Amendments Between the Houses: A Brief Overview (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Feb. 25, 2011 |
| Report Number |
98-812 |
| Authors |
Elizabeth Rybicki, Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process; James V. Saturno, Section Research Manager |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
The House and Senate must approve an identical version of a measure before it can be presented for the President's approval or veto. If the House and Senate approve differing versions of a measure, the differences must first be resolved. One way to do this is through an exchange of amendments between the houses.
When the House or Senate passes a measure, it is sent to the other chamber for further consideration. If the second chamber passes the measure with one or more amendments, it is then sent back to the originating chamber. In modern practice, the second chamber often substitutes its version of a measure as a single amendment to the measure as passed by the first chamber. The first chamber then may accept the amendment or propose its own further amendment. In this way, the measure may be messaged back and forth between the House and Senate in the hope that both houses will eventually agree to the same version of a measure.
