05/29/2025

Understanding Louisiana’s Legislative Process: How Bills Move Through the House

By: Patrick Riley
Director of Government Affairs & Assistant General Counsel

As we work through this session, we have been discussing the various procedures that take place throughout the legislative process in Louisiana from the time a bill is introduced all the way up until it is signed into law. In our last post, we looked at some of the ins and outs of committee procedure. This week, in a similar vein, we will look at what happens on the House floor. For this week’s post, we will be focusing on the Louisiana House of Representatives floor procedure. The Senate procedure is very similar but has some intricacies of its own. I will cite the appropriate House rules where relevant, but please note this post is not the definitive source on House procedure. I encourage anyone who may be interested in learning more to take a deeper dive into the rules hosted on the legislative website.

How Bills are Introduced, Moved to Committee, and Passed Out of the House

First Reading

 House Rule 8.10

After being filed, every bill introduced by a legislator begins its journey with a "first reading." At this stage, only the bill’s title is read aloud, and no debate occurs. The Speaker of the House then assigns the bill to a specific committee based on its topic, such as education, transportation, or finance. This is the first step in a bill’s journey to becoming law in Louisiana.

Second Reading (Before Committee)

House Rule 8.12 & 8.13

Louisiana follows a three-reading rule, meaning each bill must be considered (or read) three separate times, on three separate days, before it can be passed. This is a requirement that is enshrined in the Louisiana State Constitution. The rule exists to prevent rushed or insufficiently reviewed legislation by ensuring lawmakers have ample time to review, discuss, and amend bills. The second reading typically occurs on the day after the first reading and formally moves the bill forward to its designated committee for detailed consideration.

Committee Stage

House Rule 8.14

In committee, members thoroughly debate the bill, propose amendments, and decide whether it should move forward. Bills can either advance with approval, fail outright, or simply stall without further action. In this article, we will look at what happens when a bill is reported favorably from committee. To dive deeper into the full committee process, check out our previous post here.

Second Reading (After Committee)

House Rule 8.16
Bills approved by committees return to the House floor for a second reading (again). At this point, the House typically approves the bill to move forward, ordering that the bill be "engrossed and passed to a third reading." This simply means that all amendments adopted in committee are formally incorporated into the bill’s text, and it is then scheduled for a third, and final, reading. This procedural step usually happens without a formal vote, passing by unanimous consent unless there's an objection. A phrase you’ll hear frequently on the House floor is, “Without objection, so ordered.” This indicates that, although no formal vote was taken, the bill has successfully advanced through a procedural step.

Third Reading and Final Passage

House Rule 8.17
Assuming that the bill is ordered engrossed and passed to a third reading, the bill is placed on the calendar for the following legislative day. On third reading, the bill undergoes full debate on the House floor, and further amendments may be proposed. At this stage, a final vote determines whether the bill passes or fails in the House. Most bills require a simple majority (53 of 105 members) to advance out of the House. Some bills, however, due to the nature of their object, require a two-thirds (2/3) vote to advance. In either case, if a bill on third reading and final passage obtains the requisite number of votes, it will advance to the Senate side to begin the committee process once more. The third reading marks the final vote in the House of Representatives, making it a critical stage in the legislative process. Once a bill has made its way through both the House and Senate processes, it goes to the governor, who may sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without a signature.

Now You're Ready to Tune In

Navigating the legislative process in Louisiana can seem complex, but I hope this outline helps you follow the action and better understand the process if you choose to tune in for a debate on a bill that interests you. If you're interested, you can tune in and watch live House floor debates here. As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions for future blog topics.