Monday, February 29, 2016
The 2016 legislative session is moving quickly, and the Indiana State Senate and House of Representatives are beginning the final phase of the lawmaking process. Now that both chambers have reviewed all legislation up for consideration, the final few weeks will be used to iron out any final changes to the bills.
This phase of the legislative process can be a confusing process, though it is more simple than it appears. One of the most common questions asked at this point is, “what is the role of conference committees?” We will explain the next steps of the legislative process and explain what happens during conference committees.
If a bill is amended in the second half of session, it is returned to its chamber of origin for final consideration. If the members agree with the amendments, a concurrence vote is taken to send the measure to the governor for his consideration. If the chamber does not agree with the changes, it is sent to a conference committee.
A conference committee is where amended bills are assigned for further discussion when the Senate and House do not agree on the same version. These committees are made up of two members from each chamber – one Republican and one Democrat – and these legislators attempt to reconcile any differences. These members are called “conferees.”
Usually, conference committees are arranged because both the Senate and House would like to see the bill advance. However, sometimes conferees cannot work out a solution. If an agreement cannot be reached, the bill dies.
If committee conferees come to an agreement, the agreed upon language is put into a conference committee report, which goes back to both chambers. From there, the Senate and House must both approve the conference committee report before it can be sent to the governor for signature.
Once a bill reaches the governor, he can choose to sign it, veto it or do nothing with the bill. If he signs it, the legislation becomes law. If he does nothing, and seven days pass after the bill was sent to him, it becomes law without his signature. A veto can be overridden by a majority vote from both chambers.
By law, the 2016 legislative session must end no later than March 14. Watch the action live on the Indiana General Assembly’s website, or follow us on Twitter for up-to-date information at @INSenateGOP.
