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How an Idea Becomes a Law in Minnesota

What happens when a bill is introduced?

Bills are introduced when they are read into the record for the first time. This is called the “1st reading.”

In most legislatures around the world, including in Minnesota, bills must be officially read into the record three times on three separate days before passage. The first reading occurs when the bill is introduced. The Second reading occurs once the bill has moved through the committee process and comes to the floor of the House or Senate for debate and a vote. The third reading occurs immediately prior to passage once debate on a bill has been closed.

Today, thousands of bills are introduced in every legislative session. During colonial times, however, bills were fewer and shorter than they are today. More importantly, there were no such things as copying machines and computers and, even when there were, it took a great deal of time to produce copies of a bill or amendments to a bill. Additionally, during early statehood days, some legislators didn’t know how to read. As a result, early in Minnesota’s history, bills used to be verbally read into the record in their entirety when it came time to give the bill its first, second, or third reading. Today, the Clerk of the House of Representatives or Secretary of the Senate will merely report the bill’s number, and a copy of the text of the bill is made available on the Minnesota Legislature’s website or in hard copy at the House or Senate information offices at the Capitol.

After first reading (introduction), the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House assigns the bill to a standing committee of the Senate or House. The House and Senate have a wide variety of standing committees that are established to address particular issues. Examples include the Senate Environment and Natural Resources committee or the House Education committee. There are also finance committees that have been specifically established to address budgetary and other issues that have fiscal impacts. While the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House has the authority to assign a bill to a committee of their choosing, typically a bill is first referred to a committee that has the primary jurisdiction or interest in the subject matter that the bill addresses.

For example, a bill introduced in the Minnesota House of Representatives that would require reporting of wetland-related activities may be of interest to both the House environment and local government committees. More likely than not, however, the Speaker of the House will initially refer the bill to the environment committee since the primary purpose of the bill is to regulate wetlands activities.

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