How bills are passed in a nutshell

PassingbillsintheCongressisalongandtediousprocess,beforeaBillmay
be passed and be enacted as a law is must first go through 3 readings,
namelyFirst,Second,andThirdReadings,afterwhichitshallbecertifiedby
bothhousesoftheLegislature,theHouseofRepresentativesandSenate,
thentotheChiefExecutive,whommayeitherapprovethesaidbilloruse
hisVetopoweranddenytheenactmentofsuchBill.
Thisprocessthatispracticedhasofcoursealegalbasisandcanbefoundin
Section26ofArticleVIofthe1987Constitution.

Preliminary procedures and introduction of bills

Lawsrisefromcertainneedsofthepeople,soboththeSenateandHouseof
Representativeshavetheirownsmalltechnicalsupportteamwhohelpsthem
and does research regarding current needs of the people. Also, their
constituentsmayalsoproposeandaskforlawstobepassedtomaintain
peaceandorderincertainplaceswhentheneedarises.1
Also,theExecutivedepartmentmayalsosuggestitslegislativeplansand
propose it to the Congress for them to be enacted. 2 These are often
announcedandlaiddownduringtheChiefExecutivesStateoftheNation
Address, where he mentions some of the Nations problems and their
respectiveactionplans.
Whensuchissuehasbeensoughtanddeemedtohavetheneedforlawtoact
upon it,the Congress may now propose and draft aBill. Bills can only
originatefromMembersoftheHouseofRepresentatives,Senatorscanalso
propose bills but such needs to pass first through the Office of the
Secretary.3

1 Retrieved at https://www.senate.gov.ph/about/legpro.asp on
November 5, 2015.
2 Id.
3 Id.

TherearenolimitstohowmanybillstheCongressmaypropose,aslongas
theydeemsuchtobeproper.SomeMajorbills,afterintroductionofany
Member,suchcanbesponsoredbyotherMemberoftheHouseandSenators
todramatizetheurgencyandneedofsuchregulation.
AndwithregardtowhattheCongressmaypass,accordingtotheirwebsite,
besidesTreaties,theycanpassfourtypesofbillsandresolutions.Namely:
1.Bills
Thesearegeneralmeasures,whichifpassedupon,maybecomelaws.A
billisprefixedwithS.,followedbyanumberassignedthemeasurebasedon
the order in which it is introduced. The vast majority of legislative
proposalsrecommendationsdealingwiththeeconomy,increasingpenalties
forcertaincrimes,regulationoncommerceandtrade,etc.,aredraftedinthe
formofbills.Theyalsoincludebudgetaryappropriationofthegovernment
andmanyothers.Whenpassedbybothchambersinidenticalformandsigned
by the President or repassed by Congress over a presidential veto, they
becomelaws.
2.JointResolutions
Ajointresolution,likeabill,requirestheapprovalofbothhousesand
thesignatureofthePresident.Ithastheforceandeffectofalawifapproved.
Thereisnorealdifferencebetweenabillandajointresolution.Thelatter
generally is used when dealing with a single item or issue, such as a
continuingoremergencyappropriationsbill.Jointresolutionsarealsoused
forproposingamendmentstotheConstitution.
3.ConcurrentResolutions
AconcurrentresolutionisusuallydesignatedintheSenateasS.Ct.Res.
Itisusedformattersaffectingtheoperationsofbothhousesandmustbe
passedinthesameformbybothofthem.However,theyarenotreferredto
the President for his signature, and they do not have the force of law.
ConcurrentresolutionsareusedtofixthetimeofadjournmentofaCongress
andtoexpressthesenseofCongressonanissue.
4.SimpleResolutions
ItisusuallydesignatedwithP.S.Res.Asimpleresolutiondealswithmatters
entirelywithintheprerogativeofonehouseofCongress,suchasadoptingor
receivingitsownrules.Asimpleresolutionisnotconsideredbytheother
chamberandisnotsenttothePresidentforhissignature.Likeaconcurrent
resolution,ithasnoeffectandforceofalaw.Simpleresolutionsareused
occasionally to express the opinion of a single house on a current issue.
Oftentimes, it is also used to call for a congressional action on an issue
affectingnationalinterest.4
4 Retrieved at https://www.senate.gov.ph/about/legpro.asp on
November 5, 2015.

First Reading
WhentheCongressnowwantstointroduceabill,itshallnowbefirstFiled
andCalendaredforFirstReading,wheresuchisfiledwiththeOfficeof
theSecretaryandnumberedandplottedinthecalendarforFirstReading.5
ThenduringtheFirstReading,onlythetitleandnumbershallbereadand
theSenatePresidentshallberesponsibleofdisseminatingsuchtoitsproper
committeefordeliberation.
Committee and Hearings Report
AftertheFirstReading,certaincommitteewhospecializesinthatcertain
fieldshallnowdeliberateontheBill.Wheretheyshallcallforhearingsand
consultationwheretheyshalldecideonthevalidityandimportanceofsuch
proposedBill.
Then shall create reports, here the committees shall set the purpose and
scopeandseeifthereareanysimilarpendingBills,and/orifitmayamend
currentLaws,andlastlystateiftheCongress approvestheproposedbill
without an amendment, approves it with changes, or recommends
substitutionorconsolidationwithsimilarbillsfiled.
Second Reading
Afterwhich,suchBillshallbe CalandaredforSecondReading. During
theSecondReading,theBillSponsorshallnowdelivertheproposedBill
afteritunderwentthroughtheCommitteethroughaspeech.Senatorsnow
debateontheprosandconsofhavingsuchBill.Aperiodofamendments
incorporatesnecessarychangesinthebillproposedbythecommitteeor
introduced by the Senators themselves on the floor.6
5 Id.
6 Id.

AndnowtheMembersshallnowvoteregardingtheSecondReadingofthe
Bill,andifapproved,shallbenowcalendaredforThirdReading.