secondly, the President has the power to veto, or reject, a bill. If the President chooses to veto a bill, it is not the end of the road for the legislation. The bill is returned to the congressional chamber where it originated, and that chamber may attempt to override the veto. A successful override requires the support of two-thirds of the voting members. If this occurs, the bill is then sent to the other chamber, which can also attempt an override vote. Only if both chambers vote to override does the bill become law, despite the President's objection. Overriding a presidential veto is a rare occurrence.

Thirdly, the President has the option to take no action on a bill. If the President does not sign or veto a bill within 30 days of receiving it, the bill can become law as if the President had signed it. However, this scenario only applies if Congress is still in session. If Congress adjourns before the 10-day period ends and the President has not signed the bill, it does not become law, a situation known as a "pocket veto."

The process of a bill becoming a law in the Philippines involves multiple steps and the engagement of both houses of Congress, as well as the President. The bill undergoes three readings in each house, with amendments and debates along the way, before being transmitted to the President for approval, veto, or inaction.

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