Massachusetts Legislature

flowchart TD
    A["Petition filed with Clerk
(member endorses name) — R.29
Bill/resolve must accompany — R.25"] --> B["Motion contemplating legislation
must be founded on petition — R.30"]
    B --> C["Referred to appropriate joint
standing committee — JR 1, R.24"]
    C --> D{"Committee vote — JR 1D"}
    D -->|"Ought to pass"| E["First reading — no vote — R.32, R.37"]
    D -->|"Ought NOT to pass"| F{"House vote: 'Shall this
bill be rejected?' — R.32"}
    D -->|"No report by deadline"| G["Chair reports
'ought to study' — R.27"]
    F -->|"Rejection carried"| Z1["Measure dies — R.38"]
    F -->|"Rejection negatived"| E
    E --> H{"Affects state
finances? — R.33"}
    H -->|"Yes"| I["Referred to Ways & Means
(fiscal note if >$100k) — R.33"]
    H -->|"No"| J
    I --> J["Referred to Steering, Policy
& Scheduling — R.41"]
    J --> K["Placed in Orders of the Day"]
    K --> L{"Second reading — House votes on
amendments & ordering to a
third reading — R.33A"}
    L --> M["→ Committee on Bills in
the Third Reading — R.22"]
    M --> N{"Third reading — House votes
on amendments — R.33A, R.43"}
    N --> O{"House vote — passed to be
engrossed — R.39"}
    O --> P["Sent to the other branch
for concurrence"]
    P --> Q{"House vote in each branch —
do both branches agree?"}
    Q -->|"Yes"| S["Engrossed bill examined by
Bills in 3rd Reading — JR 22A"]
    Q -->|"No"| R{"Committee of conference — JR 11
(see chart 6)"}
    R --> S
    S --> T{"House vote — enactment /
final passage — R.23, R.40"}
    T --> U["Laid before the Governor — JR 20"]
    U --> V{"Governor's
action"}
    V -->|"Signs"| W["Becomes law"]
    V -->|"Vetoes / returns"| X{"Override vote — 2/3 of
each branch"}
    X -->|"2/3 in both branches"| W
    X -->|"Falls short"| Z2["Veto sustained —
bill fails"]
    classDef houseVote fill:#fff3d6,stroke:#c9a24a,stroke-width:2px,color:#1c2530;
    classDef cmteVote fill:#ece4f3,stroke:#6a4c93,stroke-width:2px,color:#1c2530;
    class F,L,N,O,Q,T,X houseVote;
    class D,R cmteVote;
    style W fill:#d8ecd8,stroke:#2e7d32
    style Z1 fill:#f3d6d6,stroke:#a3302f
    style Z2 fill:#f3d6d6,stroke:#a3302f

flowchart TD
    A["Paper filed with Clerk — R.24"] --> B{"Type of paper"}
    B -->|"Petition / state-officer
report"| C["Referred to appropriate
committee (Speaker approval)"]
    B -->|"Orders, resolutions,
JR 7A/7B/9 or JR 12 items"| D["Referred to
committee on Rules"]
    C --> E{"Report made by
deadline? — R.27, JR 10"}
    E -->|"Yes — favorable"| F["'Ought to pass' — JR 10A"]
    E -->|"Yes — adverse"| G["'Ought NOT to pass' — JR 10A"]
    E -->|"Yes — other"| H["Recommend 'placed on file'"]
    E -->|"No report in time"| I["Reported with
recommendation to study — R.27"]
    E -->|"Committee stalls"| J{"Discharge route"}
    J -->|"Motion to discharge"| K["Majority vote;
waiting period applies — R.28(1)(2)"]
    J -->|"Petition by majority
of members elected"| L["Committee discharged
7 days after filing — R.28(6)"]
    K --> M["Matter placed in
Orders of the Day — R.28(3)"]
    L --> M
    style F fill:#d8ecd8,stroke:#2e7d32
    style G fill:#f3d6d6,stroke:#a3302f

flowchart TD
    A["Bill reported favorably"] --> B["FIRST reading"]
    B --> C["SECOND reading — committee
amendments considered first,
then question on ordering to
third reading — R.33A"]
    C --> D["Ordered to a third reading"]
    D --> E["Referred forthwith to Committee
on Bills in the Third Reading — R.22
(checks form, accuracy,
constitutionality)"]
    E --> F{"Substantive change
needed?"}
    F -->|"Yes"| G["Reported back to House
as an amendment — R.22"]
    F -->|"No"| H["Released by committee"]
    G --> H
    H --> I["THIRD reading — bill open to
amendment; main question is
passage to be engrossed — R.33A, R.43"]
    I --> J{"Read on three
separate days? — R.39"}
    J -->|"No"| I
    J -->|"Yes"| K["Passed to be engrossed"]
    K --> L["Engrossed bill — no amendment
except striking enacting
clause — R.40"]
    L --> M["Both branches' Bills in 3rd Reading
examine engrossed text
for accuracy — JR 22A"]
    M --> N["Prepared for final passage /
enactment"]
    style N fill:#d8ecd8,stroke:#2e7d32

flowchart TD
    A["Question is put"] --> B["Voice vote — Speaker announces
result by the sound — R.50"]
    B --> C{"Result doubted, or
Speaker can't decide?"}
    C -->|"No"| Z["Decision stands"]
    C -->|"Yes"| D["Division — members rise
and are counted — R.50, R.51"]
    D --> E{"Yeas & nays demanded
by 10% of members elected? — R.52"}
    E -->|"No"| Z
    E -->|"Yes"| F["Speaker waits up to 12 min,
states question, opens
electronic voting — R.52"]
    F --> G["Voting held open 2–22 min
(min 5 min if a committee
is meeting) — R.52"]
    G --> H["System closed; each member's
vote recorded — R.52"]
    H --> I["Result announced; roll call
posted on the General Court
website — R.52"]
    I --> Z
    A -. "call for yeas & nays
decided without debate — R.53" .-> E
    style Z fill:#d8ecd8,stroke:#2e7d32

flowchart TD
    A["Vote taken on a question"] --> B{"Motion to reconsider
made in time? — R.54"}
    B -->|"After Orders of the Day
taken up next day = too late"| X["Not entertained — R.54"]
    B -->|"Same day"| C["Placed first in Orders of the
Day for the succeeding day — R.54"]
    B -->|"Next day (before Orders)"| D["Considered forthwith — R.54"]
    B -->|"After July 1 of 2nd session,
on a main question"| D
    C --> E{"Motion type
barred? — R.55"}
    D --> E
    E -->|"Yes — e.g. recess, adjourn,
previous question, suspension"| X
    E -->|"No"| F["Debate limited:
15 min main / 10 min subsidiary;
3 min per member — R.56"]
    F --> G["Vote on reconsideration"]
    G --> H["Decision cannot itself be
reconsidered; no question
twice reconsidered — R.55"]
    style X fill:#f3d6d6,stroke:#a3302f
    style H fill:#d8ecd8,stroke:#2e7d32

flowchart TD
    A["Branches disagree on
a bill or resolve"] --> B["Conference committee appointed:
3 members per branch, one of
each from minority party — JR 11"]
    B --> C{"Majority of each
committee agrees?"}
    C -->|"No"| D["No report; only a NEW
committee of conference
may act — JR 11"]
    C -->|"Yes"| E["Report drafted
(summary attached if
practicable) — JR 11C"]
    E --> F{"Appropriation /
capital-outlay bill?"}
    F -->|"Yes"| G["Approved or discharged by each
Bills in 3rd Reading — JR 11A"]
    F -->|"No"| H["Approved or discharged by each
Bills in 3rd Reading — JR 11"]
    G --> I["Report filed; Clerk posts it
to members & public — JR 11D"]
    H --> I
    I --> J{"Filed by
8:00 P.M.?"}
    J -->|"Yes"| K["Wait 24 hours before
consideration — JR 11B"]
    J -->|"No (after 8 P.M.)"| L["Wait until 2nd calendar
day after filing — JR 11B"]
    K --> M["Reported to the branch that
asked for the conference — JR 11"]
    L --> M
    M --> N{"Action by
each branch"}
    N -->|"Accept"| O["Bill proceeds to enactment"]
    N -->|"Reject"| D
    O -. "addendum for omitted matter,
signed by all + both Counsels — JR 11E" .-> O
    style O fill:#d8ecd8,stroke:#2e7d32
    style D fill:#f3d6d6,stroke:#a3302f

flowchart TD
    A["Petition for legislation
(accompanied by bill/resolve)"] --> B{"Petition type"}
    B -->|"Joint petition
(a Senator + a Representative)"| C["Filed in either Clerk's office;
recorded in both Journals — JR 6A"]
    B -->|"General legislation"| D["Deposited with Clerk by 5 P.M.,
3rd Friday in January — JR 12"]
    B -->|"Restricted to one
city or town"| E{"Filed with required
local approval? — JR 7B, 7C"}
    C --> F["Referred to committee"]
    D --> F
    E -->|"No local approval"| G["Reported adversely — JR 7B"]
    E -->|"Local approval (valid
through next biennial
session) — JR 7C"| H["Affects private/municipal rights?
Notice to interested parties — JR 8"]
    H --> F
    G --> Iend["Measure not advanced"]
    F --> J{"Can the purpose be met
by general/existing law? — JR 7"}
    J -->|"Yes"| K["Report a general law,
or 'ought not to pass' — JR 7"]
    J -->|"No"| L["Committee reports on the
special legislation"]
    L --> M["Enters regular course
(see chart 1)"]
    style M fill:#d8ecd8,stroke:#2e7d32
    style Iend fill:#f3d6d6,stroke:#a3302f
    style G fill:#f3d6d6,stroke:#a3302f

flowchart TD
    A["Bill / resolve contains an
emergency preamble"] --> B["Prepared for final passage — JR 22"]
    B --> C["Vote on the preamble taken FIRST
(by yeas & nays on request of
2 Senators / 5 Representatives) — JR 22"]
    C --> D{"Do both branches
adopt the preamble?"}
    D -->|"Yes — both concur"| E["Bill put on final passage
FIRST in the House — JR 22"]
    E --> F["Takes effect immediately
upon becoming law"]
    D -->|"No — a branch fails
to adopt"| G["Notice sent to other branch — JR 22"]
    G --> H["Bill re-prepared for final passage
WITHOUT the preamble (and without
effect earlier than 90 days) — JR 22"]
    H --> I["Proceeds under ordinary
joint & branch rules"]
    style F fill:#d8ecd8,stroke:#2e7d32
    style I fill:#e4eef4,stroke:#0b4f6c

flowchart TD
    A["Proposal to amend the
Constitution referred to a
joint committee"] --> B{"Reported by the last
Wednesday of April? — JR 23"}
    B -->|"No report in time"| C["Placed in Journal with an
ADVERSE report; filed with
Clerk of the Senate — JR 23"]
    B -->|"Yes"| D["Report ('ought to pass' or
'ought NOT to pass') filed
with Clerk of the Senate — JR 23"]
    C --> E["Report read and placed on file
in each branch — JR 23"]
    D --> E
    E --> F{"Does either branch vote to call
for consideration in joint session?
(Art. XLVIII) — JR 23"}
    F -->|"No"| G["No further legislative
action — JR 23"]
    F -->|"Yes"| H["Notice sent to the other branch;
joint session arranged by the
2nd Wednesday in May — JR 23"]
    H --> I["Joint session considers the
proposal under convention
rules — JR 23, 24"]
    I --> J["Voted on by the two houses
sitting jointly"]
    style J fill:#d8ecd8,stroke:#2e7d32
    style G fill:#f3d6d6,stroke:#a3302f

flowchart TD
    A["Governor submits reorganization
plan + accompanying bill — JR 23A
(Art. LXXXVII)"] --> B["Clerks of Senate & House,
with approval of President &
Speaker, refer it to a joint
standing committee
within 5 days — JR 23A"]
    B --> C["Committee holds a public hearing
within 30 days of presentation — JR 23A"]
    C --> D["Committee reports within 10 days
of the hearing — JR 23A"]
    D --> E{"Committee
recommendation"}
    E -->|"Approves"| F["Separate report of approval
filed in each branch — JR 23A"]
    E -->|"Disapproves"| G["Separate report of disapproval
+ reasons filed in each
branch — JR 23A"]
    F --> H["Plan proceeds to the branches
for action under Art. LXXXVII"]
    G --> H
    style F fill:#d8ecd8,stroke:#2e7d32
    style G fill:#f3d6d6,stroke:#a3302f