A bill, on the other hand, is a law in the making.

These are the “proposed laws” or “proposed

amendment” you hear about in the news, like House Bill No. 2379, which seeks to amend the
National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, the country’s 20-year-old tax code. House Bills are
those made by a Representative, while Senate Bills are those made by a Senator.

From Bill to Republic Act: the Process

Going from a House or Senate Bill to a Republic Act is a long and arduous process. It takes 3
readings and an approval from both chambers along with the signature of the President before a
bill can become a law, known in the Philippines as a Republic Act.

The full process is outlined by the 1987 Constitution. An infographic of this can be seen on the
Official Gazette.

The process goes along as follows:

1. Proposals and suggestions are taken from the President, government agencies, private
individuals, interest groups, and legislators themselves.
2. The author(s) then writes the bill and sign it before being filed with the Secretary
General. For the 17th Congress, that person is Atty. Cesar S. Pareja.
3. The bill then goes through three readings.
1. The first reading consists of reading the title and author(s) and its referral to the
appropriate committee(s). The committee then studies the bill and either submits it to
the Committee on Rules or is laid on the table.
2. The second reading comes after the bill has been included in the Calendar of Business
by the Committee on Rules. This is when sponsorships, debates, and amendments take
place. A vote is taken after all the debates and amendments, after which the bill is either
archived or goes through a third reading.
3. The third reading happens when the bill goes through a final check and vote via roll call.
If it’s approved, it is then sent to the other house, where it goes through the same
procedures. If not, it gets archived.

4. After going through three readings from both houses, the conference committee of both
houses ratifies the bill and submits it to the President for signing. If, however, there are
 conflicts in the provisions proposed by both Houses, a Bicameral Conference
Committee is called upon to reconcile them.

5. Once received by the Office of the President, the bill can take one of three routes:
1. Approved. Once it is approved by the President, it becomes a Republic Act and takes
effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or at least two national
newspapers of general circulation;
2. Vetoed. The bill is returned to the originating house with an explanation on why it was
vetoed. The house can either accept the veto or override it with a 2/3 (majority) vote,
after which it is essentially approved, and takes effect 15 days after being publicized.
3. Lapsed into law. A bill is said to have lapsed into law if the President fails to act on it
within 30 days after receiving the bill. It takes effect 15 days after being publicized.