In order for the Restroom Access Act (known as Ally’s Law), to become a law in your state, it’s important to understand the process of making a bill a law. Below are the general steps a bill takes to become a law:

1. A bill is introduced and gets a number: The process begins when a bill or resolution is numbered within the House or Senate (i.e.: H.R. 255 or S. 188).
2. The bill is referred to Committee: Bills are referred to the appropriate committees in the House or Senate.
3. Committee Action: After the committee receives the bill, it may be placed on the committee’s calendar or it can be referred to a subcommittee for study and hearings before moving to full committee.
4. Amendments: Once hearings in the subcommittee are completed, the bill is marked up to reflect any changes and voted on. If the bill passes, then it moves to the full committee for another mark-up and a vote.
5. Committee Reports: Once a bill passes out of committee, the committee issues a report describing the purpose and scope of the bill.
6. Rules Committee: In most states bills are passed out of their initial committees go to a Rules Committee before being placed on the general calendar for House/Senate floor debate. Of course not all states are the same and you should check each state for their rules and procedures.
7. Floor Action: To move to a floor vote, the bill must be placed on the chamber’s calendar, which is controlled by the majority party and leadership.
8. Voting: After debate ends and votes on amendments conclude, the full chamber (House or Senate) votes on the bill.
9. Round Two: Even if the first chamber passes the bill, it must have a companion bill or counterpart in the other legislative body.
10. Conference Committee: If the second chamber passes the bill with significant changes, the bill must go to conference. A conference committee with both Senators and Representatives forms to resolve the differences between the two versions of the bill.
11. Final Step: If both the House and Senate pass the conference report, it’s transmitted to the governor to be signed into law or vetoed.

Though this is the general process, each state has slightly different steps for making laws. Choose your state from the drop-down below for a link to a website that will detail how it works in your state.

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