Penn State University Libraries - Hearings & Reports

Once introduced and assigned a number, bills are immediately assigned to the committee and/or subcommittee charged with responsibility for that policy area.

The committees and subcommittees may hold hearings, revise (or markup) draft bills, and recommend passage (or report the bill out of committee). The vast majority of bills "die" in committee and are not referred to the full House or Senate for consideration.

• Hearings and Testimony:
  This is the information-gathering phase of the legislative process - committees hear the testimony of people and organizations concerned about the policy outcome.

• Markup:
  As committees deliberate the merits of a piece of legislation changes are made to the bill's text. This process of committee revision is called "markup".

• Reports:
  The committees are charged with making recommendations on the passage of bills. This process is called "reporting out".