by Patti Dahlberg

Every “i” has been dotted, every “t” has been crossed. A bill has been drafted, redrafted, discussed among colleagues and stakeholders, and then redrafted again. It’s time to introduce the bill into prime time! This first version of the bill, not surprisingly, is called the introduced (or printed) bill. After introduction, a bill may proceed through the legislative process without amendment or it may be heavily amended at every stage. Either way, each floor action on a bill will create a new version of the bill, leaving it with a new name and a stamp indicating where the bill is in the process, the date it was considered, and whether it was amended. (more…)