Kids' Page The Missouri Senate Kids' Page
Having Fun While Learning About Your State Government
Hall of Famous Missourians
Thomas Hart Benton Murals
Fun Facts
Puzzles and Games
Bill Becomes Law
Senator Duties
State Senator
State Symbols
Monument to Missouri
Senate Home Page

How A Bill Becomes A Law
Kids' Page Banner
Each bill passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor goes through a thourough process to become law.

Hundreds of bills are filed each session, however, few bills actually make it through the entire legislative process to become law. And many times, bills not making all the way to the governor's desk may be revisited in the next legislative session.

The journey a bill takes to become law follows a time-honored process that creates the rules we live by — rules that benefit citizens across the state of Missouri.
Follow the bill below on its journey from introduction
to receiving the governor's signature.

A bill is introduced in the Senate or in the House of Representatives.
After the bill is read for the second time, it is referred to a committee for evaluation. Often, public hearings are held about the bill.
The committee can either approve the bill at it is, make changes to the measure, offer a substitute to the bill, or reject the legislation. If the bill is approved, it is placed on the calendar so senators and representatives can debate the bill in their designated chamber.


After approval in one body of the Legislature, the bill goes to the other chamber and repeats the same process.

If amendements (changes or additions to the bill) are made in either the Senate or the House of Representatives, these changes must be approved by the other legislative body.


When the bill is accepted and signed by both the leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives, it is sent to the governor to become law. The governor can sign the bill, veto the legislation, or take no action at all — in which case the bill would become law without the governor's signature.