Alabama Constitution Section 64 - Procedure for amendment of bills; adoption of reports of committees of conference.
Alabama Constitution – Section 64: Procedure for Amendment of Bills; Adoption of Reports of Committees of Conference
Text of Section 64:
“No amendment to bills shall be adopted except by a majority of the house wherein the same is offered, nor shall the report of any committee of conference be adopted except by a vote of a majority of each house, taken by yeas and nays and entered upon the journal.”
Explanation:
Section 64 outlines how bills can be amended and how the reports from committees of conference are to be approved. It emphasizes transparency and majority rule in the legislative process.
🔹 Key Points:
Amendments to Bills:
Any amendment to a bill must be approved by a majority vote of the house where the amendment is proposed (either the House or the Senate).
This ensures that amendments cannot be added arbitrarily or without sufficient support.
Conference Committee Reports:
If the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, a committee of conference is formed to reconcile the differences.
The final report or compromise from this committee must be:
Approved by a majority vote in each house.
The vote must be recorded by yeas and nays (i.e., how each member voted must be documented).
The vote must be entered into the official journal (the public legislative record).
Purpose:
To maintain transparency in how laws are changed or finalized.
To ensure accountability of lawmakers through recorded votes.
To strengthen democratic process by requiring majority support for any amendments or reconciliations.
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