How a bill becomes a Law?

The Philippines has a bicameral system of legislation with Congress made up of two independent but interactive bodies: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Senate is composed of 24 officials elected at large. It has the sole authority to advise and give consent to treaties the President would like to enter into with other countries.

The House of Representatives, on the other hand, is composed of not more than 250 representatives or congressmen from the different legislative districts all over the country and sectoral representatives equivalent to 20% of the total number of representatives.

The House exclusively wields the "power of the purse" or the right to propose laws that involve the raising and allocation of money for the use of the national government - which includes the imposition of taxes, tariffs, and other revenue generation schemes. The Senate can only amend or approve laws of such nature.

Bills can be initiated in either the Senate or House of Representatives but have to be approved by both before it can be forwarded to the President for his or her signature to finalize its status as a law.

The Law-making Process
The law-making process starts when a bill is filed and ends after the President signs it into law. In between, the bill has to undergo three readings, during which all amendments are entered and the opinion of all sectors affected by the proposal are heard.

Only members of Congress can file or sponsor a bill or resolution. To introduce a bill, either of national or local application, a member of Congress has to submit a copy of the proposed bill to the Bills and Index Division, where it is stamped with the time and date of submission and assigned a number. The bill is then logged in the Journal and reflected in the Order of Business. Within three session days from receipt, the bill is reported to the floor for First Reading.

The First Reading
The number, title and author(s) of the bill are read on the floor during the First Reading. At this time, the principal author may also propose the inclusion of additional authors who are now considered co-authors of the proposal.

Bills are then referred to the relevant committee which encompasses the specific topic of the proposal. For instance, all matters relating to funds for the expenditures of the National Government are referred to the Committee on Appropriations. Bills are referred to committees to make sure that the proposed measures are not in conflict with laws earlier passed or are enhancements of existing laws.

The committee is expected to undertake a thorough consultation with experts on the subject and give opposing sides the chance to present their respective positions.

After all sides are heard, the Committee comes up with a Committee Report containing all the proceedings in public hearings and meetings conducted by the committee and the amendments or changes in the proposals. If the Committee Report on a bill is favorable, the author of the bill is notified and the proposal proceeds to second reading. Otherwise, the bill is considered "killed" and goes no further.

The Second Reading
On Second Reading, the bill is read in full with amendments proposed by the Committee. Author(s) of the bill, along with members of the committee concerned present the amended version to the chamber during the Period of Sponsorship. The bill is then subjected to full debate among members of the Chamber during the Period of Interpellation.

During floor deliberations, amendments from the author(s), other members of the Chamber, and even from the committee members are discussed in the Period of Amendments. Once the amendments are acted upon, the bill is voted on Second Reading. If the bill is approved, it is included in the calendar of bills for Third Reading.

The Third Reading
After the proposal is approved on Second Reading, printed copies of the bill in its final form are distributed to members of the Chamber three days before Third Reading. The only exception to this rule is when the President certifies the necessity of a proposal's immediate enactment to address a public calamity or emergency. Amendments are no longer allowed during the Third Reading. Only votes ("yeas" and "nays") are taken immediately and entered into the Journal.

Once a bill is approved on Third Reading, it is transmitted to the other Chamber for its concurrence. It then undergoes the same stages it passed through the Chamber where it originated. If the proposed measure is approved in its original form, the bill is submitted to the President for action.

The Conference Committee
If there are any differences between the House and Senate versions of the same bill, it is referred to the Bicameral Conference Committee after Third Reading. The "Bicam" is composed of members of the House and Senate committees where the proposal was referred to originally.

The committee is expected to issue a report containing a detailed, sufficiently explained statement of the changes made in the bill along with the signatures of all the members of the committee. The committee is not supposed to add new provisions to either bill pending before it.

Congress is required to vote once again on the bill to ratify or to disapprove changes in its amended version. Once approved, the measure is forwarded to the President for action.

Presidential Action
The President has 30 days to act on all bills presented. The President has three options: (1) to sign the bill into law; (2) to veto the proposal and return it to Congress with objections; or, (3) to let the 30-day period lapse with the bill automatically becoming law.

A vetoed bill or the vetoed item/s in a bill are sent back to the Chamber where it originated. The Chamber may override the veto by a two-thirds vote of all its members or make the necessary amendments.