How a Bill Becomes Law
The Kansas Legislature consists of two chambers—the House of Representatives (125 members) and the Senate (40 members). A bill may be introduced in either house. The following outlines the main steps in the process by which a bill becomes law.
House of Origin
The chamber in which a bill is first introduced.
Bill Introduced
A legislator drafts a bill and introduces it in their chamber. The bill is assigned a number—for example, HB 1001 (House Bill) or SB 42 (Senate Bill)—read for the first time, and entered into the official record.
Referred to Committee
The presiding officer—the Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate—refers the bill to the appropriate standing committee. The committee schedules public hearings, deliberates, and may approve the bill with or without amendments before reporting it back to the full chamber.
Committee Report to the Full Chamber
The committee reports the bill to the full chamber. The bill is placed on the calendar for floor consideration. Members of the full chamber now have the opportunity to debate the measure.
Committee of the Whole
The full chamber convenes as the Committee of the Whole to debate the bill in depth. Members may propose and adopt additional amendments during this stage. The Committee of the Whole then votes whether to advance the bill.
Vote for Final Passage
The chamber takes a final recorded vote on the bill. A majority vote is required for the bill to pass. If approved, the bill is ready to move to the second house.
Messaged to the Second House
The bill is officially transmitted—"messaged"—to the other chamber (the second house) to begin the same review process.
Second House
The bill repeats steps 1–5 in the second chamber. Three outcomes are possible.
Passed in Same Form
The second house passes the bill without any changes. Because both chambers have approved identical language, the bill proceeds directly to the Governor.
Amended — Concurrence
The second house amends the bill and returns it to the house of origin for concurrence. If the house of origin agrees to the amendments, the bill proceeds to the Governor.
Amended — Nonconcurrence
If the house of origin does not concur with the second house’s amendments, either chamber may request a Conference Committee to resolve the differences.
Conference Committee
Convened only when the two chambers cannot agree on the bill’s language.
Committee Convenes
A conference committee composed of members from both chambers is appointed to negotiate a compromise on the disputed provisions. The committee meets jointly and may propose additional amendments to reach agreement.
Both Houses Adopt the Report
Both chambers must vote to adopt the conference committee’s report. If adopted by both houses, the bill—now in its final compromised form—advances to the Governor.
To the Governor
Once both chambers have approved the same language, the bill is sent to the Governor.
Governor Signs the Bill
The Governor reviews the bill and may sign it into law. The bill becomes effective on the date specified in its text or, if no date is stated, on publication in the Kansas Register.
Bill Becomes Law Without Signature
If the Governor neither signs nor vetoes the bill within the time prescribed by the Kansas Constitution, the bill becomes law without a signature.
Governor Vetoes the Bill
The Governor may reject the bill by returning it to the Legislature with written objections. A veto sends the bill back to the Legislature, which may attempt to override it.
Legislative Override
The Legislature may override a Governor’s veto.
Legislature Overrides the Veto
The Legislature may override a veto by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote in each chamber. If the override succeeds, the bill becomes law despite the Governor’s objection.
Bill Filed with the Secretary of State
Once a bill becomes law—whether signed by the Governor, enacted without a signature, or passed through a veto override—it is filed with the Secretary of State and eventually codified into the Kansas Statutes Annotated (KSA).