Legislation in the Rhode Island General Assembly generally follows a set of established rules as it moves through the legislative process. While these rules may vary slightly from session to session and allow for certain exceptions, bills typically follow a defined path through both chambers—the House of Representatives and the Senate—before becoming law.

1) The bill is introduced and numbered.

Any member of the General Assembly—a Representative in the House or a Senator in the Senate—may introduce a bill in their respective chamber. Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number: in the House, this is done by the Recording Secretary; in the Senate, by the Secretary of the Senate.

2) The bill is referred to a committee.

After introduction, the bill is referred to a relevant committee for review. This referral is made by the Speaker of the House for House bills or the President of the Senate for Senate bills.

3) The committee convenes to consider the bill.

Each committee holds public meetings to review and discuss the bills it has been assigned. Meeting agendas are posted in advance on the Rhode Island General Assembly website (at least 48 hours prior to the meeting).

4) The committee takes action.

Following testimony and discussion, the committee may take several possible actions: it can recommend the bill be passed as introduced, passed with amendments, or passed as a substitute bill. Alternatively, the committee may refer the bill to another committee, postpone consideration indefinitely (often noted as “held for further study”), or report the bill to the full chamber without recommendation. A bill that is held for further study can be revisited later in the session, or it may remain inactive.

5) The bill is debated on the floor.

If the committee recommends the bill for passage, it is added to the chamber’s legislative calendar for consideration. At this stage, the bill is debated by the full chamber and may be amended further during discussion.

6) The chamber votes.

After debate, legislators vote on the bill. Any proposed amendments are voted on individually. To pass, the bill must receive a majority vote from the members present. If it fails to receive majority support, the bill does not advance to the next stage.

7) The process repeats in the other chamber.

Once passed by one chamber, the bill moves to the other chamber, where it goes through the same process—from introduction to committee review, floor debate, and a final vote. If the second chamber makes changes to the bill, it must return to the original chamber for approval of the revised version. Both chambers must pass an identical version of the bill in order for it to proceed to the Governor.

8) The Governor reviews the bill.

After passing both chambers in identical form, the bill is sent to the Governor, who may take one of three actions: sign the bill into law; transmit the bill without a signature (in which case it becomes law unless accompanied by a written disapproval); or veto the bill. If the Governor vetoes the bill, it returns to the legislature. The bill can still become law if three-fifths (3/5) of the members present in both chambers vote to override the veto.