How a bill becomes a law in indiana

Navigating the Indiana Legislative Session (from Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations)

  1. Bill filing
    Depending on the length of the legislative session, the deadline for filing bills is either Jan. 9
    or Jan. 11 – generally. There are exceptions for filing the two-year budget after a
    gubernatorial election.
  2. First reading
    This is a procedural step. Bills are typically moved forward in big groups together. From
    here, a bill is assigned to one of 23 House committees or one of 22 Senate committees.
  3. Committee hearing
    This is where Hoosiers, businesses and other stakeholders may testify to the committee
    about the bill. Even if the bill passes its initial committee, it may be reassigned to another
    depending on the content or the potential fiscal impact of the bill.
  4. Second reading
    Anyone in the chamber can offer an amendment, which must be approved with a simple
    majority.
  5. Third reading
    The bill’s overall merit is voted on in the chamber. Depending on the length of the session,
    House bills must be heard for third reading by Feb. 5 or Feb. 27 and Senate bills by Feb. 6 or
    Feb. 28.
  6. Send to opposite chamber
    Bills go through the exact same process in the opposite chamber.
  7. First reading
    The same process as step 2.
  8. Committee hearing
    The same process as step 3.
  9. Second reading
    The same process as step 4.
  10. Third reading
    Depending on the length of the session, House bills but be heard for third reading in the
    Senate by March 5 or April 18. Senate bills must be heard in the House by March 4 or April
    17.
  11. Conference committee
    If changes were made in the opposite chamber, either the bill’s author agrees to those
    changes and sends it to the governor, or the bill is sent to conference committee. The largely private group of representatives and senators reconcile the changes made to legislation.
    If they come up with acceptable language, it’s voted on by both chambers again, and then
    sent to the governor.
  12. Governor’s desk
    Very rarely, the governor may veto legislation. Since Gov. Eric Holcomb took office in 2017,
    he’s vetoed eight bills. The legislature overrode four of those.

To find and contact your Indiana legislators: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/