The lawmaking power of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is vested by the Constitution of Pennsylvania in a General Assembly consisting of a Senate of fifty members, elected by the voters for a term of four years, and a House of Representatives of two hundred and three members, elected for a term of two years. The first step in lawmaking is for a member to submit his ideas in writing to the Legislative Reference Bureau, which is the bill drafting agency of the General Assembly. The bill is drafted and typed in proper legal form. The member signs the bill, thereby assuming its sponsorship.
Members then introduce their bills to their respective houses.
Every bill, when introduced, is numbered and printed for the members of the House, the Senate and public distribution. The bill is then forwarded to the appropriate standing committee for consideration. These committees are the workshops of the General Assembly. It is their duty to study carefully the bills referred to them and to prepare bills which are to be reported with favorable recommendation to their respective houses. After a committee has considered a bill, it may direct one of its members to report the bill to the Floor, either without change, with change or, in rare instances, with a negative recommendation.