HOW A BILL

BECOMES A
LAW IN THE 1. PREPARATION OF THE BILL

PHILIPPINES Legislative proposals may emerge as senators and

representatives interact with their constituents. If
lawmakers decide that passing a law is the best way to
The bill is prepared. solve their constituents' concerns, they thoroughly
research the ideas and incorporate them into laws.
The House of Individuals and groups may also create legislation and
Representatives has its request that it be filed in Congress by their lawmakers.
first reading.
Furthermore, the president of the Philippines also
A Committee outlines his or her legislative agenda during the annual
Consideration or Action State of the Nation Address (SONA). Different
session is held. executive departments and agencies under the
president will draft the relevant bills in support of the
The House of agenda of the president and transmit them to
Representatives has its Congress for legislative action.
second reading.

2. FIRST READING
The House of

Representatives has its

The finalized bill was then filed with the Bills and Index
third reading.
Service and is numbered and reproduced. The
proposed measure is listed in the Order of Business
The approved bill is
for First Reading session three days after filing. For a
transmitted to the
plenary session, all lawmakers gather in the session
Senate.
hall.

A conference committee
The secretary of either the House of Representatives
is assembled.
or the Senate reads the number and title of the bill.
Then, the presiding officer—President of the Senate or
The bill is transmitted to
Speaker of the House of Representatives—refers the
the President of the
bill to the appropriate committee.
Philippines to be signed

and passed.

Mia Glyde Zaragoza

HOW A BILL
BECOMES A
LAW IN THE 3. COMMITEE CONSIDERATION/ACTION

PHILIPPINES Following the bill's referral, the committee to which it

was referred will consider whether or not public
hearings are required.
The bill is prepared.

If yes, then there is a need to conduct a public

The House of hearing. The committee then schedules the hearing,
Representatives has its sends public notices containing the agenda also the
first reading. time and venue of the hearing, and invites relevant
resource persons from the government, private sector,
A Committee and special interest groups to the meeting for their
Consideration or Action input.
session is held.
If no, there is no need to conduct a public hearing.
The House of The committee will just schedule the bill for committee
Representatives has its discussions.
second reading.

The bill may be amended, consolidated, or substituted

The House of with another bill as a result of the public hearings or
Representatives has its committee discussions.
third reading.

A committee report has been prepared. As per the

The approved bill is Senate website, a committee report specifies the bill's
transmitted to the purpose and scope of the bill, explains any committee
Senate. amendments, indicates proposed changes in existing
law and such other materials that are relevant."
A conference committee

is assembled. The report will be sent to the office once approved by

the committee. It handles the processing of bills or
The bill is transmitted to resolutions, documentation of plenary proceedings,
the President of the and discussions in the plenary.
Philippines to be signed

and passed.
HOW A BILL
BECOMES A
LAW IN THE 4. SECOND READING

PHILIPPINES The Committee on Rules has jurisdiction over all

matters affecting the rules of the Senate or House of
Representatives. During the Committee Report stage,
The bill is prepared. bills are registered and numbered by the Bills and
Index Service. The bill is scheduled for consideration
The House of on Second Reading. Lawmakers can propose specific
Representatives has its wordings, stylistics, and intents that they want to be
first reading. included in the final version of the bill.

A Committee 5. THIRD READING

Consideration or Action

session is held. After the Second Reading, the amendments proposed

by the legislators are absorbed. The bill is included in
The House of the Calendar of Bills for Third Reading. The copies are
Representatives has its given to all the members. On an actual day, the
second reading. secretary reads only the number and title of the bill.
Then, upon motion of the Majority Leader, the roll call
The House of or nominal voting is called.
Representatives has its
third reading. If it gets a majority vote, it is approved; if it gets
disapproved, it goes to the Archives of the Senate or
The approved bill is House of Representatives. Amendments are no longer
transmitted to the allowed during the third reading.
Senate.
6. TRANSMITTAL OF THE APPROVED BILL
A conference committee TO THE COUNTERPART HOUSE
is assembled.

The Philippine Congress is a bicameral legislature

The bill is transmitted to composed of two co-equal houses: The House of
the President of the Representatives and the Senate. A bill cannot become
Philippines to be signed a law unless each house has given its nod to the
and passed. proposed measure.

Once a bill is approved, it is transmitted to the Senate

for its concurrence and undergoes the same process.
HOW A BILL 7. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

BECOMES A The House of Representatives and Senate are both

entities that must produce a single output, being one

LAW IN THE of its primary duties as the legislative branch of the

Philippine government. Granting that the bill has also

PHILIPPINES passed in the other house of Congress. There are

instances when the versions of both houses differ
from each other. Both houses will sit down with each
The bill is prepared.
other in a bicameral Conference Committee meeting
to reconcile these differences.
The House of
8. TRANSMITTAL OF THE BILL TO THE
Representatives has its
PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
first reading.

The approved bill, signed by the Speaker of the House

A Committee of Representatives and the President of the Senate
Consideration or Action and certified by the Secretary-General of the House of
session is held. Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate, is
transmitted to the Office of the President. The
The House of President has three options on what to do with the bill:
Representatives has its

second reading. Sign and pass the bill: The bill is assigned with a
Republic Act number and becomes a law.
The House of Veto the bill: The President can veto a bill, but if
Representatives has its he refuses to sign it, it will be sent back to the
third reading. House of Representatives, with the reasons for the
veto. If both houses of Congress decide that the
The approved bill is bill or any of its vetoed provisions should still
transmitted to the become law, they will separately hold a vote. If two-
Senate. thirds (2/3) of both houses voted for the support of
the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the
A conference bill becomes a law.
committee is Pocket veto the bill: The President may do
assembled. nothing with the bill. However, even with the
inaction of the chief executive, the bill automatically
The bill is transmitted becomes a law after thirty days.
to the President of the
Philippines to be signed The bill is passed and becomes part of the annual
and passed. compilation of Acts and Resolutions. It is sent to the
Official Gazette Office for publication and distribution
to the implementing agencies. The concerned agencies
work on the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR)
of the law.