How a Bill Becomes Law

• The New Hampshire Legislature is made up of 400 Representatives and 24 Senators.
  
  
• The Legislative Session runs from January to June each year.
  
  
• A proposed bill can be conceived by either a state resident or a legislator. Once drafted, it is referred to as an LSR or Legislative Service Request.
  
  
• A legislative sponsor or sponsors must file the LSR.
  
  
• Legislative services then draft the bill to ensure the appropriate language is used to meet the purpose of the LSR.
  
  
• The draft must be signed off by the sponsor(s).
  
  
• The bill will then be introduced, given a bill number under either the House of Representatives (HB) or Senate (SB), depending on the seat of the prime sponsor, and assigned to a committee, which will review it.
  
  
• The committee will hold public hearings for stakeholders to present their arguments in support or opposition of the bill.
  
  
• The committee will recommend whether the bill should or should not pass when it goes to the full House or Senate.
  
  
• The bill is also heard in the finance committee if there is a fiscal note attached.
  
  
• If the bill passes, it goes to the other body on what is referred to as Crossover Day.
  
  
• After another round of hearings and meetings, the other body will vote on the bill.
  
  
• If the bill passes but has changes that make it different from the original bill, a special committee is set up to work out an agreement between the House and the Senate so everyone is satisfied with the changes. This is called the Committee of Conference.
  
  
• Once the Committee of Conference has worked everything out, the bill is sent back to both houses for approval. If the House and the Senate pass it, it goes to the Governor for his/her signature, and then it becomes law.

The Governor has 3 choices about signing a bill into law:

• • Sign the bill, and it will become law.
    
    
  • Choose not to sign the bill, which will become law within 5 days w/o a signature.
    
    
  • Veto the bill. If the bill is vetoed, it will then go back to the legislature for a 2/3rd majority vote to override the Governor’s veto, or the bill dies.  
    
    

Bills that become law are then incorporated into the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSAs), which provide guidance in developing Administrative Rules, or regulations issued by government agencies.