A bill becomes a law if a majority of the members of both chambers — the House and the Senate — vote to approve it and the governor signs it. Simple, right?
Not quite. There are lots of ways a bill can get scuttled before it reaches the governor’s desk — and even then, the governor has a few options for how to treat legislation that’s been passed by the House and Senate. Only bills that clear all the potential hurdles become state laws.
Here’s a more detailed look at the process.
Introduction and committee work
First, one or more lawmakers release a bill for introduction. The bill gets a number: Bills introduced by House members start with “H,” and Senate bills start with “S.” Bills are numbered in consecutive order of introduction each two-year biennium: H.1, H.2, and so on.
Here’s a list of all the bills released so far in this biennium.
Each bill is introduced on the House or Senate floor and referred to a committee. Committees are panels of lawmakers who discuss and vote on bills related to a specific topic, such as agriculture, education or health.
Here’s a list of all House and Senate committees.
The chair of each committee — who is appointed by leadership in the opening days of the two-year legislative biennium — decides which bills the committee takes up and when. Committee members may discuss the bill, hear testimony from stakeholders or vote to amend the bill. Most bills “die in committee,” meaning the committee never discusses the bill or members discuss it but never take a vote.
If a majority of committee members do vote to advance a bill, it returns to the chamber.
In the chamber
Back on the House or Senate floor, the bill may be referred to another relevant committee, or the full chamber may take it up for “second reading.”
In each chamber, a bill must be “read” three times. The bill’s introduction is considered its “first reading.” On second reading, all members of the chamber can debate the bill and propose and vote on amendments. Members then vote on whether to advance the bill to a “third reading.”
Votes may be taken in one of three ways:
- By voice, meaning members shout “yea” or “nay” at the same time;
- By division, if requested by any member, meaning those voting “yea” stand up and then those voting “nay” stand up;
- By roll call, if requested by any member, meaning each member’s vote is recorded individually. If a majority of those present vote in favor of the bill, it advances.
In the Senate, the lieutenant governor generally does not vote but may break a tie. In the House, the speaker may cast a tie-breaking vote or a vote that would lead to a tie.
Third reading typically takes place the next day the chamber is in session. Members can again debate the bill and propose and vote on amendments. They then vote again.
If the chamber approves the bill on third reading, it moves to the other chamber.
In the other chamber
The entire process up to this point plays out again in the other chamber. The bill is introduced and assigned to a committee. Then, if successful, the committee approves it, the chamber approves it on second and third reading, and it heads to the governor’s desk.
However, it’s rarely that simple.
The second chamber often makes amendments to the bill, in which case the bill returns to the chamber in which it originated for another round of votes. That chamber can accept the amendments; propose additional amendments and send it back to the other chamber; or create a “committee of conference,” which includes three members from each chamber, to hash out a final compromise version. The version produced by such a committee — which cannot be amended further — returns to both chambers for final votes.
If both chambers then approve the bill, it heads to the governor.
The governor’s desk
The governor must act on any bill that reaches his desk within five days (excluding only Sundays). The governor may:
- Sign the bill into law. Congratulations, bill! You’re a law now.
- Let the bill pass into law without a signature. Governors may use this option to express some opposition to a bill without blocking its passage.
- Veto the bill. The bill goes back to the Legislature, typically accompanied by a “veto message” from the governor. The governor may express outright opposition to the measure or suggest changes for lawmakers to consider.
Overriding a veto
In order for a bill to overcome a veto by the governor, a two-thirds majority in each chamber of the Legislature must vote to pass it.
If either chamber fails to do so, the bill is dead. If both chambers vote to override the governor’s veto, the bill becomes law.
Key dates
The Legislature typically convenes starting the first full week after New Year’s Day. Lawmakers adjourn in early May, but the exact date varies depending on whether must-pass pieces of legislation — including the annual state budget — have been finalized.
Most bills have to meet the crossover deadline, which is typically the Friday after Town Meeting Day. After that date, if a bill has not passed one chamber and “crossed over” to the other, it is likely to be shelved for the year.
But all is not lost. The Vermont Legislature operates on a two-year calendar, known as a biennium. If a bill is shelved during the first year of the biennium, it can resume the legislative process the following January.