Any member can introduce a piece of legislation.
If any senator objects, the introduction of the bill is postponed until the next day. The bill is referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate. Most often the actual referral decision is made by the House or Senate parliamentarian. Bills may be referred to more than one committee and it may be split so that parts are sent to different committees. The Speaker of the House may set time limits on committees.